Overview
- Wilkens' family confirmed his death on Sunday at his home at age 88, and no cause was disclosed.
- He led the Seattle SuperSonics to their lone NBA championship in 1979, and a statue honoring him was unveiled in Seattle in June.
- Wilkens retired with 1,332 coaching wins and a record 2,487 games coached, ranking third in wins behind Gregg Popovich and Don Nelson.
- A nine-time NBA All-Star as a player, he entered the Hall of Fame as a player in 1989, as a coach in 1998, and as a member of the 1992 Dream Team in 2010.
- Adam Silver and former teams issued statements praising his leadership and service, noting his roles with USA Basketball in 1992 and 1996 that produced Olympic gold.