Dominique Wilkins
   HOME

TheInfoList



Click Here for Items Related To - Dominique Wilkins
OR:
Dominique Wilkins on:   [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Amazon]

Jacques Dominique Wilkins (born January 12, 1960) is an American former professional
basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
player who primarily played for the
Atlanta Hawks The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta. The Hawks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The team plays its home games at ...
of the
National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball sports league, league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues i ...
(NBA). Wilkins was a nine-time
NBA All-Star The National Basketball Association (NBA) All-Star Game is an annual exhibition basketball game. It is the main event of the NBA All-Star Weekend. Originally, the All-Star Game featured a conference-based format, featuring a team composed of ...
, a seven-time
All-NBA Team The All-NBA Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor bestowed on the best players in the league following every NBA season. The voting is conducted by a global panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. The team has been sel ...
member and is widely viewed as one of the most acrobatic
slam dunk A slam dunk, also simply known as dunk, is a type of basketball shot that is performed when a player jumps in the air, controls the ball above the horizontal plane of the rim, and scores by shoving the ball directly through the basket with one ...
ers in NBA history, earning the nickname "the Human Highlight Film". Wilkins led the NBA in scoring in the 1985–86 season. In 2006, Wilkins was inducted into the
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 1000 Hall of Fame Avenue in Springfield, Massachusetts. It serves as basketball's most complete library, in addition to promoting and pres ...
. In October 2021, he was honored as one of the league’s greatest players of all-time by being named to the 
NBA 75th Anniversary Team The NBA 75th Anniversary Team, also referred to as the NBA 75, was chosen in 2021 to honor the 75th anniversary of the founding of the National Basketball Association (NBA). It was the fourth and most recent anniversary team in the league. S ...
. In addition to his 11 seasons with the Hawks, Wilkins had short stints with the
Los Angeles Clippers The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division in the league's Western Conference. The Clipper ...
, the
Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...
, Panathinaikos Athens (a professional team in Greece's top-tier level
Greek Basket League The Greek Basket League (GBL), often also referred to as the Greek A1 Basketball League, or Greek Basketball Championship (originally called Panhellenic Basketball Championship), and also known as the Stoiximan Basket League for sponsorship reaso ...
, with whom he won his first titles, the FIBA European League and the Greek Cup), Fortitudo Bologna (a professional team in Italy's top-tier level LBA), the
San Antonio Spurs The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its home ...
, and the
Orlando Magic The Orlando Magic are an American professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. The Magic compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The franchise was establ ...
before he retired in 1999. As a member of the U.S. men's national team, Wilkins won gold at the
1994 FIBA World Championship The 1994 FIBA World Championship was the 12th FIBA World Championship, the international basketball world championship for men's teams. The tournament was hosted by Canada from August 4 to 14, 1994. The tournament was held at SkyDome and Maple ...
.


Early life and high school career

Wilkins was born in
Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...
while his father was stationed there as an airman in the U.S. Air Force. He has a younger brother, Gerald Wilkins, who also played in the NBA, mainly for the
New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the National Basketball Associat ...
. His family moved to Dallas and Baltimore before settling in
Washington, North Carolina Washington is a city in Beaufort County, North Carolina, United States, located on the northern bank of the Pamlico River. The population was 9,744 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Beaufort County. It is commonly known as "Original ...
, where he attended Washington High School. He was the back-to-back MVP for the team's consecutive Class 3-A State Championships (1978–1979). Wilkins was in the "Faces in the Crowd" section of ''
Sports Illustrated ''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellence tw ...
'' while in high school for a performance in a game vs. a higher classification school in which he scored 48 points, had 27 rebounds, 9 dunks, and 8 blocks. Wilkins then starred in the
McDonald's All-American Game The McDonald's All-American Game is the all-star basketball game played each year for American and Canadian boys' and girls' high school basketball graduates. Consisting of the top players, each team plays a single exhibition game after the concl ...
, The Capital Classic, The Kentucky Derby Festival Classic, and The Dapper Dan Classic All-Star Games. He had 16 points and 12 rebounds in the McDonald's, 26 points in the Capital, and 22 points in the Derby Classic.


College career

Wilkins entered the
University of Georgia , mottoeng = "To teach, to serve, and to inquire into the nature of things.""To serve" was later added to the motto without changing the seal; the Latin motto directly translates as "To teach and to inquire into the nature of things." , establ ...
in 1979 with a reputation as an exciting player and left as the “Human Highlight Film”. He averaged 21.6 points a game over his
Bulldogs The Bulldog is a British breed of dog of mastiff type. It may also be known as the English Bulldog or British Bulldog. It is of medium size, a muscular, hefty dog with a wrinkled face and a distinctive pushed-in nose.SEC Men's Basketball Player of the Year in 1981. Likely to go as one of the very top picks of the 1982 NBA Draft, he left college after his junior year.


Professional career


Atlanta Hawks (1982–1994)

Wilkins was selected third overall (behind
James Worthy James Ager Worthy (born February 27, 1961) is an American sports commentator, television host, analyst, and former professional basketball player. Nicknamed "Big Game James", he played his entire professional career with the Los Angeles Lakers ...
and
Terry Cummings Robert Terrell "Terry" Cummings (born March 15, 1961) is an American former professional basketball player who played 18 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Cummings was voted Rookie of the Year and was a two-time All-Star, a ...
) by the
Utah Jazz The Utah Jazz are an American professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City. The Jazz compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference, Northwest Division (NBA), ...
in the 1982 NBA draft. However, Wilkins was not willing to play in Utah; the team wanted him to play power forward, while he wanted to play small forward. At the same time, the Jazz were reeling from cash flow problems. As a result, the Jazz traded Wilkins to the
Atlanta Hawks The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta. The Hawks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The team plays its home games at ...
several months after the draft for John Drew, Freeman Williams and $1 million in cash. The trade is now considered among the most lopsided deals in NBA history, as Drew and Williams would play a combined four seasons for the Jazz. Wilkins averaged more than 25 points per game for ten consecutive seasons, 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. As Wilkins entered his thirties and the Hawks needed more of an all-around contribution from their star, Wilkins averaged 9.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists during the 1990–91 season. A nine-time
NBA All-Star The National Basketball Association (NBA) All-Star Game is an annual exhibition basketball game. It is the main event of the NBA All-Star Weekend. Originally, the All-Star Game featured a conference-based format, featuring a team composed of ...
and the winner of two
NBA slam dunk contest The NBA Slam Dunk Contest (officially known as the AT&T Slam Dunk) is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) competition held during the NBA All-Star Weekend. ''Sports Illustrated'' wrote "the dunk contest was the best halftime inventio ...
s, Wilkins registered 26,668 points and 7,169 rebounds in his NBA career. As of 2021, he ranks 14th on the NBA scoring list. Wilkins's nickname was "The Human Highlight Film" for his athletic ability and
highlight reel Highlight film is a video synopsis of an athletic team's entire season, especially one produced about such a team in the United States. The practice of teams producing highlight films appears to have emerged gradually during the 1970s; a partic ...
dunks. His trademark dunk was a powerful one- or two-handed windmill dunks he used to capture the slam dunk contest titles in 1985 and 1990. As a basketball player, he was known as an acrobatic scorer, somewhat of a gunner, though an outstanding finisher and one of the greatest dunkers in NBA history. His #21 jersey was retired by the Hawks on January 13, 2001. He is one of five players whose jerseys have been retired by the Hawks.


Early years (1982–1987)

Wilkins was selected third overall (behind
James Worthy James Ager Worthy (born February 27, 1961) is an American sports commentator, television host, analyst, and former professional basketball player. Nicknamed "Big Game James", he played his entire professional career with the Los Angeles Lakers ...
and
Terry Cummings Robert Terrell "Terry" Cummings (born March 15, 1961) is an American former professional basketball player who played 18 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Cummings was voted Rookie of the Year and was a two-time All-Star, a ...
) by the
Utah Jazz The Utah Jazz are an American professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City. The Jazz compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference, Northwest Division (NBA), ...
in the 1982 NBA draft. However, Wilkins was not willing to play in Utah. At the same time, the Jazz were reeling from cash flow problems. As a result, the Jazz traded Wilkins to the
Atlanta Hawks The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta. The Hawks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The team plays its home games at ...
several months after the draft for John Drew, Freeman Williams and $1 million in cash. The trade is now considered among the most lopsided deals in NBA history, as Drew and Williams would play a combined four seasons for the Jazz. Wilkins notched his first Slam-Dunk Championship at the NBA All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis during the 1984–85 season. He went on to finish the season with a 27.4 scoring average, good for sixth in the NBA. He ranked second on the Hawks in rebounding (6.9 rpg) and steals (135). For the first of two straight seasons, he led the NBA in field-goal attempts, with 1,891. After going 0-for-11 from the three-point line the previous season, Wilkins made 25 of 81 three-point shots in 1984–85. He also shot better than 80 percent from the free throw line for the first of 10 consecutive seasons. Despite Wilkins's efforts, Atlanta finished 34–48 and failed to reach the playoffs. Wilkins exploded into the NBA's elite circle in 1985–86, winning the league scoring title with an average of 30.3 points per game. He was an
NBA All-Star The National Basketball Association (NBA) All-Star Game is an annual exhibition basketball game. It is the main event of the NBA All-Star Weekend. Originally, the All-Star Game featured a conference-based format, featuring a team composed of ...
for the first time and was voted to the
All-NBA The All-NBA Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor bestowed on the best players in the league following every NBA season. The voting is conducted by a global panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. The team has been sele ...
First Team at the end of the season. He failed in his bid to repeat as NBA Slam-Dunk champion, his competition coming from an unlikely source. The Hawks had signed 5-foot-7 Anthony "Spud" Webb as a free agent prior to the season, and Webb dazzled the All-Star Saturday crowd in Dallas by soaring more than to the basket on each of his dunk attempts. Atlanta turned its fortunes around in dramatic fashion, winning 16 more games in the 1985–86 season to finish 50–32 for the year. Wilkins scored 57 points in one game and ranked among the Hawks' leaders in rebounding (7.9 rpg), steals (138), and free-throw percentage (.818). Atlanta beat the
Detroit Pistons The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division and play their home games at L ...
in four games in the first round of the playoffs, but the Hawks could not get past the eventual NBA-champion
Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...
, losing four games to one in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Wilkins averaged 28.6 points in the nine playoff games. After playing as a reserve the previous year, Wilkins became the first Atlanta Hawks player to start in an NBA All-Star Game since Eddie Johnson in 1981. Wilkins finished the year second in the league in scoring (29.0 ppg) to
Michael Jordan Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963), also known by his initials MJ, is an American businessman and former professional basketball player. His biography on the official NBA website states: "By acclamation, Michael Jordan is the g ...
's 37.1 points per game. He scored the 10,000th point of his career against the
Chicago Bulls The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago. The Bulls compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded on January ...
on April 16 and was named to the All-NBA Second Team at the season's end. Atlanta went into the season with high expectations after a 50–32 mark the previous year, and the Hawks totaled a franchise-record 57 victories.
Doc Rivers Glenn Anton "Doc" Rivers (born October 13, 1961) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). After playing for Marquette Universit ...
, Kevin Willis,
Tree Rollins Wayne Monte "Tree" Rollins (born June 16, 1955) is an American former professional basketball player who played 18 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, Houston Rockets ...
, and Mike McGee contributed as the club made it through the first round of the NBA playoffs before losing in the Eastern Conference semifinals to the Detroit Pistons. Wilkins averaged 26.8 points during the postseason, the second of six straight playoffs in which he would average at least 20 points.


Late 80s (1987–1990)

In the 1987–88 season, Wilkins posted the highest scoring average of his career and finished second to Jordan in the NBA scoring race. He averaged 30.7 points for the Hawks, but Jordan bested him at 35.0. Jordan also defeated Wilkins for the Slam Dunk Championship at the NBA All-Star Weekend in Chicago. Wilkins earned a berth on the All-NBA Second Team and became the first Hawks player to be named NBA Player of the Week three times in a season. In his third straight All-Star Game appearance, Wilkins scored 29 points on 12-of-22 shooting, leading the East squad to a 138–133 victory. Atlanta (50–32) won at least 50 games for the third straight season and advanced to the 1988 Eastern Conference Semifinals before losing to the
Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...
in seven games. In Game 7 on May 22, Wilkins and
Larry Bird Larry Joe Bird (born December 7, 1956) is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "the Hick from French Lick" and "Larry Legend", Bird is widely regarded a ...
carried their respective teams to a thrilling finish, trading bucket for bucket in the fourth quarter until Boston won with a 118–116 victory. Wilkins finished with 47 points and Bird had 34-with 20 of his points tallied in the fourth quarter. "The basket was like a well," remembered Wilkins. "I couldn't miss. He couldn't miss. And it went down to the last shot of the game. Who was going to make the last shot? That's the greatest game I've ever played in or seen played. It was two guys who just did not want to lose." During the 1989 season with the Hawks, Wilkins's scoring average dropped slightly to 26.2, good for seventh in the league, but he was an All-Star for the fourth straight year. He shot a career-best .844 from the free-throw line and ranked second on the Hawks with 117 steals. Basketball writers selected him to the All-NBA Third Team at season's end. The Hawks added Reggie Theus and
Moses Malone Moses Eugene Malone (March 23, 1955 – September 13, 2015) was an American professional basketball player who played in both the American Basketball Association (ABA) and the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1974 through 1995. A cen ...
to the team in 1988–89. Malone averaged 20.2 points and finished fourth in the league with his 11.8 rebounding average. Theus averaged 15.8 points. Without Kevin Willis, however, who missed the entire season with a fractured left foot, Atlanta lost to the
Milwaukee Bucks The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded in 196 ...
in the first round. Wilkins averaged 27.2 points in the playoffs. Wilkins returned to dunking prominence in 1989–90 by edging out the
Sacramento Kings The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference Pacific Division. The Kings are the oldest ...
'
Kenny Smith Kenneth Smith (born March 8, 1965), nicknamed "the Jet", is an American sports commentator and former professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played in the NBA from 1987 to 1997 as a member of the Sacra ...
for his second NBA Slam-Dunk championship. He averaged 26.7 points to finish fifth in the NBA scoring race. He led the Hawks in steals for the first time since 1985–86, finishing with 126. His .484 field-goal percentage was the best since his rookie season, and for the sixth straight year he did not foul out of a game. Nonetheless, Atlanta struggled to a 41–41 record in Mike Fratello's last season as head coach, failing to make the playoffs for only the second time in Wilkins's career.


Final years in Atlanta (1990–1994)

Wilkins averaged a career-high 9.0 rebounds in
1990–91 Year 199 ( CXCIX) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was sometimes known as year 952 '' Ab urbe condita''. The denomination 199 for this year has been used since t ...
, leading the Hawks in that category for the first time in his nine NBA seasons. He also led the team in scoring for the eighth straight year, finishing at 25.9 points per game—seventh best in the NBA. He registered a career-high 265 assists while developing a three-point shot he would use more and more in the later stages of his career. He hit 85-of-249 from long range for a .341 percentage, by far his most prolific three-point numbers to date. Wilkins made his sixth All-Star Game appearance, scoring 12 points in the East's 116–114 victory over the West. He was selected to the All-NBA Second Team for the third time in his career. Atlanta returned to the playoffs after a year's absence, drawing the defending NBA champion
Detroit Pistons The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division and play their home games at L ...
in the first round. The Hawks pushed the Pistons to a fifth game, but Detroit routed Atlanta, 113–81, in Game 5. Wilkins averaged 20.8 points in the five games, but shot .372 from the field and .133 from three-point range. In the 1991–92 season, Wilkins's ruptured his Achilles tendon against the
Philadelphia 76ers The Philadelphia 76ers, colloquially known as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Ea ...
on January 28, 1992. He underwent surgery on January 30. He also scored the 20,000th point of his career, becoming only the 16th player at the time to reach that plateau. On the day of the injury, Wilkins was named a reserve on the Eastern Conference All-Star Team. His 28.1 scoring average was his highest in five years, and the 52 points he scored in a double-overtime game on December 7 against the
New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the National Basketball Associat ...
were the most by an NBA player that season. The following season, Wilkins recovered from his injury. He scored an average of 27.7 points per game in the first month of the season. On December 8, he set an NBA record of free throws made in a game without a miss, hitting 23 free throws against the Chicago Bulls. He then suffered a setback when he fractured the ring finger on his right hand on December 15, sitting out the next 11 games. He returned to rack up 29.4 points per game on .487 shooting in January, then added 31.5 points per game on .519 shooting in February. By the end of the season, his scoring average was up to 29.9, second in the league behind Michael Jordan's 32.6. When Wilkins scored his 31st point in a February 2 game against the
Seattle SuperSonics The Seattle SuperSonics (commonly known as the Seattle Sonics) were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle. The SuperSonics competed in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member club of the league's Western Confe ...
, he broke
Bob Pettit Robert Lee Pettit Jr. (born December 12, 1932) is an American former professional basketball player. He played 11 seasons in the NBA, all with the Milwaukee/St. Louis Hawks (1954–1965). In 1956, he became the first recipient of the NBA's M ...
's franchise scoring record of 20,880 points. He had developed into a full-fledged three-point threat, hitting 120 of 316 attempts from long range to shatter his previous career bests. He was later selected to the All-NBA Second Team. The
Chicago Bulls The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago. The Bulls compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded on January ...
swept the Hawks in the first round of the playoffs 3–0.


Los Angeles Clippers (1994)

Wilkins showed no signs of fading in his 12th NBA season, even after a tumultuous midseason trade. After 11½ years with the
Atlanta Hawks The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta. The Hawks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The team plays its home games at ...
, Wilkins was traded to the
Los Angeles Clippers The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division in the league's Western Conference. The Clipper ...
on February 24 in exchange for Danny Manning. This is still the only time in NBA history a team in first place in their conference traded its leading scorer after the All-Star break. Prior to the trade Wilkins averaged 24.4 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 2.3 assists for Atlanta, leading the club to a 36–16 record. At midseason he appeared in his eighth NBA All-Star Game. Hawks management and new coach
Lenny Wilkens Leonard Randolph Wilkens (born October 28, 1937) is an American former basketball player and coach in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He has been inducted three times into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, first in 1989 as ...
claimed Manning and his skills would help the team more during the stretch run. However, many believed that money was the primary reason the Hawks made the trade. Wilkins's contract expired at the end of the season, and the Hawks may not have been willing to commit a new long-term contract to a player who was almost 35 years old. The top-seeded Hawks lost in the conference semifinals to the
Indiana Pacers The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The Pacers were first estab ...
. Wilkins left Atlanta as the team's all-time leading scorer with 23,292 points. In his final 25 games of the season Wilkins averaged 29.1 points and 7.0 rebounds. On March 25 he returned to Atlanta in a Clippers uniform and tallied 36 points and 10 rebounds against his former team. Overall, Wilkins's 26.0 scoring average ranked fourth in the NBA. He concluded the season with 24,019 career points, placing ninth on the NBA's all-time list.


Boston Celtics (1994–1995)

Wilkins became a free agent after the 1993–94 season and signed with the
Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...
. Shortly after the signing, he helped
Dream Team II The USA Basketball Men's National Team, commonly known as the United States men's national basketball team, is the basketball team representing the United States. They are the most successful team in international competition, winning medals in ...
to a gold medal at the 1994 World Championship of Basketball. In his lone season with the Celtics, the team reached the play-offs but was eliminated in the first round by the Orlando Magic. Wilkins averaged 19.0 points for the series. He also holds the honor of scoring the Celtics final point at the old Boston Garden, before it closed in 1995, in their game four loss to the Magic.


Panathinaikos (1995–1996)

Unhappy with his role on a rebuilding Celtics team, in August 1995, Wilkins joined Panathinaikos of the Greek League, signing a two-year contract worth US$7 million that meant a US$3.5 million net sum per year in salary, at the time the richest deal for a professional basketball player outside the NBA. Despite Wilkins having two more years remaining on his contract with the Celtics, the Athens club, hungry for Euroleague success, stepped in by taking advantage of the said contract having a buyout clause. Arriving in Athens on 1 September 1995, Wilkins was greeted by 5,000 Panathinaikos fans at Ellinikon International Airport. The next day, 13,000 fans showed up for his first practice session. His club-provided accommodation in the city included a four-story, marbled villa of his choosing, a
maid A maid, or housemaid or maidservant, is a female domestic worker. In the Victorian era domestic service was the second largest category of employment in England and Wales, after agricultural work. In developed Western nations, full-time maids ...
, two cars, while even his Greek taxes were paid for him by the club. Playing on a roster alongside Stojko Vranković,
Panagiotis Giannakis Panagiotis Giannakis ( el, Παναγιώτης Γιαννάκης, ; born January 1, 1959), alternatively spelled Panayiotis Yiannakis or Yannakis, is a retired Greek professional basketball player and coach. As a player, he was primarily a poin ...
, Fragiskos Alvertis and Nikos Oikonomou, thirty-five-year-old Wilkins started off the season sluggishly, frequently getting targeted by the team's disciplinarian, defensively-minded head coach
Božidar Maljković Božidar "Boža" Maljković ( sr-cyr, Божидар Божа Маљковић; born 20 April 1952) is a Serbian former professional basketball coach and current president of the Olympic Committee of Serbia. He is one of the most successful bas ...
, even getting fined US$50,000 by the club for making too many personal trips back to the United States during the season, and complaining about being treated "like a dog" by coach Maljković. However, Wilkins soon managed to adapt and thrive in the European game, averaging 20.1 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 1.8 assists, in 33.2 minutes per game, in 17 games played for Panathinaikos in the 1995–96 season of the EuroLeague, and helping them win the title of the EuroLeague Final Four of 1996. He particularly excelled in key EuroLeague contests such as the deciding game 3 of the EuroLeague quarterfinals best-of-3 series, versus
Treviso Treviso ( , ; vec, Trevixo) is a city and '' comune'' in the Veneto region of northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Treviso and the municipality has 84,669 inhabitants (as of September 2017). Some 3,000 live within the Vene ...
, where he recorded 26 points and 7 rebounds, as Panathinaikos eked out a hard-fought 64–65 victory on the road, to progress to the EuroLeague Final Four. During the 1996 EuroLeague Final Four, that was held in his birthplace of Paris, Wilkins had 35 points and 8 rebounds in the semifinal against CSKA, and a double-double, with 16 points and 10 rebounds against
Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...
in the
final Final, Finals or The Final may refer to: *Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event ** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of con ...
. His performances earned him the Final Four MVP award. He also won the Greek Cup with Panathinaikos, and was named the Cup Final MVP. Wilkins, however, failed to lead Panathinaikos to the 1995–96 Greek League national championship, as they lost the Greek League Finals to their arch-rivals,
Olympiacos Olympiacós Sýndesmos Filáthlon Peiraiós ( el, Ολυμπιακός Σύνδεσμος Φιλάθλων Πειραιώς, Olympic Club of Fans of Piraeus) is a major multi-sport club based in Piraeus, Greece. Olympiacos is parent to a numbe ...
, 3 games to 2. Controversially, the player did not play in the deciding game 5 of the finals series, claiming injury—an assertion disputed by the team. Panathinaikos ended up losing the deciding game by a wide margin. On 19 June 1996, following the disappointing end of the Greek League season, Wilkins and his agent were reportedly notified by the club that the player's contract would be terminated early, after only one season. On 27 June 1996, three days before the team would have had to pay a $1.75-million advance on his 1996-97 salary of $3.5 million, Wilkins and his agent
Steve A. Kauffman Steve A. Kauffman is an American professional sports agent who currently represents many prominent National Basketball Association (NBA) and collegiate coaches. Background and education Kauffman holds a Bachelor's degree in accounting from Templ ...
had a lawsuit filed against them by Panathinaikos in a
Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...
court, asking that Wilkins and his agent be barred from access to US$4 million in
letters of credit A letter of credit (LC), also known as a documentary credit or bankers commercial credit, or letter of undertaking (LoU), is a payment mechanism used in international trade to provide an economic guarantee from a creditworthy bank to an e ...
granted earlier as part of the deal Wilkins had signed with the club the previous summer. The suit further cites four examples of Wilkins leaving the team without permission to attend to injuries or personal matters, including the one three days before the fifth and decisive game of the Greek Basketball Championships described in the lawsuit as "Wilkins deserting the team and creating confusion on the part of his teammates". In the Greek League, he averaged 21.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 1.7 assists and 32.0 minutes per game in 30 games played.


San Antonio Spurs (1996–1997)

Wilkins returned to the NBA before the 1996–97 season, signing a contract as a free agent with the
San Antonio Spurs The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its home ...
, to solidify their bench scoring. Wilkins led the team with an average of 18.2 points per game in 1996–97. He would be the last Spur to wear #21 before Tim Duncan.


Fortitudo Bologna (1997–1998)

However, after one season, Wilkins once again went overseas, this time signing a contract with
Teamsystem Bologna Fortitudo Pallacanestro Bologna 103, commonly known as Fortitudo Bologna and currently known as Fortitudo Kiğılı Bologna for sponsorship reasons, is a basketball club based in Bologna, Italy and currently plays in the second division. Hist ...
of the
Italian League The Italic League or Most Holy League was an international agreement concluded in Venice on 30 August 1454, between the Papal States, the Republic of Venice, the Duchy of Milan, the Republic of Florence, and the Kingdom of Naples, following the T ...
, for the 1997–98 season. With Bologna, he averaged 17.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 1.7 assists, in 33.5 minutes per game, in 34 games played in the Italian League. With Bologna, he also averaged 17.9 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 1.7 assists, in 33.8 minutes per game, in 20 games played in the FIBA EuroLeague 1997–98 season.


Orlando Magic (1999)

Wilkins returned to play his last season in the NBA, during the 1998–99 campaign, alongside his brother Gerald Wilkins, with the Orlando Magic. In 27 games, he averaged 5.0 points per game and 2.6 rebounds per game.


Slam dunk contests

Wilkins participated in five slam dunk contests, winning two. His first was in 1984, in Denver. Wilkins finished third, behind Larry Nance and Julius Erving. In 1985, in Indianapolis, he beat
Michael Jordan Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963), also known by his initials MJ, is an American businessman and former professional basketball player. His biography on the official NBA website states: "By acclamation, Michael Jordan is the g ...
in the finals. In Dallas in 1986, a Jordan-Wilkins rematch was put on hold, since Jordan was injured. Wilkins reached the finals where he was defeated by his 5'7" teammate, Spud Webb. The 1988 Slam Dunk Contest featured a rematch between Wilkins and Jordan. Jordan won in the final, beating Wilkins by two points. Wilkins's first two dunks of the finals earned scores of 50 from judges. On his third and final attempt, Wilkins's completed a thunderous windmill dunk from the left side. Soaring high above the floor, Wilkins's head nearly hit the rim. Wilkins received a standing ovation from players and fans in attendance, but was awarded a low score of 45. The judges opened the door for Jordan to win the Chicago-based event with a score of only 48. Jordan closed out the event with 50-point dunk, taking perhaps the contest's most controversial crown. In 1990 Wilkins made his final appearance in the Slam Dunk Contest, going up against new promising stars such as
Kenny Smith Kenneth Smith (born March 8, 1965), nicknamed "the Jet", is an American sports commentator and former professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played in the NBA from 1987 to 1997 as a member of the Sacra ...
, Scottie Pippen and Kenny Walker (the 1989 champion). He defeated Kenny Smith of the
Sacramento Kings The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference Pacific Division. The Kings are the oldest ...
in the final round.


Post-playing career

Since 2004, Wilkins has served as the Hawks' Vice President of Basketball. He works in a variety of management functions within the franchise's basketball and business areas. Wilkins is responsible for advising the Hawks's senior management team on basketball-related issues and is a goodwill ambassador for the community. Wilkins also serves as a color analyst for Hawks games on Bally Sports, pairing with long-time play-by-play announcer Bob Rathbun. Wilkins was a judge in the
2008 NHL All-Star Game The 2008 National Hockey League All-Star Game was held on January 27, 2008 at the Philips Arena in Atlanta, home of the Atlanta Thrashers. It was the only time the All-Star Game was held in Atlanta, as the Thrashers moved to Winnipeg in 2011 as ...
Breakaway Challenge, which was held in Atlanta. In 2009 Wilkins participated in the McDonald's All-Star Celebrity Game during NBA All-Star Weekend and in the 2009 NBA Asia Challenge against a team of
Philippine Basketball Association The Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) is a men's professional basketball league in the Philippines composed of twelve company-branded franchised teams. Founded in 1975, it is the first professional basketball league in Asia and is the se ...
All-Stars. He led all scorers with 28 points in 20 minutes of play. In 2010 Wilkins signed an agreement to partner with fitness company
24 Hour Fitness 24 Hour Fitness is a privately owned and operated fitness center chain headquartered in Carlsbad, California. It is the second largest fitness chain in the United States based on revenue after LA Fitness, and the fourth in number of clubs (behi ...
to develop the Dominique Wilkins Basketball Academy. The academy conducted private training, camps, and clinics at the 24 Hour facility in
Pearl City, Hawaii Pearl City is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located in the Ewa District and City & County of Honolulu on the Island of Oahu. As of the 2010 Census, the CDP had a total population of 47,698. Pearl City is located ...
. In late 2010, Wilkins starred with
Verne Troyer Verne Jay Troyer (January 1, 1969 – April 21, 2018) was an American actor, comedian, YouTuber, and stunt performer. He was best known for his role of Mini-Me in the ''Austin Powers'' film series. He had cartilage–hair hypoplasia and was ...
in the
TitleMax TitleMax, Inc. is an American privately owned title lending business with corporate offices in Dallas, Texas and Savannah, Georgia. The company has more than 1,100 stores in sixteen states. TitleMax serves individuals who generally have limited ...
"short on cash?" television commercial campaign. According to
ESPN ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...
, Wilkins was attacked by former NBA
referee A referee is an official, in a variety of sports and competition, responsible for enforcing the rules of the sport, including sportsmanship decisions such as ejection. The official tasked with this job may be known by a variety of other tit ...
Rashan Michel after a 2011 Hawks–Magic game at
Philips Arena State Farm Arena (formerly Philips Arena) is a multi-purpose arena located in Atlanta, Georgia. The arena serves as the home venue for the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s Atlanta Hawks. It also served as home to the National Hockey Le ...
in Atlanta. Michel claimed that Wilkins owed him money for a suit provided to Wilkins. Afterward, according to the police, Michel attacked Wilkins by punching him in the chest. Recently Wilkins released the first of his private label wines under the Wilkins Private Reserve label. He took an interest in fine wines while playing professionally in Italy at the end of his career and owning a private label was one of his long-term goals. In March 2014 Wilkins, whose father and grandfather both died of diabetic complications, filmed a commercial for
Novo Nordisk Novo Nordisk A/S is a Danish multinational pharmaceutical company headquartered in Bagsværd, Denmark, with production facilities in nine countries, and affiliates or offices in five countries. Novo Nordisk is controlled by majority shareholder ...
's Victoza citing their commitment to raising awareness of diabetes in the urban community, with an emphasis on children's nutrition. Wilkins's stepson,
Isaiah Wilkins Isaiah Wilkins (born September 23, 1995) is an American professional basketball player and coach, currently a graduate assistant for the University of Virginia men’s basketball team. College career In college, Wilkins made the ACC All-Defensi ...
, played for the
University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United States, with highly selective ad ...
and was the 2018 ACC Defensive Player of the Year. On March 6, 2015, the Atlanta Hawks organization unveiled a statue of Wilkins that sits in front of then
Philips Arena State Farm Arena (formerly Philips Arena) is a multi-purpose arena located in Atlanta, Georgia. The arena serves as the home venue for the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s Atlanta Hawks. It also served as home to the National Hockey Le ...
now
State Farm Arena State Farm Arena (formerly Philips Arena) is a multi-purpose arena located in Atlanta, Georgia. The arena serves as the home venue for the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s Atlanta Hawks. It also served as home to the National Hockey Le ...
.


Career statistics


NBA


Regular season

, - , , style="text-align:left;",
Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,7 ...
, bgcolor="CFECEC", 82*, , bgcolor="CFECEC", 82*, , 32.9, , .493, , .182, , .682, , 5.8, , 1.6, , 1.0, , .8, , 17.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,7 ...
, 81, , 81, , 36.6, , .479, , .000, , .770, , 7.2, , 1.6, , 1.4, , 1.1, , 21.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,7 ...
, 81, , 81, , 37.3, , .451, , .309, , .806, , 6.9, , 2.5, , 1.7, , .7, , 27.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,7 ...
, 78, , 78, , 39.1, , .468, , .186, , .818, , 7.8, , 2.6, , 1.8, , .6, , bgcolor="CFECEC", 30.3* , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,7 ...
, 79, , 79, , 37.6, , .463, , .292, , .818, , 6.3, , 3.3, , 1.5, , .6, , 29.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,7 ...
, 78, , 76, , 37.8, , .464, , .295, , .826, , 6.4, , 2.9, , 1.3, , .6, , 30.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,7 ...
, 80, , 80, , 37.5, , .464, , .276, , .844, , 6.9, , 2.6, , 1.5, , .7, , 26.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,7 ...
, 80, , 79, , 36.1, , .484, , .322, , .807, , 6.5, , 2.5, , 1.6, , .6, , 26.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,7 ...
, 81, , 81, , 38.0, , .470, , .341, , .829, , 9.0, , 3.3, , 1.5, , .8, , 25.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,7 ...
, 42, , 42, , 38.1, , .464, , .289, , .835, , 7.0, , 3.8, , 1.2, , .6, , 28.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,7 ...
, 71, , 70, , 37.3, , .468, , .380, , .828, , 6.8, , 3.2, , 1.0, , .4, , 29.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,7 ...
, 49, , 49, , 34.4, , .432, , .308, , .854, , 6.2, , 2.3, , 1.3, , .4, , 24.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", L.A. Clippers , 25, , 25, , 37.9, , .453, , .247, , .835, , 7.0, , 2.2, , 1.2, , .3, , 29.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
, 77, , 64, , 31.5, , .424, , .388, , .782, , 5.2, , 2.2, , .8, , .2, , 17.8 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
San Antonio ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , subdivision_ ...
, 63, , 26, , 30.9, , .417, , .293, , .803, , 6.4, , 1.9, , .6, , .5, , 18.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Orlando Orlando () is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and is the county seat of Orange County. In Central Florida, it is the center of the Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2,509,831, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures re ...
, 27, , 2, , 9.3, , .379, , .263, , .690, , 2.6, , .6, , .1, , .0, , 5.1 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 1074, , 995, , 35.5, , .461, , .319, , .811, , 6.7, , 2.5, , 1.3, , .6, , 24.8 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", All-Star , 8, , 3, , 22.7, , .400, , .250, , .737, , 3.8, , 2.1, , .8, , .5, , 15.1


Playoffs

, - , style="text-align:left;",
1983 The year 1983 saw both the official beginning of the Internet and the first mobile cellular telephone call. Events January * January 1 – The migration of the ARPANET to TCP/IP is officially completed (this is considered to be the beginning ...
, style="text-align:left;",
Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,7 ...
, 3, , 3, , 36.3, , .405, , 1.000, , .857, , 5.0, , .3, , .7, , .3, , 15.7 , - , style="text-align:left;",
1984 Events January * January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888. * January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeas ...
, style="text-align:left;",
Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,7 ...
, 5, , 5, , 34.4, , .417, , .000, , .839, , 8.2, , 2.2, , 2.4, , .2, , 19.2 , - , style="text-align:left;",
1986 The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles. **Spain and Portugal en ...
, style="text-align:left;",
Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,7 ...
, 9, , 9, , 40.0, , .433, , .439, , .861, , 6.0, , 2.8, , 1.0, , .2, , 28.6 , - , style="text-align:left;",
1987 File:1987 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsizes after leaving the Port of Zeebrugge in Belgium, killing 193; Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashes after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, ...
, style="text-align:left;",
Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,7 ...
, 9, , 9, , 40.0, , .410, , .415, , .892, , 7.8, , 2.8, , 1.8, , .9, , 26.8 , - , style="text-align:left;",
1988 File:1988 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The oil platform Piper Alpha explodes and collapses in the North Sea, killing 165 workers; The USS Vincennes (CG-49) mistakenly shoots down Iran Air Flight 655; Australia celebrates its Bicenten ...
, style="text-align:left;",
Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,7 ...
, 12, , 12, , 39.4, , .457, , .222, , .768, , 6.4, , 2.8, , 1.3, , .5, , 31.2 , - , style="text-align:left;",
1989 File:1989 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Cypress Street Viaduct, Cypress structure collapses as a result of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, killing motorists below; The proposal document for the World Wide Web is submitted; The Exxo ...
, style="text-align:left;",
Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,7 ...
, 5, , 5, , 42.4, , .448, , .294, , .711, , 5.4, , 3.4, , .8, , 1.6, , 27.2 , - , style="text-align:left;",
1991 File:1991 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Boris Yeltsin, elected as Russia's first president, waves the new flag of Russia after the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt, orchestrated by Soviet hardliners; Mount Pinatubo erupts in the Phi ...
, style="text-align:left;",
Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,7 ...
, 5, , 5, , 39.0, , .372, , .133, , .914, , 6.4, , 2.6, , 1.8, , 1.0, , 20.8 , - , style="text-align:left;", 1993 , style="text-align:left;",
Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,7 ...
, 3, , 3, , 37.7, , .427, , .250, , .767, , 5.3, , 3.0, , 1.0, , .3, , 30.0 , - , style="text-align:left;",
1995 File:1995 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: O.J. Simpson is acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman from the year prior in "The Trial of the Century" in the United States; The Great Hanshin earthquake str ...
, style="text-align:left;",
Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
, 4, , 4, , 37.5, , .426, , .471, , .889, , 10.8, , 2.0, , .5, , .8, , 19.0 , - , style="text-align:left;",
1999 File:1999 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The funeral procession of King Hussein of Jordan in Amman; the 1999 İzmit earthquake kills over 17,000 people in Turkey; the Columbine High School massacre, one of the first major school shoot ...
, style="text-align:left;",
Orlando Orlando () is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and is the county seat of Orange County. In Central Florida, it is the center of the Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2,509,831, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures re ...
, 1, , 0, , 3.0, , .500, , .000, , .000, , .0, , .0, , .0, , .0, , 2.0 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 56, , 55, , 39.6, , .429, , .281, , .824, , 6.7, , 2.6, , 1.3, , .6, , 25.4


EuroLeague

, - , style="text-align:left; background:#afe6ba;", 1995–96† , style="text-align:left;", Panathinaikos , , 17, , 17, , 33.2, , .446, , .322, , .825, , 7.4, , 1.8, , 0.5, , 0.0, , 20.1, , , - , style="text-align:left;", 1997–98 , style="text-align:left;", Fortitudo Bologna , 20, , 20, , 33.8, , .455, , .293, , .725, , 7.0, , 1.7, , 1.5, , 0.0, , 17.9, ,


Awards and honors

*1985–86
NBA scoring champion In basketball, points are accumulated through free throws or field goals. The National Basketball Association's (NBA) scoring title is awarded to the player with the highest points per game average in a given season. The scoring title was origin ...
(30.3 ppg) * NBA All-Star Slam Dunk Champion: 1985, 1990. *
NBA All-Rookie Team The NBA All-Rookie Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor given since the 1962–63 NBA season to the top rookies during the regular season. Voting is conducted by the NBA head coaches who are not allowed to vote for player ...
: 1983. * All-NBA First Team: 1986. *
All-NBA Second Team The All-NBA Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor bestowed on the best players in the league following every NBA season. The voting is conducted by a global panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. The team has been sel ...
: 1987–88, 1991, 1993. *
All-NBA Third Team The All-NBA Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor bestowed on the best players in the league following every NBA season. The voting is conducted by a global panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. The team has been sele ...
: 1989, 1994. *Nine-time
NBA All Star The National Basketball Association (NBA) All-Star Game is an annual exhibition basketball game. It is the main event of the NBA All-Star Weekend. Originally, the All-Star Game featured a conference-based format, featuring a team composed of al ...
: 1986–94. *
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 1000 Hall of Fame Avenue in Springfield, Massachusetts. It serves as basketball's most complete library, in addition to promoting and pres ...
(2006). *
FIBA World Championship The FIBA Basketball World Cup, also known as the FIBA World Cup of Basketball or simply the FIBA World Cup, between 1950 and 2010 known as the FIBA World Championship, is an international basketball competition contested by the senior men's nat ...
gold medalist:
1994 File:1994 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1994 Winter Olympics are held in Lillehammer, Norway; The Kaiser Permanente building after the 1994 Northridge earthquake; A model of the MS Estonia, which sank in the Baltic Sea; Nels ...
* FIBA EuroLeague
Champion A champion (from the late Latin ''campio'') is the victor in a challenge, contest or competition. There can be a territorial pyramid of championships, e.g. local, regional / provincial, state, national, continental and world championships, a ...
:
1996 File:1996 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: A bomb explodes at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, set off by a radical anti-abortionist; The center fuel tank explodes on TWA Flight 800, causing the plane to crash and killing everyone o ...
(now known as EuroLeague). * Greek Cup Winner: 1996 *
Italian Cup Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional It ...
Winner: 1998 *
NBA Shooting Stars The Shooting Stars competition was a National Basketball Association (NBA) contest during NBA All-Star Weekend, All-Star Weekend that was held on the Saturday before the NBA All-Star Game, All-Star Game. It involved a current NBA player, a WNBA pla ...
champion: 2013–2015 (Team Chris Bosh, with Swin Cash). *
NBA 75th Anniversary Team The NBA 75th Anniversary Team, also referred to as the NBA 75, was chosen in 2021 to honor the 75th anniversary of the founding of the National Basketball Association (NBA). It was the fourth and most recent anniversary team in the league. S ...


NBA records


Regular season

Free throws made in a game with no misses: 23–23, vs. Chicago Bulls, *Also holds fourth (see below) Consecutive free throws made in a game: 23, vs. Chicago Bulls, 1 of 8 players in NBA history to average at least 25 points per game for 10 consecutive seasons: – *
Jerry West Jerome Alan West (born May 28, 1938) is an American basketball executive and former player. He played professionally for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). His nicknames included "Mr. Clutch", for his ability ...
,
Michael Jordan Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963), also known by his initials MJ, is an American businessman and former professional basketball player. His biography on the official NBA website states: "By acclamation, Michael Jordan is the g ...
,
Karl Malone Karl Anthony Malone (born July 24, 1963) is an American former professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "the Mailman", he is considered one of the greatest power forwards in NBA history. Malone sp ...
,
Shaquille O'Neal Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal ( ; born March 6, 1972), known commonly as "Shaq" ( ), is an American former professional basketball player who is a sports analyst on the television program '' Inside the NBA''. O'Neal is regarded as one of the greate ...
,
Allen Iverson Allen Ezail Iverson (; born June 7, 1975) is an American former professional basketball player. Nicknamed "the Answer", he played 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) at both the shooting guard and point guard positions. Iv ...
,
LeBron James LeBron Raymone James Sr. (; born December 30, 1984) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "King James", he is widely considered one of the greatest p ...
, and
Kevin Durant Kevin Wayne Durant ( ; born September 29, 1988), also known by his initials KD, is an American professional basketball player for the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played one season of college basketball f ...
have also achieved this.


Playoffs

Points scored in a Game 7 of a playoff series: 47, at Boston Celtics, *Game 7 of Eastern Conference Semifinals *The Atlanta Hawks still lost the game (and series), 118–116. *Broken by
Kevin Durant Kevin Wayne Durant ( ; born September 29, 1988), also known by his initials KD, is an American professional basketball player for the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played one season of college basketball f ...
in
2021 File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October 2021 coup in Sudan; Crowd shortly after t ...
Field goal attempts, 4-game series: 114, vs. Detroit Pistons (
1986 The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles. **Spain and Portugal en ...
) *Also holds fourth (see below) *Broken by
Hakeem Olajuwon Hakeem Abdul Olajuwon (; ; born January 21, 1963), nicknamed "the Dream", is a Nigerian-American former professional basketball player. From 1984 to 2002, he played center in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Houston Rockets a ...
in
1995 File:1995 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: O.J. Simpson is acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman from the year prior in "The Trial of the Century" in the United States; The Great Hanshin earthquake str ...


All-Star

Field goal attempts, half: 16 (
1988 File:1988 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The oil platform Piper Alpha explodes and collapses in the North Sea, killing 165 workers; The USS Vincennes (CG-49) mistakenly shoots down Iran Air Flight 655; Australia celebrates its Bicenten ...
) *Broken by Glen Rice in
1997 File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; '' Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of ...


Playoffs

Field goals made, 4-game series: 63, vs. Detroit Pistons (1986) Field goal attempts, 4-game series: 108, vs. Indiana Pacers (
1987 File:1987 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsizes after leaving the Port of Zeebrugge in Belgium, killing 193; Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashes after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, ...
) *Also held the record (see above)


See also

*
List of National Basketball Association career scoring leaders This article contains two charts: The first chart is a list of the top 50 all-time scorers in the history of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The list includes only points scored in regular season games. The second chart is a progressi ...
* List of National Basketball Association career turnovers leaders * List of National Basketball Association career free throw scoring leaders *
List of National Basketball Association career minutes played leaders This article provides two lists: :A list of National Basketball Association players by total career regular season leaders in minutes played. :A progressive list of leaders, and records for minutes played showing how the record has increased thro ...
*
List of individual National Basketball Association scoring leaders by season In basketball, points are accumulated through free throws or field goals. The National Basketball Association's (NBA) scoring title is awarded to the player with the highest points per game average in a given season. The scoring title was orig ...
* List of National Basketball Association players with 50 or more points in a playoff game * List of National Basketball Association franchise career scoring leaders


References


External links

*
NBA.com History player file: Dominique Wilkins
(archived)


Greek Basket League Profile

Italian League Profile

Georgia Sports Hall of Fame
(archived)
Dominique Wilkins
at the
Georgia Sports Hall of Fame The Georgia Sports Hall of Fame is located in Macon, Georgia. It is the largest state sports hall of fame in the United States at . Exhibitions The Hall of Fame houses over of exhibit space broken down into sections including Hall of Fame Induc ...

Bio from Atlanta Hawks official site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wilkins, Dominique 1960 births Living people 1994 FIBA World Championship players 21st-century African-American people African-American basketball players African-American sports executives and administrators All-American college men's basketball players American expatriate basketball people in Greece American expatriate basketball people in Italy American expatriates in France American men's basketball players American sports executives and administrators Atlanta Hawks executives Atlanta Hawks players Basketball players from Atlanta Basketball players from North Carolina Basketball players from Paris Boston Celtics players FIBA World Championship-winning players Fortitudo Pallacanestro Bologna players Georgia Bulldogs basketball players Greek Basket League players Los Angeles Clippers players McDonald's High School All-Americans Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductees National Basketball Association All-Stars National Basketball Association players with retired numbers National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame inductees Orlando Magic players Panathinaikos B.C. players Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball) People from Washington, North Carolina San Antonio Spurs players Small forwards United States men's national basketball team players Utah Jazz draft picks 20th-century African-American sportspeople