Gerald Bernard Wilkins (born September 11, 1963) 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 (appro ...

player. He is a

shooting guard The shooting guard (SG), also known as the two, two guard or off guard,Shooting guards are 6'3"–6'7"BBC Sports academy URL last accessed 2006-09-09. is one of the five traditional basketball positions, positions in a regulation basketball game ...

small forward The small forward (SF), also known as the three, is one of the five Basketball position, positions in a regulation basketball game. Small forwards are typically shorter, quicker, and leaner than Power forward (basketball), power forwards and Cent ...

, who played collegiately at Moberly Area Community College and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga before a career in the NBA. Wilkins is the younger brother of former

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 Southeast Division (NBA), Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Easte ...

superstar Dominique Wilkins and father of guard/forward Damien Wilkins and Miss Georgia USA 2012 and Miss USA 2012 4th runner-up Jasmyn Wilkins. He was a key player on 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 Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the Na ...

team of the late 1980s, consistently being the second-leading scorer after Patrick Ewing. He was selected in the 1985 NBA draft and was once named Player of the Week (3/3/1991). Wilkins followed in his brother's footsteps, participating in the 1986 and 1987 NBA Slam Dunk Contest, where he finished 4th and tied for 7th out of 8, respectively. Though initially a starter on the Knicks, his role decreased with the arrival of shooting guard John Starks in 1990 and small forward Xavier McDaniel in 1992. He became a free agent after the 1992 season and signed with the

Cleveland Cavaliers The Cleveland Cavaliers, often referred to as the Cavs, are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Divis ...

, which had a core of

Mark Price William Mark Price (born February 15, 1964) is an American former professional basketball player and coach. The last coaching job he held was as head coach of the Charlotte 49ers men's basketball, Charlotte 49ers. As a four-time NBA All-Star and ...

, Larry Nance, and Brad Daugherty. The Cavaliers hoped that Wilkins would be the final piece of the puzzle in order to finally defeat

Michael Jordan Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963), also known by his initials MJ, is an American businessman and former professional basketball player, who is currently a minority owner of the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Ass ...

and 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 Central Division of the Eastern Conference. The team was founded on January 16 ...

. However, the Cavaliers were swept by the Bulls in the 1993 NBA Playoffs. He remained with the Cavaliers for a few more years, but languished due to injuries, especially during 1994–95 when he was out of action the entire season. In 1995, Wilkins was picked up by the

Vancouver Grizzlies The Vancouver Grizzlies were a Canadian professional basketball team based in Vancouver. The Grizzlies competed in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Midwest Division (NBA), Midwest Division of the Western Conference ( ...

in the

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, but was unable to help out the team due to injury and lack of use, playing in only 28 of 82 games. He signed as a

free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under a contract at present ...

with the Orlando Magic in 1996 and became their sixth man. The Magic signed him up again for 1997–98 with a $300,000 contract. In 1999, he signed a three-year contract worth $7 million. It was in his final season with the Magic that Gerald got to play with his older brother Dominique Wilkins, although both were in the twilight of their careers and thus used sparingly.http://www.basketballreference.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=WILKIGE01 ''databaseBasketball.com'' Gerald Wilkins stats page

References

External links

Father-son comparison - Gerald vs. Damien Wilkins Stats
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wilkins, Gerald 1963 births Living people 20th-century African-American sportsmen 21st-century African-American sportsmen American expatriate basketball people in Canada American men's basketball players Basketball players from Atlanta Chattanooga Mocs men's basketball players Cleveland Cavaliers players Moberly Greyhounds men's basketball players New York Knicks draft picks New York Knicks players Orlando Magic players Shooting guards Small forwards Vancouver Grizzlies expansion draft picks Vancouver Grizzlies players