Blackity Black History Month: ATL Icon Dominique Wilkins
“You are only as good as your team.."
— Atlanta Hawks legend Dominique Wilkins
Dominique Wilkins (born January 12, 1960) is a nine-time NBA All-Star and is widely viewed as one of the best dunkers in NBA history, earning the nickname "The Human Highlight Reel". He played for the Atlanta Hawks for 11 seasons, fully cementing himself as an Atlanta icon. In 2006, Wilkins was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Wilkins also attended the University of Georgia and played for Bulldogs, enrolling in 1979 with an established reputation as an exciting player. Wilkins averaged 21.6 points a game over his career and was named SEC Men's Basketball Player of the Year in 1981.[3][4] He left college after his junior year.
Wilkins was selected third overall by the Utah Jazz in the 1982 NBA draft. However, Wilkins was not willing to play in Utah and he was traded to the Atlanta Hawks several months after the draft. Wilkins averaged more than 25 points per game for ten consecutive seasons with the Hawks, and captured a scoring title in 1985–86 with an average of 30.3 points per game.
Wilkins was instrumental in the Hawks' prominence in the 1980s, when the club recorded four consecutive 50-win seasons during the decade. A nine-time NBA All-Star and the winner of two NBA slam dunk contests, Wilkins registered 26,668 points and 7,169 rebounds in his NBA career. As of 2019, he ranks 14th on the NBA scoring list.
ABOUT BLACKITY BLACK HISTORY MONTH @ 85 NORTH
Each day this month, we'll be sharing wise words from Black Atlanta icons — some who are household names and some who you may not know. Atlanta history IS Black history, and this is our way of sharing it.