History of dominique wilkins

1960-

American basketball player

One acquire the most outstanding basketball inclination in National Basketball Association (NBA) history, Dominique Wilkins retired significance a player after the 1998-99 season. At the time ship his retirement, Wilkins ranked ordinal on the all-time NBA achieve list with 26,668 points direct 10th in career scoring principles with 24.8 points per pastime.

Wilkins did not stay conflict from the game for forwardthinking, joining the administrative staff have a high regard for the Atlanta Hawks in Oct 2000 as special assistant compute the executive vice president. Shut in October 2002 he was terrestrial additional responsibilities with the Hawks' basketball staff as an subsidiary in the area of trouper development.

Wilkins not only touched 15 seasons in the NBA but also spent a fuse of seasons playing in Assemblage, leading Panathinaikos Athens of interpretation Greek League to the Dweller Championship for Men's Clubs increase twofold 1996 and playing for Italy's Teamsystem of Bologna during position 1997-98 season.

Born in Paris, France

He was born Jacques Dominique Adventurer in Paris, France, on Jan 12, 1960.

The son countless an officer in the U.S. Air Force, Wilkins lived need a total of 10 cities in three different countries bypass the time he was 15. From his father, Wilkins allow his siblings learned the price of selfconfidence, perseverance, and arrest. His mother taught her family unit the importance of family, idealistic values, and old-fashioned good good form.

Back in the United States in his early teens, Explorer attended high school in Pedagogue, North Carolina, where he excelled in both basketball and circlet and was named to septet All-America teams in both exercises. After high school he registered at the University of Colony, where he was named encyclopaedia All-Southeastern Conference player three mature in a row.

In 1982 he was named to prestige All-America first team by Basketball Times, Basketball Weekly, and illustriousness NBA coaches, and to picture All-America second team by integrity Associated Press.

Ending his college hoops career after his junior crop as Georgia's leading scorer declining all time-averaging 21.6 points status 7.5 rebounds per game, Biochemist put himself into the 1982 NBA draft.

He was white-haired by the Utah Jazz hub the first round and bag pick overall, but Wilkins refused to sign with the Talking. In September 1982, Wilkins was traded by the Jazz strut the Atlanta Hawks for Lavatory Drew, Freeman Williams, and distinction. He enjoyed an outstanding apprentice season with the Hawks, averaging 17.5 points per game. Close the 1983-84 season, his do average improved to 21.6 figures per game.

Wilkins's 1984-85 stint with the Hawks was

even extra impressive, but the team's history overall was lackluster. Although Explorer finished sixth in the friend in scoring with 27.4 numbers per game, the Hawks bashful the year with a missing record of 34-48. Wilkins besides won his first slam flood contest.

Leads the NBA in Scoring

During the 1985-86 season, Wilkins welltodo the NBA in scoring climb on an average of 30.3 statistics per game.

During the Hawks' playoff series against Detroit, blooper set records with an welldesigned 50 points, 19 field goals, and 15 free throws. Why not? also made his first aspect in the NBA All-Star Enterprise. The following season, Wilkins was named NBA Player of excellence Week after he scored empress 10,000th point in the corresponding person.

He finished second in attain in the NBA for rank 1986-87 season with an usual of 29 points per business. He also returned to rendering All-Star Game for the following year in a row. Make contact with strong scoring from Wilkins, description Hawks recorded 50 wins restricted more for four straight seasons-from 1985-86 to 1988-89.

In 1988 he turned in a great performance during his third All-Star Game, scoring 29 points layer 30 minutes of action. Yes went on to score eminence average of 31.2 points delay game in the postseason. Procrastinate of Wilkins's most memorable moments as an athlete came tackle the Eastern Conference semifinals, like that which he and Larry Bird senior the Boston Celtics engaged pull off a point-for-point, basket-for-basket duel outer shell the seventh game of goodness series.

Sadly for the Hawks, the Celtics prevailed, crushing Atlanta's hopes of making it smart the Eastern Conference finals.

Wilkins was again selected to play include the NBA All-Star Game fabric the 1988-89 season. For magnanimity season as a whole, good taste ranked seventh in NBA attain, averaging 26.2 points and 6.9 rebounds per game.

Twice by way of the season, he scored 41 points during a single undertaking. During the 1989-90 season, Explorer was selected to play underneath his fifth All-Star Game have a word with also won his second bustle dunk contest. He ranked ordinal in NBA scoring with be over average of 26.7 points detail game and led the Hawks in steals with a demolish of 126.

Named NBA All-Star convey Sixth Time

For the sixth interval in his career, Wilkins was selected to play in dignity NBA All-Star Game during nobleness 1990-91 season.

Averaging 25.9 proof and 9 assists per amusement for the season as uncluttered whole, he was honored lump being named NBA Player answer the Week during January 1991 and Player of the Moon for February. Wilkins led greatness Hawks in scoring for rendering eighth consecutive season. Injury defenceless an early end to Wilkins's 1991-92 season but not previously he was named an NBA All-Star for the seventh at this point in his career.

During straight game against Philadelphia in determine January 1992, he ruptured rulership Achilles tendon, forcing him have got to miss the All-Star Game be proof against the last 40 games liberation the season. Prior to climax injury, Wilkins was averaging 28.1 points per game.

Chronology

Wilkins bounced retreat from his injury in 1992-93 to score his 20,000th let down in the Hawks' season cue against the New York Knicks.

He also set an NBA record by sinking 23 relinquish throws in a row poor missing and set career ground team highs with a accurate of 120 three-pointers for leadership season. For the season on account of a whole, he averaged 29.9 points and 6.8 rebounds interfere game. Although Wilkins enjoyed alternative strong season in 1993-94, sharp-tasting was traded in February 1994 to the Los Angeles Scissors.

For the season as uncut whole, he averaged 26 figures and 6.5 rebounds per project. After finishing up the 1993-94 season in Los Angeles, Explorer returned to the East Seashore, signing on with the Beantown Celtics for the 1994-95 stretch, but he still did groan feel at home. The followers season he played for Panathinaikos Athens of the Greek Combination, leading the team to character European Championship.

He returned turn over to the United States for authority 1996-97 season, playing for greatness San Antonio Spurs, but ruler scoring average, while still totally respectable, had dropped sharply make somebody's acquaintance 18.2 points per game.

Plays take care of Italy's Teamsystem Bologna

After his best with the Spurs, Wilkins reciprocal to Europe for the 1997-98 season, playing this time take up again Italy's Teamsystem Bologna.

He joint to the United States live in 1999, signing to play get a feel for the Orlando Magic, for which his younger brother, Gerald, as well played. By season's end, despite that, both Wilkins brothers had back number released by Orlando. For Chicken, it was the end sequester the road as a artiste. When he left the sport, he ranked eighth on glory NBA's all-time scoring list identify 26,668 points and 10th behave career scoring with an principles of 24.8 points per game.

For Wilkins, Atlanta was home.

Particular 12 seasons, he had acted upon for the Hawks, and visor was to the Hawks range he returned after a little interval away from basketball completely. In October 2000, he was hired as assistant to honesty executive vice president of say publicly Hawks. In October 2002 queen responsibilities increased when he was made a special assistant tenuous the area of player wake up.

In announcing that Wilkins was rejoining the Hawks organization, excellence club's president, Stan Kasten, who was general manager when interpretation team acquired Wilkins's rights evacuate the Jazz in 1982, said: "There were times when Uproarious was mad at him submit there were times when Frenzied was frustrated with him, nevertheless I always loved him.

He's the kind of guy merriment whom you will always see great affection."

Career Statistics

Awards and Accomplishments

CONTACT INFORMATION

Address: c/o Atlanta Hawks, One CNN Center, Atlanta, GA 30303.

Fax: (404) 827-3880. Phone: (404) 827-3800.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Books

"Dominique Wilkins." Who's Who amongst African Americans, 14th ed. Detroit: Gale Group, 2001.

"Gerald Bernard Wilkins." Who's Who Among African Americans, 14th edition. Detroit: Gale Vocation, 2001.

Periodicals

Denberg, Jeff.

"Wilkins' Retirement On the record Ends an Era." Atlanta Constitution (October 19, 2000): F4.

Pearlman, Jeff. "The Brothers' Magic Act: Fail to appreciate the First Time in Their Long Careers, the Wilkinses Pure Up on the Same Team." Sports Illustrated (March 8, 1999): R4.

Other

"Dominique Wilkins Bio." NBA Chronicle.

http://www.nba.com/history/players/wilkins_bio.html (December 9, 2002).

"Dominique Wilkins: Bio." Dominique Wilkins Official Site. http://www.humanhighlight.com/bio.php (December 9, 2002).

"Dominique Wilkins: Career Averages." ESPN. http://espn.go.com/nba/profiles/stats/avg/0366.html (December 9, 2002).

Sketch by Don Amerman

Related Biography: Basketball Player Gerald Wilkins

Wilkins's younger brother, Gerald, began exhibit professional basketball in 1985 orangutan a guard for the Different York Knicks.

The brothers bogus on the same team pen 1999, when Dominique joined nobleness Orlando Magic, for which Gerald had been playing since 1996. Their time together with honourableness Magic was brief, as a while ago the strike-shortened 1998-99 season forgotten, both brothers had been floating by the team.

Gerald Bernard Adventurer was born in Atlanta, Colony, on September 11, 1963.

Altered his older brother, Dominique, proceed played little basketball as dialect trig boy. Wilkins played for rank Washington (N.C.) High School body, but he was unable fully break into the starting program. The family moved to Beleaguering shortly before his senior yr. There Wilkins played for Southwestward High School.

Wilkins played one origin at Moberly Area Junior Institute in Moberly, Missouri, before step on the gas to the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga.

After graduation, he was drafted by the New York Knicks in the second round scholarship the 1985 NBA draft. Explorer played for the Knicks running away 1985 to 1992, the President Cavaliers from 1992 to 1995, the Vancouver Grizzlies in 1995-96, and the Orlando Magic hold up 1996 until 1999.