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Oklahoma City Thunder: 25 Best Players To Play For The Thunder

By Phil Watson

May 28, 2016; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; General view of t-shirts lining the seats before the game between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Golden State Warriors in game six of the Western conference finals of the NBA Playoffs at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
May 28, 2016; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; General view of t-shirts lining the seats before the game between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Golden State Warriors in game six of the Western conference finals of the NBA Playoffs at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports /
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Lenny Wilkens Seattle Supersonics 1968 With Van Arsdale of Cincinnati (Photo by Malcolm W. Emmons/Sporting News via Getty Images)
Lenny Wilkens Seattle Supersonics 1968 With Van Arsdale of Cincinnati (Photo by Malcolm W. Emmons/Sporting News via Getty Images) /

PG. 1968-72. Lenny Wilkens. 22. player. 149. Trade, Atlanta Hawks, Oct. 12, 1968.

It was a high-powered trade of All-Star guards in October 1968 when the Seattle SuperSonics acquired Lenny Wilkens from the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for Walt Hazzard, later known as Mahdi Abdul-Rahman.

Wilkens was an All-Star again in 1969 and made two more All-Star games after taking on the head coaching duties for the 1969-70 season, earning MVP honors in the 1971 All-Star Game.

OKC_22_WILKENS
OKC_22_WILKENS /

He led the NBA in assists in 1969-70 and was second in 1968-69, 1970-71 and 1971-72 while with Seattle.

He coached the team to a 121-125 record in three seasons, resigning in April 1972 as coach.

He was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers in August 1972 along with Barry Clemens in exchange for Butch Beard.

In four years as a player for the Sonics, Wilkens averaged 19.5 points, 9.0 assists and 5.0 rebounds in 38.6 minutes a game, shooting 43.6 percent from the floor and 78.3 percent from the line.

He was an All-American as a senior at Providence, averaging 14.2 points and 7.1 rebounds per game.

Chosen sixth overall by the then-St. Louis Hawks in the 1960 NBA Draft, Wilkens was a five-time All-Star with the Hawks.

An All-Star in Cleveland in 1973, Wilkens had his contract sold to the Portland Trail Blazers in October 1974 and he took over as player-coach, retiring as a player when he was fired as coach in June 1976.

That was, however, just the end of one phase of his NBA life.

The Sonics were mired in a 5-17 start in 1977-78 when Bob Hopkins was fired and Wilkens hired to replace him. He led the team to a 42-18 record and a spot in the NBA Finals, winning the title the following season.

He was fired in April 1985 after going 357-277 in his second stint with the club. Also a coach with the Cavaliers, Hawks, Toronto Raptors and New York Knicks, Wilkins is second in NBA history with 1,332 wins.

Wilkens is 43rd in NBA history with 38,064 minutes played, 13th with 7,211 assists and 34th with an average of 6.7 assists per game.

Wilkens was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame as a player in 1989 and as a coach in 1998.

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