Dominique Wilkins Honored By Georgia Basketball Program
August 22, 2006 | Men's Basketball
The event, which was held at the Georgia Club in Statham, drew hundreds of onlookers from two primary stages of Wilkins’ life: his collegiate days at UGA and the majority of his professional career with the Atlanta Hawks. Among the series of roasters included UGA teammates Derrick Floyd and Lamar Heard, as well as his head coach, Hugh Durham.
“For the three years we were together, we were nothing but the ‘Dominique Wilkins Show,” said Heard, tongue planted firmly in cheek. “Finally, in 1983 we played as a TEAM, and look where we went!”
Current Georgia coach Dennis Felton recalled a moment during his days as a collegian, when he was awestruck by footage of a Wilkins dunk while editing a videotape for a class. “Anybody that knows me knows how often I still talk about that dunk,” Felton said. “I’m really thrilled for Dominique. I consider him to be one of the greatest basketball players of all time and a real treasure to the University of Georgia. . And to be presented at the Hall of Fame by none other than the ‘Doctor’ himself – Julius Erving – has got to be a tremendous feeling. He has truly reached the pinnacle.
Wilkins, born in Paris and raised in Baltimore before moving to Washington, N.C., in high school, surprised the college basketball world by signing with Durham’s young program in 1979. He was a first-team Parade Magazine All-American and could have chosen from an elite list of colleges.
Wilkins played three seasons for Georgia and won All-America honors both as a sophomore and junior in 1981-82. During his tenure, the Bulldogs made the first post-season appearances in school history, playing in the National Invitation Tournament in both 1981 and 1982. He finished his 3-year career with 1,688 points before electing to turn professional.
“I can’t begin to tell you how much this means to me,” Wilkins said. “It’s always a special feeling to come back to Athens. This program will always be a special part of me and I will always do anything and everything I can to help out.”
Wilkins was the third player selected in the 1982 NBA Draft, taken by the Utah Jazz. He was soon traded to the Atlanta Hawks, for whom he played 12 seasons and scored 23,292 points, making nine straight All-Star teams and winning the NBA scoring title in his sixth season. He also led the Hawks to the greatest moments in their history. Four times during his tenure they posted 50-win seasons, the benchmark for any NBA team.
Wilkins also played briefly for the Los Angeles Clippers, Boston, San Antonio and Orlando in the NBA before his official retirement in 1999. He is currently employed by the Hawks as Vice President for Basketball.
Wilkins is the only Georgia player ever to have his jersey number (21) retired. The Atlanta Hawks have also retired no. 21. Wilkins’ nephew, Damien, played two seasons for the Bulldogs (2003-04), wearing jersey number 12.
Wilkins will be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass, on the weekend of Sept. 7-9.
