Lenny Wilkens, legendary NBA player and coach, dies at 88

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Wilkens’ household announced the quality but did not divulge a origin of decease of the Basketball Hall of Fame subordinate and coach.

Published On 10 Nov 2025

Lenny Wilkens, a three-time inductee into the Basketball Hall of Fame who was enshrined arsenic some a subordinate and a coach, has died, his household said Sunday. He was 88.

The household said Wilkens was surrounded by loved ones erstwhile helium died and did not instantly merchandise a origin of death.

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Wilkens was 1 of the finest constituent guards of his epoch who aboriginal brought his calm and savvy benignant to the sideline, archetypal arsenic a player-coach and past evolving into 1 of the game’s large coaches.

He coached 2,487 games successful the NBA, which is inactive a record. He became a Hall of Famer arsenic a player, arsenic a manager and again arsenic portion of the celebrated 1992 US Olympic squad – connected which helium was an assistant. Wilkens coached the Americans to golden astatine the Atlanta Games arsenic well, successful 1996.

“Lenny Wilkens represented the precise champion of the NBA – arsenic a Hall of Fame player, Hall of Fame coach, and 1 of the game’s astir respected ambassadors,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Sunday. “So overmuch truthful that, 4 years ago, Lenny received the unsocial favoritism of being named 1 of the league’s 75 top players and 15 top coaches of each time.”

Lenny Wilkins, Michael Jordan and Earvin Johnson react.

A memorable vocation arsenic subordinate and coach

Wilkens was a nine-time All-Star arsenic a player, the archetypal idiosyncratic to scope 1,000 wins arsenic an NBA manager and the 2nd idiosyncratic inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame arsenic a subordinate and coach.

He coached the Seattle SuperSonics to the NBA rubric successful 1979 and remained iconic successful that metropolis for the remainder of his life, often being considered a godfather of sorts for hoops successful Seattle – which mislaid the Sonics to Oklahoma City successful 2008 and has been trying to get a squad backmost since.

And helium did it each with grace, thing helium was arrogant of.

“Leaders don’t outcry and scream,” Wilkens told Seattle’s KOMO News earlier this year.

Wilkens, the 1994 NBA manager of the twelvemonth with Atlanta, retired with 1,332 coaching wins – a league grounds that was aboriginal passed by Don Nelson (who retired with 1,335) and past Gregg Popovich (who retired with 1,390).

Wilkens played 15 seasons with the St Louis Hawks, SuperSonics, Cleveland Cavaliers and Portland Trail Blazers. He was an NBA All-Star 5 times with St Louis, 3 times successful Seattle and erstwhile with Cleveland successful 1973 astatine property 35. A statue depicting his clip with the SuperSonics was installed extracurricular Climate Pledge Arena successful June.

His resume arsenic a subordinate would person been capable to enactment Wilkens successful information for the Hall of Fame. What helium accomplished arsenic a manager – some done occurrence and longevity – cemented his legacy.

Countless different honours besides came his way, including being elected to the FIBA Hall of Fame, the US Olympic Hall of Fame, the College Basketball Hall of Fame, the Providence Hall of Fame and the Cleveland Cavaliers’ Wall of Honor.

His coaching stops included 2 stints successful Seattle totalling 11 seasons, 2 seasons successful Portland – during 1 of which helium inactive played and averaged 18 minutes per crippled – 7 seasons successful some Cleveland and Atlanta, 3 seasons successful Toronto and parts of 2 years with the Knicks.