Lenny Wilkens, who passed away on November 9th, was a remarkable presence in the game from 1957 to 2005.
As a player, he starred at Providence before being drafted by the St. Louis Hawks in 1960. He was of the same era as Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell.
He is in the Hall of Fame as a college player, and NBA player and an NBA coach.
The guy was just one of the greats, but he never really got full credit for his greatness, partly perhaps because he was such an elegant, quiet and understated presence in the game.
Hailing from Brooklyn and growing up in difficult circumstances (Wilkens father was black and his mother was white in an era when that was not widely accepted), Wilkens cared an amazing path in basketball and life. He was universally admired and emulated by many. His former players like Steve Kerr and Jack Sikma, and his teammates, like Bob Pettit, raved about his leaderships and character.
Wilkens retired in 2005 and was 88 when he passed away. The NBA has lost more than an icon. It lost a treasure of the game and, by all accounts, a very good man.
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