Corridor of Famer and former Raptors coach Lenny Wilkens dies at 88

[ad_1] Lenny Wilkens, a three-time inductee into the Basketball Corridor of Fame who was enshrined as each a participant and a coach, has died, his household mentioned Sunday. He was 88.

The household mentioned Wilkens was surrounded by family members when he died and didn't instantly launch a reason for demise.

Wilkens was one of many best level guards of his period who later introduced his calm and savvy type to the sideline, first as a player-coach after which evolving into one of many sport's nice coaches.

He coached 2,487 video games within the NBA, which continues to be a file. He grew to become a Corridor of Famer as a participant, as a coach and once more as a part of the 1992 U.S. Olympic crew — on which he was an assistant. Wilkens coached the People to gold on the Atlanta Video games as nicely in 1996.

Wilkins coached the Toronto Raptors between 2000-2003, main the crew to 2 playoff appearances.

"Lenny Wilkens represented the easiest of the NBA — as a Corridor of Fame participant, Corridor of Fame coach, and one of many sport's most revered ambassadors," NBA Commissioner Adam Silver mentioned Sunday. "A lot in order that, 4 years in the past, Lenny obtained the distinctive distinction of being named one of many league's 75 biggest gamers and 15 biggest coaches of all time."

Right now we misplaced an enormous and a Seattle legend. Lenny Wilkens was a 3x corridor of famer, participant, coach. However greater than that he was a humanitarian who gave a lot to our neighborhood. Relaxation in peace, Coach. pic.twitter.com/8KKwE4QFkG

—ClimateArena Wilkens was a nine-time All-Star as a participant, was the primary individual to achieve 1,000 wins as an NBA coach and was the second individual inducted into the Basketball Corridor of Fame as a participant and coach. He coached the Seattle SuperSonics to the NBA title in 1979 and remained iconic in that metropolis for the remainder of his life, usually being thought of a godfather of kinds for basketball in Seattle — which misplaced the Sonics to Oklahoma Metropolis in 2008 and has been attempting to get a crew again since.

And he did all of it with grace, one thing he was happy with.

"Leaders do not yell and scream," Wilkens instructed Seattle's KOMO Information earlier this yr.

Wilkens, the 1994 NBA coach of the yr with Atlanta, retired with 1,332 teaching wins — a league file that was later handed by Don Nelson (who retired with 1,335) after which Gregg Popovich ( who retired with 1,390).

Godfather of Seattle basketball Wilkens performed 15 seasons with the St. Louis Hawks, SuperSonics, Cleveland Cavaliers and Portland Path Blazers. He was an All-Star 5 instances with St. Louis, 3 times in Seattle and as soon as with Cleveland in 1973 at age 35. A statue depicting his time with the SuperSonics was put in exterior Local weather Pledge Area in June.

"Much more spectacular than Lenny's basketball accomplishments, which included two Olympic gold medals and an NBA championship, was his dedication to service — particularly in his beloved neighborhood of Seattle the place a statue stands in his honor," Silver mentioned. "He influenced the lives of numerous younger folks in addition to generations of gamers and coaches who thought of Lenny not solely an awesome teammate or coach but additionally a rare mentor who led with integrity and true class."

Wilkens twice led the league in assists however was additionally a outstanding scorer. He averaged in double figures scoring in each season of his profession, besides his remaining one in 1974-75 with the Path Blazers. His greatest season as a scorer got here in his first season with the SuperSonics in 1968-69 when he averaged 22.4 factors, 8.2 assists and 6.2 rebounds.

Leonard Wilkens was born Oct. 28, 1937, in New York. His basketball education got here on Brooklyn's playgrounds and at a metropolis powerhouse, then Boys Excessive Faculty, the place one in every of his teammates was main league baseball star Tommy Davis. He would go on to star at Windfall Faculty and was drafted by the Hawks because the sixth general choose in 1960.

Corridor of Fame participant, Corridor of Fame coach His resume as a participant would have been sufficient to place Wilkens in consideration for the Corridor of Fame. What he completed as a coach — each by means of success and longevity — cemented his legacy.

Numerous different honours additionally got here his approach, together with being elected to the FIBA Corridor of Fame, the U.S. Olympic Corridor of Fame, the Faculty Basketball Corridor of Fame, the Windfall Corridor of Fame and the Cleveland Cavaliers' Wall of Honor.

His teaching stops included two stints in Seattle totalling 11 seasons, two seasons in Portland — throughout one in every of which he nonetheless performed and averaged 18 minutes per sport — seven seasons in each Cleveland and Atlanta, three seasons in Toronto and elements of two years with the Knicks.

Wilkens additionally has essentially the most losses in NBA teaching historical past with 1,155. However his successes outweighed the setbacks. He guided the SuperSonics to their lone championship with a victory over the then Washington Bullets, a yr after dropping to them within the Finals.

Wilkens moved into first place on the wins listing on Jan. 6, 1995, whereas teaching the Hawks. His 939th victory surpassed Pink Auerbach's file. From there, he grew to become the primary coach to achieve 1,000 profession wins, a mark since matched by 9 others.

Participant-coach in 1969 The opportunity of taking part in and training on the similar time was raised earlier than the 1969 season when Wilkens was on the residence of SuperSonics normal supervisor Dick Vertlieb and taking part in a leisurely sport of pool.

"I assumed he was loopy," Wilkens recalled. "I saved placing him off, however he was persistent. Lastly, we have been getting so near coaching camp, so I mentioned, `What the heck, I will attempt it."'

From there, he grew to become more and more enamoured with teaching.

Seattle trailed the Cincinnati Royals by 4 factors with a couple of seconds remaining when Wilkens arrange a play that resulted in a dunk. Then, he ordered his gamers to press because the Royals have been out of timeouts. The Sonics stole the inbounds go, scored once more to tie the sport and gained in extra time.

"I used to be like, `Wow!"' Wilkens mentioned. "I had simply completed one thing as a coach that helped us win, not as a participant."

After his teaching profession resulted in 2005, Wilkens returned to the Seattle space the place he lived each offseason. Wilkens ran his basis for many years, with its main benefactor being the Odessa Brown Youngsters's Clinic in Seattle's Central District.

He additionally restored a task with the SuperSonics in 2006 because the crew's vice chairman, however he left the submit a yr later after it grew to become clear new proprietor Clay Bennett wished to maneuver the membership out of Seattle.