Getting Off the Bleachers: An Interview with Dominique Wilkins

Atlanta, GA— Thanks to a partnership with the NBA, HP, and Microsoft, Dominique Wilkins was at a local Atlanta Best Buy on Saturday to meet with fans and help promote the launch of Windows 7.  

As a local Bleacherreport.com writer, I had the chance to sit down with Dominique and (with Windows 7 in mind) ask him seven questions about his NBA legacy, the NBA today, and how he would fair in today's game.

B/R: With nine All-Star appearances and host of other accomplishments, what would you say is the most memorable aspect of your career?

Wilkins :  It’s hard to pick one thing that stands out more than another.  There were so many things that I was able to accomplish or witness.  But I would say the thing that stands out that the most was the type of talent that I played against night in and night out, the legends that were in the game.  Basically, you had to play against a legend every night.  That whole era was unbelievable.

B/R: Seeing that you played in one of the greatest eras in NBA history, what has changed the most in the NBA since your days as a player?

Wilkins :  I think guys played more of a true position back when I played.  A small forward was a small forward, a power forward was a power forward.  You didn’t play both.  The power forward position had the license to kick your butt and the game was very physical.  I think the physical aspect of the game, some of it has been taken away with the rule changes.  But the game is still played the same, you can’t change that.

B/R: Speaking of today's game, what current player would you say is the most similar to you as a player?

Wilkins :  Probably a mixture of guys.  I would probably say a little bit of [Dwayne] Wade as far as how he attacks the basket, Vince Carter and how he elevates.  It’s a mixture of guys.  I wouldn’t say there is one guy that I would say patterns himself after me.

B/R: Do you think you could take them?

Wilkins :  I don’t believe in comparisons, but I look at the era I played in.  Like I said, when you have to play against a great player every night, that defines who you are if you can compete on that same level night in and night out.  That tells you where your place is in the whole, I would say, history of the game.  You put yourself in a very high spot. 

When you can compete on that level against the greatest players every single night, and when you can play just as good or better, that really defines who you are as a player.  So if you’re asking me what would I have done [today], well, put it this way, if you couldn’t touch me [because of the rule changes], instead of averaging 25 or 30 [points], I’d probably average 40.

B/R: One of the most memorable parts of your career in fans' minds is the dunk contests with Jordan.  You beat Jordan in '85 and lost to him by two points in '87 in Chicago.  Do you think the home crowd gave him those extra two points?

Wilkins :  There is always a little home cooking anywhere you play.  I used slam dunking as a tool for intimidation.  It wasn’t really who I was.  But because I had dunks that were very dramatic, people think I dunked all the time.  But I tell people all the time, it’s hard to score 26,000 points on dunks. 

So I found creative ways to score—went to the free throw line, had the in between mid-range game, I could shoot the three, I could post up, all these different things.  I only dunked maybe twice a game on average.  I did other things.  But it was fine, it’s something that people love to watch, and that’s fine.  I tried to entertain people, but for me, it was a tool that I used.  It wasn’t who I was.

B/R:  One of the things that has definitely changed since you played is how early guys go into the NBA.  You stayed for three years, when a lot of guys go as soon as they are eligible today.  Are you a fan of players coming into the league early?

Wilkins :  It was hard to come out of high school in my era.  I came out of probably the greatest high school class in history, and not one of them went pro out of high school.  That tells you how tough and physical the league was. 

When you look at guys like Carmello Anthony, who I think is a super player, one of the best players in the league, he played one or two years in college.  He got some seasoning so when he came to the NBA, he was ready.  Some guys are exceptions to the rule like LeBron James or Kobe. 

Not many guys can do that.  I’m a fan of some guys coming early.  It depends on the guy.  Some kids come out early and never make it, or they might stay two or three years in the NBA and you never hear from them again.  So, I think those kids get lost in the shuffle. 

B/R: Now that you are in a management position with the Hawks, how has your view of the game changed?

Wilkins :  It’s basically the same, you’re just doing in a suit instead of a uniform.  The corporate side is different because you’re dealing with people’s lives, and you see things from a different perspective.  When you’re playing, the game is going so fast, that you don’t see things in the same way a coach sees or even an educated fan sees. 

So you definitely see things from a different perspective.