Dominique Wilkins says that in his first eight NBA games he faced about nine eventual Hall of Famers at his position.
“My 1st eight games I played against probably nine Hall of Famers at my position.”
Person
Dominique Wilkins
1 episodes · 23 quoted claims
Dominique Wilkins did not play organized basketball until the 10th grade, after playing baseball and running track.
“I went from baseball actually and went to track, and I didn't play organized basketball to 10th grade.”
Dominique Wilkins says he still holds his high school's quarter-mile record and competed in the high jump, triple jump and mile relay.
“I still have that record. So I was always into track and field high jump, triple jump, you know, anchor in the mile relay and so on.”
As kids, Dominique Wilkins and his friends snuck into Baltimore Bullets games and were once caught by Wes Unseld.
“we used to sneak into Baltimore Bullets games. When we were kids, you know, we got caught by Wes Unseld one time.”
Dominique Wilkins left home in Baltimore at age 16, telling his mother he was going to North Carolina.
“I told my mom when I turned 16, I'm leaving, and I remember her saying, Where you going?”
Dominique Wilkins was discovered playing on a playground the day after arriving in North Carolina by Greyhound bus.
“And I got discovered on the playground the next day after getting off a greyhound bus.”
Dominique Wilkins's high school team in North Carolina went 76-1 over three years, and he says the coach treated him like a son.
“He treated me like I was his son. And that team went 76 and one in three years.”
Dominique Wilkins's mother raised eight children by herself while his father served in the military.
“my mom raised eight kids by herself and my father was military.”
Dominique Wilkins was born in France and his family later moved to Maryland.
“and I was born in France, yeah, and then we moved to Maryland.”
Dominique Wilkins says a playground legend taught him how to play basketball when he was twelve.
“I had a playground legend taught me how to play basketball when I was twelve.”
Dominique Wilkins says he received death threats and had a cross burned in his yard after signing with the University of Georgia.
“I went to Georgia. When I signed with Georgia, they went from loving me to hating me. And I got death threats, cross burning in my yard.”
Dominique Wilkins did not return to Washington, North Carolina, for 30 years after leaving.
“It was a bad situation and when I left there, I didn't go back for 30 years.”
The mayor of Washington, North Carolina, drove to Atlanta to see Dominique Wilkins's film about his life, which led Wilkins to go back to the town.
“The mayor of that town drove from Washington, North Carolina, to Atlanta to view my film, my life story.”
Dominique Wilkins speculates that the Hall of Fame wanted him and Charles Barkley to be inducted together in the same year.
“I think the way it was mapped out, they wanted myself and Charles Barkley to go in together that year.”
Dominique Wilkins says his father taught him that a man stands on his own feet and should not make excuses or blame others.
“a man stand on his own 2 ft. Don't make excuses, don't blame people about what you don't have, what you do have.”
Dominique Wilkins says Ted Turner taught him about life, business and dealing with people.
“people like Ted Turner, has taught me a lot. You know about life, about business, and just about interacting with people.”
Dominique Wilkins began planning for an executive career in basketball about five years before he retired as a player.
“I started thinking about the executive side of basketball, probably about five years before I retired.”
Wilkins's high school team lost to a team it had beaten by 30 during the regular season, on a buzzer shot, before going on a long winning streak.
“And one game we lost a team that, um, we beat by 30 in the regular season and they beat us by one point on a buzzer shot.”
Dominique Wilkins says Larry Bird put both hands behind his back instead of shaking hands when they first met in Boston.
“I go shake his hand. He put both hands behind his back.”
Dominique Wilkins says he and Larry Bird did not shake hands for 13 years but are now close friends.
“And it's funny because we didn't shake hands for 13 years.”
Dominique Wilkins says that in the Game seven where he scored 47, Larry Bird had 12 points entering the fourth quarter and finished with about 34 to 36.
“Yeah, he had 12 points going into the 4th quarter, he ended up with, uh, 34, 36, something like that.”
Dominique Wilkins says Atlanta was the first city that called him its own and felt like home.
“that was the 1st city that ever called me their home. That was the 1st city that I felt like it was home.”
Dominique Wilkins and his wife created a sensory studio with a foundation he has chaired for ten years, to support people on the autism spectrum.
“My wife and I we've created, along with another foundation that I started with, I've been their chairman for ten years.”