"Wilkens' basketball resume boasts a storied career, not only in his time as an active player, but also in the years that followed in head coaching roles. Wilkens is a nine-time NBA All-Star, recognized on both the NBA's 50th and 75th anniversary teams. His accolades only grew further, as I mentioned earlier, for his stellar efforts as a coach. Wilkens won an NBA championship as head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers in 1979."
"What links Wilkens' basketball journey to the Toronto Raptors is his three-season stint as head coach from 2000 to 2003. In his first year in Toronto, Wilkens led the team to a 47-35 record, placing them as the fifth seed in the East. They ultimately fell in dramatic fashion to the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals."
Lenny Wilkens died on November 9 at age 88. He was a nine-time NBA All-Star and was named to both the NBA's 50th and 75th anniversary teams. Wilkens won an NBA championship as head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers in 1979, earned NBA Coach of the Year in 1994, and received multiple All-Star Game coaching nominations. He was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame three times: as a player (1989), as a coach (1998), and as an assistant on the 1992 Dream Team (2010). Wilkens coached the Toronto Raptors from 2000 to 2003, compiling a 47-35 first season before departing after a 24-58 final season. A wave of tributes followed his passing.
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