Portland Trailblazers tickets

`When I was In college, I never had any Idea of playing pro ball (Portland Trailblazers Players). So to achieve in this world gives me a good feeling."--Lenny Wilkens. The Hall of Fame has only two men honored as both player and coach. One is John Wooden. The other is Lenny Wilkens. Clearly, lenny Wilkens of the Portland Trail Blazers has come a long way since his decision not to go out for basketball in his sophomore and junior years of high school in Brooklyn. "I didn't think I was good enough," he said. And every bit as impressive as the basketball journey he has taken is the class he has demonstrated along the way.

Lenny Wilkens, Portland Trailblazers Players, wasn't ready to give up the game after his high school freshman season. He simply felt he needed more practice, so he sharpened his skills in New York's Catholic Youth Organization leagues. It was good friend Tommy Davis, who went on to pitch big-league baseball for the Dodgers, who talked Wilkens into returning to his high school team in his final semester. Providence College took note and offered Wilkens a scholarship. In the last two of his three varsity seasons, the heady guard pushed the Friars to the NIT semifinals and finals, gaining acclaim for his feisty defense. He was an All-American as a senior. Though he had never seen an NBA game in person and was not sure he wanted to play pro ball, lenny Wilkens was drafted in the first round by the St. Louis Hawks in 1960.

Soon, whatever doubts he had about his ability disappeared. Wilkens started as a rookie for a Hawks team that reached the 1961 NBA Finals, falling in five games to the Celtics. His exceptional playmaking and emerging scoring ability earned him the first of his nine All-Star trips in 1963. Wilkens later played for Seattle, Cleveland and Portland. Buy also Portland Trail Blazers Tickets. He served as player/coach for both the Sonics and Blazers, beginning his march toward the all-time record for coaching victories. When he retired as a player in 1975 to direct all his efforts toward coaching, Wilkens ranked second on the NBA's career assists chart.