EncyclopediaWilkens, Lenny
Wilkens, Lenny (Leonard Randolph Wilkens), 1937–, American basketball player and coach, b. Brooklyn, N.Y. After playing at Providence College, he joined the St. Louis Hawks of the National Basketball Association (NBA) in 1960, beginning a 15-year playing career with four teams. In 1969 he became the Seattle SuperSonics' player-coach. Subsequently he has coached Seattle (1969–72 and 1977–85), the Portland Trail Blazers (1974–76), the Cleveland Cavaliers (1986–93), the Atlanta Hawks (1993–2000), Toronto Raptors (2000–2003), and New York Knicks (2004–). His 1978–79 Supersonics won the NBA championship. In Jan., 1994, he won his 939th regular-season game as an NBA head coach, surpassing the record held by Arnold “Red” Auerbach. He also coached the 1996 U.S. Olympic basketball team. Noted for his calm, understated approach to an often frantic game, Wilkens was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame as a player in 1989 and as a coach in 1998.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
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