Legendary Coach Lenny Wilkens Passes at 88: The Untold Legacy Behind Basketball’s Quiet Giant
In April 1995, Wilkens was named head coach for the Atlanta Olympic team while also coaching the Atlanta Hawks, three months after breaking Red Auerbach’s career regular season wins record for an NBA head coach.
“If ever I was going to be the head coach of the Olympic team, 1996 was the year,” Wilkens wrote. “And when it happened, I was very pleased. I knew the moment would be special, but when I was alone and had a chance to think about it, I was surprised at how emotional I became. I was talking about it with some friends, and I got a little choked up. I started to think of where I came from, of all the things that had to happen for me to reach that point, of the odds against a kid who played only a half-year of high-school basketball going on to have a longer career as a player and coach than anyone in NBA history.”



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