Dominique Wilkins Childhood

Jacques Dominique Wilkins was born on January 12, 1960 in Paris, France. He is the son of Gertrude Baker and John Wilkins. Born into a military family, Wilkins lived on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean and in several cities in the United States. His parents settled in Washington, North Carolina where Wilkins would make a name for himself playing high school basketball.

Dominique Wilkins High School Stats and Awards

Wilkins attended Washington High School. He led his high school team to two consecutive state titles. His offensive versatility and the ability to throw down acrobatic dunks garnered him national attention. He played in several prestigious high school all-star games and was considered one of best players in the country. He accepted a scholarship offer to play basketball for the University of Georgia.

Dominique Wilkins College Career Stats and Notes

Dominique played three years at the University of Georgia from 1979-82. He averaged 21 points and 7 rebounds over his college career. During his sophomore year Wilkins was the SEC Player of the Year, and made All-American Second Team his third year. Wilkins opted for the 1982 NBA Draft instead of going back for his senior season.

Dominique Wilkins NBA Career Stats and Notes

Wilkins was the third overall pick by the Utah Jazz in the 1982 NBA Draft. However, he was traded to the Atlanta Hawks. Dominique played 12 seasons for the Hawks, exciting the home crowds with his amazing dunks. Nicknamed the Human Highlight Film, Wilkins’ ferocious dunks left fans in awe and often times ended up on posters. Wilkins was a two-time NBA Slam Dunk Champion (1985, 1990) and had some memorable battles with Michael Jordan. However, Wilkins wasn’t just a highlight reel; he had a great offensive game complete with a mid-range jumper. His addition made the Hawks a perennial playoff team during the 1980s.

Wilkins was traded midseason in 1994 to the Los Angeles Clippers. From there Wilkins played for three other teams:  Boston Celtics, San Antonio Spurs and Orlando Magic. In between stints with the NBA teams Wilkins would play several years overseas. In 2000, he retired. Wilkins was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006.

Dominique Wilkins 47 Point Game 7 vs Boston Celtics

On May 22, 1988, the Celtics hosted the Hawks in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The Hawks, who lost Game 6 at home, needed a big game from their superstar on the road. Entering the fourth, Wilkins didn’t disappoint his teammates as the Hall of Famer had 33 points. Down the stretch Wilkins hit clutch jumper after jumper to keep the Hawks close. The problem was the other Hall of Famer on the Celtics that thwarted any possible lead for the Hawks. Larry Bird came to play as well and the two legends traded baskets for what seemed like the entire quarter. Wilkins finished with 47 points but the strong effort wasn’t enough. Bird scored 20 of his 34 in the final quarter as the Celtics eliminated the Hawks 118-116.

List of Basketball Hall of Fame Members