Lenny Wilkens, a true basketball legend, left an indelible mark on the sport, improving it beyond recognition. His journey is an inspiring tale of resilience and impact.
Four months ago, Seattle honored Wilkens with a statue outside Climate Pledge Arena, a testament to his greatness. The bronze sculpture depicted Wilkens with a basketball in his right hand, an unusual choice given his left-handed dribbling style. It was the city's first-ever basketball monument, commemorating a man who played a pivotal role in the SuperSonics' history.
Shaquille O'Neal, in a moment of confusion, once asked Wilkens, "Coach, you played?" This question encapsulates the dual nature of Wilkens' career, as both a player and a coach, a rare combination in the NBA.
Wilkens excelled in both roles. He was named to all the NBA's anniversary teams as a player and, as a coach, he won a championship and amassed the most victories in NBA history (1,332) upon retirement. His impact spanned five decades of NBA service, but his legacy extends beyond the court.
Wilkens was a pioneer, one of the early black players who navigated a changing game and societal attitudes in the 1960s. His influence off the court is just as significant as his on-court achievements. In his own words, "I always wanted to leave places better than the way I found them."
Born at the tail end of the Great Depression in Brooklyn, Wilkens had a tough upbringing. His father passed away when he was just five, and he was raised by his Irish Catholic mother, who worked part-time at a candy factory. Wilkens helped raise his three siblings, finding solace on the playgrounds where basketball hoops began to sprout during the era of urban development.
His passion for sports was ignited when he delivered groceries to none other than Jackie Robinson, the legendary Brooklyn Dodger. Wilkens soon became a local legend on the outdoor courts of Brooklyn, though he didn't play high school basketball until his senior year. With the help of a local priest, he secured a spot at Providence, where he became a two-time All-American and led the Friars to NIT appearances.
Drafted sixth overall by the St. Louis Hawks in 1960, Wilkens entered a league with just eight teams, mostly in large Eastern cities. St. Louis presented a different challenge, with levels of racism that surprised and disappointed him. But Wilkens drew inspiration from his interactions with Robinson, understanding that his basketball mission extended beyond his personal experiences.
His ability and popularity united the city. As a star with the Hawks, he helped lead them to the NBA Finals as a rookie point guard. In his second season, Wilkens balanced his basketball career with military service, appearing in only 20 games while serving as a Second Lieutenant in the Army.
Quick and clever, Wilkens, barely 6-foot and 175 pounds, dribbled to his left and still reached the rim for layups with ease. He played for Seattle, the Cavaliers, and the Trail Blazers, becoming a nine-time All-Star and leading the league in assists in 1970. His jersey number (19) was retired by the Sonics.
Wilkens also served as a player-coach in Seattle, becoming the league's second black coach after Bill Russell. He returned to Seattle as a coach-only five years later, and two years after that, the Sonics were champions.
His coaching career saw solid results with the Sonics, Cavaliers, Hawks, Raptors, and Knicks. While he won just one championship, the best player he ever coached was none other than Lenny Wilkens himself. In his first season as full-time coach, the Sonics reached the Finals without a single All-Star on their roster.
After winning the championship, Wilkens faced the daunting task of trying to beat Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and those great Lakers teams. Later, with the Cavs, he took on prime Michael Jordan and the Bulls.
Wilkens joined the Hawks the season they traded Dominique Wilkins, and he guided the team to a remarkable 57 wins, up from their previous season's 43. He led the Raptors to their first playoff series victory but stayed for only two more years. In total, Wilkens led five different teams to the playoffs, a testament to his coaching prowess.
"Lenny Wilkens is an example and mentor to all of us who coach the game," said Pacers coach Rick Carlisle. "A true NBA treasure."
Perhaps Wilkens' greatest moment as a coach, aside from the Sonics championship year, came with the Cavaliers. In the decisive Game 5 of the 1989 first-round series against the Bulls, the iconic image of Jordan punching the air after his series-winning shot over Craig Ehlo remains. But this iconic play was preceded by another, more forgotten one.
Wilkens designed a play where Ehlo inbounded the ball and then cut to the basket, stunning the Bulls and putting the Cavs ahead. How many coaches today would create a final-minute play for their fourth-best player? The Cavs had three All-Stars in Mark Price, Larry Nance, and Brad Daugherty, yet Wilkens chose Ehlo. How many coaches today would opt for their best player, as Bulls coach Doug Collins did with Jordan, telling everyone else to get out of the way?
Wilkens was fearless, a trait he carried from his impoverished Brooklyn upbringing, through his playing career, and into his role as a racial pioneer when the league and the sporting world needed him most. He was a three-time inductee into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame—as a player, a coach, and an assistant with the 1992 "Dream Team" at the Barcelona Olympics.
In many ways, Wilkens was the ultimate basketball man. From his college days to his NBA career as a player and coach, he knew nothing but success. But the longevity of his success is best exemplified by his 63-year marriage to Marilyn. They lived most of their lives in Seattle, a city that never forgot Wilkens' impact, both as a player whose jersey was retired and as a coach who guided the team to its only title.
"He has uplifted this community in many ways," said Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson at the statue ceremony. "From uniting our community when we won that world championship back in the 1970s to all the work he's done quietly, behind the scenes when he's not in front of 14,000 fans and a national TV audience—quietly working to uplift our community and the next generation."
Lenny Wilkens, a true basketball icon, left an incredible legacy, improving the game and the communities he touched.
