Hall of Fame Coach and NBA Great Lenny Wilkens Dies at 88

Basketball has lost one of its most enduring figures with the death of Lenny Wilkens, the Hall of Fame player and coach who shaped generations of the game. He died on 9 November at the age of 88, his family announced. Wilkens passed away surrounded by loved ones; no cause of death was disclosed.

A nine-time All-Star as a crafty, cerebral point guard and later a championship-winning coach, Wilkens’ name is woven through NBA history. He spent key stretches of his playing and coaching career with the Seattle SuperSonics — the franchise that later became the Oklahoma City Thunder — and remains synonymous with Seattle basketball, where he is honoured with a statue outside Climate Pledge Arena, unveiled in June 2025.

Wilkens holds one of the most remarkable resumés in the sport. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame three times: as a player in 1989, as a coach in 1998, and as an assistant coach for the 1992 U.S. Olympic “Dream Team,” the first Olympic squad made up of active NBA players. He also guided the United States to another gold medal at the Atlanta 1996 Games.

On the sidelines, Wilkens became the league’s benchmark for longevity. No one has coached more NBA games; he led teams in a record 2,487 regular-season contests. He retired in 2005 with 1,332 victories, the most in league history at the time, a mark later surpassed by Don Nelson and Gregg Popovich.

His coaching journey spanned 32 seasons and five franchises. Wilkens had two separate stints in charge of the SuperSonics, steering them to their lone NBA title in 1979. He also led the Portland Trail Blazers, Cleveland Cavaliers, Atlanta Hawks, Toronto Raptors and New York Knicks, earning NBA Coach of the Year honours in 1994 while with Atlanta.

Wilkens’ influence began on the court. Born and raised in New York City, he played 15 NBA seasons after being drafted by the St. Louis Hawks in 1960, later suiting up for the SuperSonics, Cavaliers and Trail Blazers. He averaged 16.5 points and 6.7 assists per game, was selected to nine All-Star Games and became the first coach to reach 1,000 career wins.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver hailed Wilkens as the embodiment of the league’s highest values, noting that he was named among both the NBA’s 75 greatest players and 15 greatest coaches. Silver praised not only Wilkens’ championships and two Olympic gold medals, but also his deep commitment to service in Seattle and beyond, where he mentored generations of players, coaches and young people.

Wilkens is survived by his wife, Marilyn; their children, Leesha, Randy and Jamee; and seven grandchildren