It was a somber day for basketball fans this weekend. Former New York Knicks coach and Basketball Hall of Famer Lenny Wilkens passed away on Sunday. He was 88 years old.
Former Knicks Hall of Fame coach Lenny Wilkens passes away
Wilkens is inducted into the Hall of Fame as both a player and a coach, and is considered to be one of the best in both areas in league history. The Brooklyn native was a nine-time All-Star with three different teams.
After his playing career, he made the transition to coaching, where he led the Seattle SuperSonics to their first and only NBA title in 1979. He also coached the Cleveland Cavaliers, Atlanta Hawks, and Toronto Raptors before finishing his coaching career with the Knicks.
Wilkens finished his coaching career with the Knicks
Wilkens took over as Knicks head coach midseason in 2004, and he led them to a 23-19 finish to the regular season that propelled them to the playoffs. However, he began the following season 17-22, and ultimately resigned midseason, effectively ending his coaching career.
“The New York Knicks are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Lenny Wilkens. His contributions to basketball as a Hall of Fame player and coach will be felt forever. Lenny’s reach extended far beyond the court by impacting the lives of so many in the community. The Knicks family send our heartfelt condolences to his family, friends and all those whose lives he touched,” the team released in a statement Sunday night.
Wilkens finished his coaching career with a 1,332-1,155 (.536) record. Those wins rank third all-time among coaches, only behind Gregg Popovich (1,388 wins) and Don Nelson (1,335 wins), making him undoubtedly one of the most successful coaches the league has ever seen.