Lenny Wilkens dies at age 88

[bonita_the_frog]

You almost never hear about an NBA coach dying. They are probably the healthiest people on earth.

[Infinite Llamas]

We lost another of his contemporaries yesterday as well. Richie Adubato was the Mavs coach during some pretty miserable seasons. Seemed like a great guy too. Had some success in the WNBA as well.

[slicedbread2]

That's tough to hear. RIP Lenny Wilkens.

I remember growing up as a kid seeing Wilkens coaching the Raptors after Butch Carter got fired. I had a teacher that resembled him and watched the karate kid and idiotically asked Lenny during a charity event if he was related to the actor who played Mr. Miyagi from the Karate kid (I was 10 at the time). Thankfully, Lenny was a class act and laughed it off.

As I learned more about him, I was amazed that he pulled off the feat of being a player and a coach at the same time and his resume speaks for itself.

[-Luke-]

What a legend. Rest in peace, Sir.

Wherever he went, Hawks, Sonics, Cavs, Blazers, Raptors, you only heard nice things about him.

[Black Jack]

RIP to a hoops legend, always a class act. And a winner.

I was shocked to find out he was a player/coach. we need to bring that back, imagine Draymond taking over as GSW coach if Kerr retires and Dray is still active

[CumberlandPosey]

Rip the 3-time hall-of-famer.a great human.i recommend to read his book called "unguarded".true legend.

[Stone]

Lenny Wilkens was the cream of the crop.........RIP

[Kobe Anunoby]

Rest in peace.
Lenny was a legend in multiple decades in multiple ways, which few can say.
“In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years” by Abraham Lincoln

[ryan in Maine]

He was my first NBA Hoops basketball card.

[dhsilv2]

Gotta be in the top 5 or so guys in terms of just years of work he put into the league.

[-Luke-]

Gotta be in the top 5 or so guys in terms of just years of work he put into the league.

My guess is he's first on that list. 15 years as a player, 32 as a coach, 1 as an executive, that's 48 years in total.

Jerry West had 40 years (14 + 3 + 23). Auerbach is at 37, Phil Jackson 36 (12 + 20 + 4), Pop at 31 if I looked it up correctly.

Maybe I missed an obvious one, but I can't image someone had more than 48 years in the NBA.

Edit:
Yeah, I forgot an obvious one: Pat Riley. 9 years as a player, 24 as a coach, 19 as president only (if we seperate coaching and executive). So Riley is at 52 years and first on the list.

[dhsilv2]

Gotta be in the top 5 or so guys in terms of just years of work he put into the league.

My guess is he's first on that list. 15 years as a player, 32 as a coach, 1 as an executive, that's 48 years in total.

Jerry West had 40 years (14 + 3 + 23). Auerbach is at 37, Phil Jackson 36 (12 + 20 + 4), Pop at 31 if I looked it up correctly.

Maybe I missed an obvious one, but I can't image someone had more than 48 years in the NBA.

Edit:
Yeah, I forgot an obvious one: Pat Riley. 9 years as a player, 24 as a coach, 19 as president only (if we seperate coaching and executive). So Riley is at 52 years and first on the list.

Thanks for looking it up! I was thinking West or Pat have to be up there too. Didn't realize it was 32 years as a coach for Wilkens. Man...that's legendary stuff.

[CumberlandPosey]

Harvey pollack served from the inaugural season in 46 till 2015.so thats 70 seasons.dick bavetta reffed for 40 Seasons i think.
Then you have mr Basketball himself aka the mogul eddie Gottlieb who served 62 seasons in professional roundball.numbers are nuts.

forgot about tommy.he was part of the celtics for 63 seasons as player,coach and colour-man.

[Dick Tate]

RIP Lenny.
Sorry you didn't live long enough to see another team come back to Seattle.

[DaPessimist]

True legend of the sport. RIP.

[jayu70]

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