Dominique Wilkins, nicknamed simply 'Nique, is considered to be the best player to have ever played a basketball game with an Hawks jersey. Wilkins was a nine-time NBA All-Star, and one of the best dunkers in NBA history.He entered the University of Georgia in 1979 with an established reputation as an exciting player.Wilkins averaged 21.6 points a game over his career and was named SEC Men's Basketball Player of the Year in 1981.
He left college after his junior year and was selected third by the Utah Jazz in the1982 NBA Draft.Cash flow problems within the Utah Jazz organization, along with Wilkins's reluctance to play with the Jazz, led to his trade to the Atlanta Hawks several months after the draft. Prior to his last three NBA seasons, Wilkins never averaged fewer than 20 points per game and captured a scoring title in 1985-86 with an average of 30.3 points per game.Wilkins was instrumental in the Hawks' prominence in the 1980s, when the club recorded four consecutive 50-win seasons during the decade. As Wilkins entered his thirties and the Hawks needed more of an all-around contribution from their star, Wilkins averaged 9.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists during the 1990-91 season. Wilkins registered 26,668 points and 7,169 rebounds in his NBA career.
Wilkins's nickname was the "The Human Highlight Film" for his athletic ability and highlight reel dunks. His trademark dunk was a powerful one- or two-handed windmill, dunks he used to capture the slam dunk contest titles in 1985 and 1990. As a basketball player he was known as an acrobatic scorer, somewhat of a gunner, though an outstanding finisher and one of the greatest dunkers in NBA history. His #21 jersey was retired by the Hawks on January 13, 2001. He is one of four players whose jerseys have been retired by the Hawks. In 2006, Wilkins was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
Achievements:
