Longtime NBA great, Hall of Fame coach Lenny Wilkens dies at 88

Lenny Wilkens, the legendary NBA player, head coach and broadcaster, died Sunday, according to The Seattle Times.

He was 88.

One of four Hall of Famers ever to be inducted both as an NBA player and coach, Wilkens made nine All-Star appearances for the St. Louis Hawks, Seattle SuperSonics and Cleveland Cavaliers during a 15-year playing career. He coached the SuperSonics to a championship in 1979 and retired as the league's winningest head coach in history, amassing 1,332 victories over a 32-year tenure for six different franchises.

"He influenced the lives of countless young people as well as generations of players and coaches who consider Lenny not only a great teammate or coach but also an extraordinary mentor who led with integrity and true class," NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement Sunday.

A Brooklyn native and two-time All-American at Providence College, Wilkens spent his first eight seasons with the Hawks. As a rookie point guard playing alongside Hall of Fame teammates Bob Pettit, Cliff Hagan and Clyde Lovellette, Wilkens stewarded the Hawks to the 1961 NBA Finals, losing to Bill Russell's Boston Celtics. He finished second to Wilt Chamberlain in the 1968 MVP race during his final season in St. Louis.

https://sports.yahoo.com/nba/breaking-news/article/longtime-nba-great-hall-of-fame-coach-lenny-wilkens-dies-at-88-232721605.html