Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) has been setting young people on a path to success since 1860. To honor the BGCA alumni who have risen to the top of their chosen fields as adults, the organization maintains an Alumni Hall of Fame.
BGCA Alumni Hall of Famers are a “Who’s Who” from the worlds of Hollywood, politics, sports, and elsewhere. In 2023, BGCA indicted nine new members into its Hall of Fame. Among them is Rick Carlisle.
A former NBA player and longtime coach, Carlisle joins several other NBA coaches in the BGCA Alumni Hall of Fame. To learn how he and his fellow coaches earned a place there, let’s take a look at the careers of each.
Rick Carlisle
This Ogdensburg, New York, native won a championship with the Boston Celtics before turning to coaching in 1989. He became a head coach for the first time in 2001 and, in his first year with the Detroit Pistons, won NBA Coach of the Year.
Carlisle went on to helm the Indiana Pacers and the Dallas Mavericks, the latter of which he led to an NBA title in 2011. He’s currently on his second stint as head coach with the Pacers and is one of only 11 players/coaches to win an NBA championship in both capacities.
Alvin Gentry
Alvin Gentry worked his way up from the college ranks to build a more than two-decade career as an NBA coach. He has served as head coach of five teams, including the Phoenix Suns, which he led to the 2010 Western Conference Finals.
Also an experienced assistant coach, he has contributed his skills and knowledge to several NBA teams. As an associate head coach of the Golden State Warriors, Gentry won the 2015 NBA title.
Lenny Wilkens
Over 32 seasons, Lenny Wilkens tallied 1,332 wins, more than any other coach in NBA history. As head coach of the Seattle Supersonics, he won the 1978 Western Conference championship and the 1979 NBA title.
Prior to becoming a head coach, Wilkens enjoyed an exceptional career as a player that saw him make thirteen All-Star Game appearances. Along with being a member of the BGCA Hall of Fame, he has been inducted three times into the Pro Basketball Hall of Fame, initially for his achievements as a player, then as a coach, and later as an assistant coach on the 1992 U.S. Olympic “Dream Team.”