Dominique Wilkins: “My rivalry with Jordan was the best in history”
One of the 75 best players of all time in the NBA and the leading scorer of the Atlanta Hawks attends AS for an interview in Valencia basketball camp.
Dominique Wilkins (Paris, France, 1960) is one of the best forwards in the history of basketball… and certainly one of the most spectacular. Posters of his unforgettable dunks filled rooms worldwide in the 1980s when the NBA became a global phenomenon. Legend of the Atlanta Hawks and one of the best players ever according to the selection made by the NBA on its 75th anniversary, Nique was nine times all-star, averaged almost 25 points per match in his entire NBA career, and won the 1994 World Cup with the United States and two dunk contests in the golden years of this event, when they were one of the milestones of the annual calendar in world basketball. Later, he won the 1996 Euroleague in Europe and was MVP in the Final Four with Panathinaikos. As an ambassador of the JR NBA European Finals in the L’Alqueria development camp, Wilkins speaks with AS about his career and the current situation of basketball, which continues to be the epicenter of his life.
How is life going for a legend like Dominique Wilkins?
Excellent. I'm what they call an old man nowadays, so I'm dedicated to living life.
What brings you to Valencia?
It is a pleasure to come here and talk about basketball with the youngest people in this part of the world. It’s good to come to places like Spain and see how far this sport has come. It is probably the second largest in the country. It’s impressive.
When you see him (the young Dominique Wilkins), do you think of his historic dunks?
I barely remember that anymore (laughs). A lot of time has passed. For me, dunks were a resource that motivated the people around me. It always brought emotions to the game, and I’ve always enjoyed it.
In our collective imagination, we still remember that 1988 dunk contest against Jordan.
More than 30 years have passed, and they are still talking about it. That shows you that it was one of the best dunk contests ever seen because people still mention it, if not the best.
Although he did not win on that occasion, he has been champion of the dunk contest twice.
It could have ideally been four (laughs). But we did it for the fans, not for ourselves. We did it to give the fans what they had to see at an All-Star Weekend, especially the dunk contest.
You will agree that the dunk contest is no longer what it was...
It’s definitely not the same because the best players have now decided not to participate. That’s what takes us a little away from the current dunk contest.
In his years, without a doubt, the best athletes in the NBA were there, and, in addition, they were great showmen
It was definitely for the best players. It wasn’t just a matter of being the best basketball players; the best athletes in the league in those years competed in the contest. It was a great experience to compete with Michael Jordan, Dr. J (Julius Erving), and Larry Nance... All those great players went through the dunk contest and made it even bigger. It was fun.
In fact, in the last two editions, the winner has been Mac McClung, a player from the G League (NBA Development League).
If I were a league player, I would be embarrassed. We’re talking about a G League player who doesn’t even belong to the NBA, passing you by in the dunk contest. In that sense, something is being done wrong.
The question is whether can he still sink it.
Yeah, well, it depends on the day of the week (laughs). But, yes, I can still crush.
A few years ago, on the NBA’s 75th anniversary, you were chosen as one of the 75 best players in the league’s history. I imagine it is an honor.
It is an honor in itself to be recognized as one of the best players to have come through this sport. It doesn't matter who is the best. When you are named among the best in history, that is larger than life.
The “Human Highlight Film” is also a member of the Hall of Fame…
When you’re considered one of the greatest players to ever play the game, it doesn’t get any bigger than that. Being part of the Hall of Fame is a part of it because many players have that honor, but when you are considered one of the best 75 players in NBA history, it is magical.
In fact, despite being one of the best players of all time, he never won the MVP. That speaks to how tough the NBA was during his years in the league.
I was close to getting it by a small handful of votes. It was the year I was competing with Larry Bird for that honor. In those years in the NBA, there were so many superstars and great players who had never won an MVP. But no problem, my career hasn’t been bad (laughs).
In the '92 Olympics, he was left out of that Dream Team, although he was coming off a major Achilles tendon injury. How do you remember that?
Yes, I had a torn Achilles tendon and couldn’t be part of the ‘92 Dream Team. But, you know? The following season, I returned from an injury that cut short a player’s career, averaging almost 30 points per game (29.9). It was a great thing to come back from an injury of that caliber and be able to do it that way.
There is a detail that not many people know, but you were born in France.
Yes, that's right, I'm French American. I was born in France, on the outskirts of Paris. That's why I have a lot of French ties.
Since the emergence of Wembanyama, there has been a French revolution in the NBA...
It’s great to see that. For me, it is an honor to be known as the first player of French origin to play in the NBA and to see all the French players who have come after me. It’s great.
In fact, his Atlanta Hawks have chosen the Frenchman, born in Malaga, Zaccharie Risacher, with the pick number 1. The second is Alexander Sarr, also French…
Yes, that’s how it is. We think he’s a guy who can help us get to that next level. However, any rookie that comes to the league goes through its development and growth problems, and it all depends on how quickly they can adapt. If he gets it done quickly and can create that chemistry with the rest of the team, it will be very good because the kid really knows how to play. We can say that there has been a French explosion in recent years in the NBA.
Speaking of the draft, your Hawks also opted for Trae Young instead of Luka Doncic...
I’m the vice president of operations for the Atlanta Hawks, and I’m still very involved in the franchise. Well, you know, you never really know the players until you see what they are capable of doing on the field. We have a good player in Trae Young, and the Mavs have a great player in Luka Doncic. There is no room for resentment.
How did you see Doncic in the finals?
Well, Luka left his heart on the court. That boy plays a lot. Luka is one of the chosen ones.
Do you think this current Celtics can become a dynasty?
Well, the Celtics have already been a dynasty for many years. If these guys are capable of winning a couple more championships, we could consider them as such. They could add to the dynasty that is already created in that franchise.
Do you think Trae Young will continue with the Atlanta Hawks, or will he seek new horizons?
That depends on Trae and what the franchise wants to do, but right now, Trae is our big name, so he’s not going anywhere from what I see right now.
Also, in terms of this year’s draft, Bronny will play with LeBron James. This is the first time in NBA history that father and son coincide in the same franchise.
Well, it’s clearly something historic. But I understand that any player in LeBron’s position wants to push to play with his son, and they had one of the last picks in the draft to satisfy that desire. LeBron probably had something to do with that (laughs).
From what we’ve seen, his son, Jacob Wilkins, is also on the path to becoming an NBA player.
That's how it is. It's really nice. He will be at the University of Georgia next year (Wilkins is also a legend there). He has what it takes to go far. We will see in the future.
We've talked about how difficult it was to win an MVP in the past. Currently, the latest NBA MVPs are European or foreign talent: Giannis, Jokic and Embiid...
Well, more and more kids are coming to the NBA and feeling comfortable with the American style of play. They are fighting for it, have adapted, and earned it on the field. So it’s not surprising to see a lot of these guys have MVPs, like Embiid, Giannis, and Jokic.
Do you think Europe is gaining ground on American basketball?
The playing field is the same for everyone, so that’s why you see so many players coming to the NBA and playing well. It is not surprising to see players like Giannis, Jokic, Embiid, or Luka himself performing at a high level in the NBA. It is something that is no longer surprising.
What has been seen in Valencia, with its facilities and the new pavilion that is to come, is he sure that at the infrastructure level, it is very far from what is seen on the other side of the puddle?
Some facilities in America are not at the level of these (in reference to l’Alquería). Definitely, this has nothing to envy of some of the infrastructure we have in the United States. That means the roots are starting to grow.