"Wilkens was one of the finest point guards of his era who later brought his calm and savvy style to the sideline, first as a player-coach and then evolving into one of the game's great coaches. He coached 2,487 games in the NBA, which is still a record. He became a Hall of Famer as a player, as a coach and again as part of the 1992 U.S. Olympic team on which he was an assistant."
"Lenny Wilkens represented the very best of the NBA as a Hall of Fame player, Hall of Fame coach, and one of the game's most respected ambassadors, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Sunday. So much so that, four years ago, Lenny received the unique distinction of being named one of the league's 75 greatest players and 15 greatest coaches of all time."
Lenny Wilkens died at 88 surrounded by loved ones; the family did not immediately release a cause of death. He was a standout point guard who later became a legendary NBA coach known for calm, savvy leadership. He coached 2,487 NBA games, held the league record, and retired with 1,332 wins, a mark later surpassed by Don Nelson and Gregg Popovich. He was a nine-time All-Star, the first to reach 1,000 coaching wins, and a three-time Hall of Fame inductee as player, coach, and 1992 Olympic assistant. He led the Seattle SuperSonics to the 1979 NBA title and coached the U.S. to Olympic gold in 1996.
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