Lenny Wilkens
Basketball · Hometown: New York, NY
- High school
- Boys High School
- College
- Providence College
- Pro team(s)
- St. Louis Hawks, Seattle SuperSonics, Cleveland Cavaliers, Portland Trail Blazers
- Hall of Fame
- ⭐ Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
Leonard Randolph Wilkens was born on October 28, 1937, in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, the son of a Black father and Irish-American mother. He attended Boys High School in Bed-Stuy — one of Brooklyn's most historic public schools — and then earned a scholarship to Providence College, where he was a standout playmaker. Drafted by the St. Louis Hawks in 1960, Wilkens played 15 seasons as one of the NBA's premier point guards: a nine-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA team member who combined court intelligence with steady leadership. He was most celebrated as the floor general of the Seattle SuperSonics and later as a player-coach, a rare dual role that he handled with distinction. After retiring as a player, Wilkens became one of the most successful coaches in NBA history. He won the 1979 NBA championship as coach of the Seattle SuperSonics and led the 1996 United States Olympic team to a gold medal in Atlanta. When he surpassed Red Auerbach's record for career coaching wins in 1995, he became the winningest coach in NBA history. He stands as one of the very few individuals ever inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame twice — once as a player (1989) and once as a coach (1998). Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York.