BIOGRAPHY

Leonard Randolph “Lenny” Wilkens was born on October 28, 1937 in Brooklyn, New York. He was a two-time All-American at Providence College, and went on to play for the St. Louis Hawks in 1960. He later played for the Seattle SuperSonics, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Portland Trail Blazers. When he retired in 1975 he became the full-time coach of the Trail Blazers and then of many other NBA teams, including the SuperSonics, winning the NBA Championship in 1979. Wilkens joined the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1989 as a player and 1998 as a coach. In 2010 Wilkens returns to Springfield, MA as the first ever 3-time Hall-of-Fame inductee as part of the 1992 Olympic Dream Team I. He currently is seen on Northwest FSN Studio as a College Hoops analyst and occasionally appears on Northwest College Hoops at game nights.

Wilkens is the founder of the Lenny Wilkens Foundation, which funds organizations that deliver healthcare and education services to young people while honoring their dignity and sense of self-respect. The entire Wilkens family is passionate about encouraging young people to explore and achieve their full potential, regardless of their circumstances.

Athletic Achievements

• Led Providence College to an undefeated season and was named MVP of the NIT in 1960
• One of three players to be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame as both a player and a coach
• Wilkens was a nine-time NBA All-Star and was named the 1971 All-Star Game MVP
• Coached the Olympic Champion Men’s Basketball team in 1996 and was an assistant coach on the 1992 USA Olympic Dream Team
• In 1996, the NBA named Wilkens one of its 50 Greatest Players and 10 Greatest Coaches; Wilkens is the only person named to both lists
• He is a member of the Providence College Athletic Hall of Fame
• Retired with 1,332 wins and 1,155 losses, second overall for most wins
• Served as Player/Coach for the Seattle Supersonics and Portland Trailblazers
• First head coach in NBA history to surpass 1,000 wins
• Four-time NBA All-Star Head Coach