November 12, 2025 | 12:00am
There’s a little-known story about the NBA’s record-holder for most games coached Lenny Wilkens, the three-time Hall of Famer who passed away in Medina, Washington, last Sunday. In 1971-72, Wilkens was the Seattle SuperSonics’ playing coach and had a chance to top the league’s assist ladder with a game left in the regular season. It was a close contest between Wilkens and Jerry West as only a fraction of a point separated them in the race.
Coincidentally, their last game was against each other. The date was March 26, 1972 and the LA Lakers hosted the Sonics. The night before, Seattle bowed to Phoenix and Wilkens collected 13 points with seven assists in 32 minutes. It was the Sonics’ fifth straight loss, tumbling down with the loss of key players Spencer Haywood, Dick Snyder and Don Smith. Wilkens could’ve salvaged a silver lining to a dismal campaign with the assist crown. But instead of gunning for an individual award, Wilkens sat out the Lakers game to give his players exposure and experience. West picked up 11 assists in the contest and clinched the NBA title with 9.7 dimes a game. Wilkens took second place with a 9.6 average. The gesture of selflessness was a trademark that Wilkens was known for throughout his playing and coaching careers.
When Wilkens was named Seattle playing coach, he said, “I’d no longer just have myself and my own game to worry about; I was responsible for all the players, for the team.” Wilkens never won an NBA title as a player but was a nine-time All-Star, the 1971 All-Star Game MVP and a member of the NBA’s 50th and 75th anniversary teams. As a coach, he won the NBA title with the Sonics in 1979 and was named Coach of the Year in 1994. Wilkens piloted the US to the Olympic men’s basketball gold medal in 1996.
Two days before the Sonics faced the Lakers in 1972, I met up with Wilkens near the boarding gate of the Seattle-Tacoma Airport. The meeting was arranged by Bob Homans, representing the US Department of State that brought 11 Asian student leaders to the US on a two-month educational tour. The Sonics were 30 minutes away from boarding a flight for Phoenix in their penultimate assignment of the season. I introduced myself to Wilkens who had been told someone from the Philippines would come around. We spoke for about 15 minutes and he talked about the difficult season, the challenges of a playing coach and the struggles of a decimated lineup. He came across as an articulate, educated, humble and gracious gentleman. When I got back home from the trip, I wrote a story about my meeting with Wilkens and submitted it to a sports weekly magazine. It turned out to be my first published piece as a sportswriter so I’ll never forget how Wilkens got me started on my journey in journalism.
Wilkens lost his father when he was five and thought he wouldn’t live a long life. A practicing Catholic, he left his fate up to God. “People want to know how I’ve survived this long in the NBA (playing from 1960 to 1975 and coaching from 1969 to 2005) and I point to my faith and my family,” said Wilkens in his book “Unguarded.” “I love basketball and there is nothing I’d rather do than coach but basketball or beating Red Auerbach’s record isn’t everything to me…the Lord will not judge me based on what kind of record I had with a certain team or if I was ever fired…I know that God has always been with me…I don’t scream about my faith but my faith is strong (as) it is central to who I am.” Wilkens died at 88.