News broke on November 9 that legendary basketball figure Lenny Wilkens had passed away at the age of 88 (NBA Commissioner Adam Silver's official statement here).
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. He earned the NBA Coach of the Year award in 1994 and received four nominations as an All-Star Game head coach. Additionally, he was named to the "Top 10 Coaches in NBA History" and the "Top 15 Coaches in NBA History" lists.
While he was already inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame as a player in 1989, Wilkens was inducted on two more occasions. In 1998, he was honored as a coach, and in 2010, as a member of the iconic 1992 "Dream Team," where he served as an assistant coach.
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.
The following 2001-02 season saw a bit of a dip to a 42-40 record, which was good for the seventh seed, and the team was eliminated at the hands of Detroit in the first round. Toronto's subsequent 2002-03 season showed another decline, as the team missed the playoffs entirely, finishing with a 24-58 record. In the aftermath, Wilkens and the organization mutually agreed to part ways.
A wave of tributes in memory of the great Lenny Wilkens
- On an Instagram post via the official Raptors account, legendary Raptors figure Vince Carter paid tribute to his former head coach with a comment that read: "Rest up coach and thank you!!!!"
- Former Raptors big man Michael Bradley also commented on the same Instagram post to pay his respects, saying: "What a class act. Mentor, Friend, Coach. RIP Lenny! 🙏🏼❤️🪽"
- In a different Instagram post courtesy of the official NBA account, Jamal Crawford would write: "One of the best people I’ve ever met in life…literally ..RIP Coach.. 🙏🏾"
- Stephon Marbury had an extensive, heartfelt tribute to his former head coach during their time on the Knicks (one of the top pinned comments, read it here)
- Several other key basketball legends like Steve Nash, Isiah Thomas, and Richard Hamilton each paid their respects by posting heart emojis or prayer hands, respectively.