We all know the names of the NBA superstars thanks to their record-breaking performances and broadcasted by the media. They are often put on the front pages of magazines and discussed widely on television. But before that, the players didn’t have much opportunity to shine. Their sheer talent was something that made them stand out and stories of their success were told by mouth.
One of the past decade’s legends is Lenny Wilkens. With his calm way of carrying himself and modesty originating from a Christian upbringing, Lenny Wilkens was a star-class player. Starting as a point guard, evolved his career in a way, which made him and everyone around him excels beyond the limits. His achievements on the court and outside the court are something we should praise and look for in modern players.
Lenny Wilkens – Early Life
Lenny Wilkens, formally Leonard Randolph Wilkens, was born on October 28th, 1937 to a mixed-race family. His father was Afro-American and his mother was Irish-American. He grew up in Brooklyn, in the Bedford-Stuyvesant district which was mainly populated by people of color. Those were the times of racial injustices and from a young age, Lenny learned that he has to be tough. He attended the oldest public school in Brooklyn, called simply Boys High School, and joined their basketball team.
Lenny Wilkens – Providence College
After high school, Lenny attended Providence College, where he also participated in the basketball league. His talent was obvious back then, he managed to get his team in the National Invitation Tournament held by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in 1959, and a year after they even got to the finals. His strength of character made him able to excel beyond prejudices.
His presence and input in the school team were so prominent that he was the first player ever to have his jersey retired by Providence College in 1996.
Lenny Wilkens – Making NBA History
In 1960 Wilkens was drafted by the St. Louis Hawks as a sixth overall draft pick. The ’60s were dominated by the Boston Celtics, coached by Red Auerbach, and the St. Louis Hawks fell short to them in the 1960 NBA championship. Despite the loss, during Wilkens’ career, the Hawks were a respected team. This time made an impact on Lenny because he always admired Auerbach and assigned a lot of Celtics winnings to him.
Lenny Wilkens – Player-Coach
Even though the Hawks never made the finals again, Lenny was second to Wilt Chamberlain for the 1968 Most Valuable Player Award. After that, he made his way to the Seattle Supersonics. Wilkens spent eight seasons with the Hawks, four seasons with Seattle Supersonics, two seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and his last season with Portland Trail Blazers.
During his run with Seattle, he wasn’t only a player. He was appointed a head coach of the team. At first, he was hesitant to accept this position, but he took the risk and it paid off. He did it again when playing with the Blazers and when his playing career came to an end it was inevitable for him to become a full-time NBA coach.
Lenny Wilkens – Portland Trail Blazers
After his playing career Wilkens was appointed a full-time coach for the Portland Trail Blazers. The Blazers didn’t make the playoffs this year but they finished with quite a good record 37-45.
Lenny Wilkens – Seattle Supersonics
After a year-long break, Wilkens got back to coaching again. Seattle Supersonics were in despair after legendary player and coach Bill Russell left them under Bob Hopkins’ guidance. The season 1976-1977 wasn’t starting perfectly with loss after loss and Wilkens stepped up and replaced Hopkins. Like in proper homecoming, the sun was shining brighter with Wilkens as a head coach. From the start, he helped the team to win 11 of 12 games, in 1978 leading SuperSonics to the finals. They finished as a runner-up which was an extremely huge achievement for the team.
Lenny Wilkens – NBA Championship
The 1978-1979 season was the greatest for Lenny Wilkens and the Sonics. Again, they faced the Washington Bullets in the NBA Finals. This time, the Sonics were victorious. It was the first and the only ring they got.
Lenny Wilkens – All-Time Winningest Coach
After his incredible success as a coach, Lenny went on and coached the Cleveland Cavaliers, Atlanta Hawks, Toronto Raptors, and New York Knicks. He had a successful season with all of the teams and in 1995 he surpassed Red Auerbach’s record of 938 games won.
Lenny Wilkens – The Olympics
Lenny Wilkens’ success is not only national but also recognized worldwide. He was an assistant coach to the 1992 Olympic Dream Team, which was the first team to include NBA players; and the 1992 Tournament of the Americas team. He coached both teams to win a gold medal.
He also coached the men’s basketball team at the 1996 Olympics with the same victorious result.
Lenny Wilkens – Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
Lenny Wilkens scored 17,772 points, averaging 16.5 points per game, made 5,030 rebounds and 7,211 assists. He was nine-time All-Star, NBA All-Star Game MVP in 1970 and to this day he is renowned as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA history.
Lenny Wilkens is a treasured part of basketball history. His playing career and coaching career gave him a well-deserved place among the greatest in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame both as a player (1989) and as a coach (1998).
Lenny Wilkens – Net Worth
Lenny Wilkens is estimated to have a net worth between $1 million and $5 million. He is a retired American professional basketball player and coach who was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1998. Wilkens played for several NBA teams throughout his career, as well as coached several teams, and was also a broadcaster for a few years.
Where did Lenny Wilkens go to college?
He attended the Providence College in Rhode Island.
