I remember as a kid when I used to collect basketball cards, I sent out a bunch of cards to my favorite NBA players hoping they'll autograph them and send them back. I got the addresses off Beckett or some magazine or other. Dominique was the only one to send a signed card back. I'll always remember that.
You were lucky!!! I was at the University of Maryland basketball camp when Len Bias was there, and one of the coaches gave me a poster of him in a black and yellow uniform (Maryland rarely wore those uniforms). I saw him standing by the court talking to a female, I asked him if he could autograph my poster, and he shitted on me right to my face!!! That shit really hurts a young kid. I lost all respect for him at that time, and a couple of months later he died right after he was drafted. SMH
Joachim Ndahne - Nique Was A Beast In The Open Court.... And Truth Be Told " He Beat Michael Jordan In Their Slam Dunk Contest " THAT'S RIGHT!!...I SAID IT.... DOMINIQUE WILKINS BEAT MICHAEL JORDAN WHEN THEY HAD THE SLAM DUNK CONTEST... but they gave it to Mike the favorite 💰
Lol , nique was never modest , he lived to dunk for the highlights. While Jordan lived to destroy everyone .....which clearly he did . Nique could only dream of what it must be like to have never lost in the finals , ........ Jordan lived it like it was a walk through the park
@@atibagaskin77 Someone's not remember it well. He had to be, his team was absolute trash and the Hawks were loaded. the fact it was even close speaks volumes for how good Jordan is/was. Hawks almost won 60 games that year. They were 100% legit.
Guys back in the day played the dozens on each other, they not doing that now too hypersensitive. They would get on social media and whine to their followers
And you'd better look out at the free throw line too!! Because even if he missed he was coming to follow it up! You'd get posterized if you wasn't careful!!
And he competed in an era that was much more physical than the one today's players, such as LeBron James ever have. That's why it's completely stupid to call LeBron the G.O.A.T. He never played the likes of the bad boys. Dominique did. He's one of the most disrespected players ever to lace up a pair of shoes in the NBA. He was left off of 1997's greatest 50 player's list in favor of then 4 year player Shaquille O'neal. So, it wasn't about who was greatest, it was a popularity contest. Then, to top that off, Atlanta traded him to the Clippers like he was garbage. Dominique helped to build the NBA into the giant that it was. No doubt about it.
@@JaySpoonn He, like Michael, put butts in seats all over America, but never got his due, and Atlanta never got him the help he needed to truly win. He never had another true superstar like Michael and so many other championship teams did. Sad, to think of what could have been.
@@500erider Lebron James is 6’8, 260 pounds and runs like no one else you seen in the league. He could’ve played in any era. You adapt to the era your in. It may have been tougher physically back then but the league is far more skilled today. Also, Jordan is the Goat, but there is nothing wrong with being the 2nd or 3rd best out of 20,000!
As a kid I used to go to Madison square garden everyrime the hawks would come to town. I loved nique...we used to have dunk contests when I was young and I always repped the human highlight film...he was an explosive fierce dunker. He would come down the lane with a tomahawk put back like a warrior.
Bulls fan here..but when he said Larry Bird was so hot that one game he started hitting 3s with his left hand..I was in "awe" about that...Bird was a bad man!! Much respect to the legends of the 80s and 90s!
I'mma Bulls fan as well . Watching Bird use to have me in awe , then pissed af after ! That dude use to make shots that I SWORE was trick photography or some shit . He was a monster ...
I miss that old school NBA. Competition. I was lucky to have cable growing up and we had WGN and TBS. I got to watch most of the Hawks and Bulls games and when they played each other... My lawd. You don't see players going at it full speed for 48 minutes and for 82 games anymore. Every game was special.
Nique Was That Dude. The Hawks didn't surround him with the right personnel, IMO. Yet, the Hawks were Must See TV. The Eastern Conference was Mad Competitive back then. The Hawks,Celtics,Bucks ,Detroit,Philadelphia and the Knicks were Great Teams. The Bulls came along later in the 80's. Great Era for the NBA.
The golden era no doubt. Cats forget about dudes like Sidney Moncrief, Marques Johnson, Terry Cummings, Rick Pierce, Bernard King, etc. It truly was the beast in the East vs the best in the West I don't even have to talk about the dudes on the west side.
What a precious video. Dominique is a good man. Only a good man can speak like this. He paid a respect in his home to the guys he played against by putting posters on the wall. WOW! That's huge for me. What a athlete Nique was... Thise hard dunks. I bet the rims were like "oh nooo the nique took of". Greets from Serbia!
All of the great players knew when they played against Nique he was going to be dunking like crazy on them and there was no one on the floor who could stop him. Magic Johnson said that in an old interview.
Top 50? Nique was most definetily Top 30 material, when that selection was made. Pippen made that team, but Nique used to torch him worst that Jeanne D' Arc
He should've been, I don't understand why he was shunned. In the 80s you grew up watching the vets Bird and Magic, and the young stars Jordan and Nique.
Dominique has such a great attitude. You can feel his love for the game. Great player who I feel is still underrated. He would tear up the league today. He had the skill and the athleticism, the whole package.
Nique was the most underrated player of all-time! Yes he got in the Hall of Fame but should have been in the 92 Dream Team, should have been in the 50 Greatest Players.
Sorry, born in France. But that explains why he wasn't considered for the team. Easily a good enough player. I think he was averaging around 28 for most of his career.
Chris Webber has this story about Michael Jordan when he pulled up on Chris Webber and Juan Howard outside the stadium before a game in his Ferrari smoking a cigar and asked Chris and Juan Howard who's gonna guard me tonight. Chris Webber points at Juan Howard and then Michael says that's a easy 40. I think Chris Webber said Michael ending up scoring 46 that night.
LISTEN CLOSELY..........THE 80S AND 90S WERE REAL BASKETBALL!!! AND I AM 50 YEARS OLD.....SEEN ALOT ....BIRD AND JORDAN WERE THE ABSOLUTE GREATEST 2 ASSASSINS I EVER SEEN !!
Today's Basketball is Figure Skating compared to NBA 70s 80s 90s. NBA today they travel carry the ball and if you put one finger on someone its a FOUL. Smh
I wish guys were that competitive today. Now days they'll go out to a party together and post it on instagram right after playing against each other in the NBA finals. SMH.
What? Go watch the 86 finals between LA and Boston. That kind of defence (this was the NBA finals!!) would be absolutely obliterated by today's top teams. Go watch it and try to guess how many times Klay or Steph or KD would pull up for a three because the defense is collapsing around the zone leaving shooters tons of space. Today's top teams are more skilled, more efficient than the teams back then. Which is inevitable since the game and players evolve. Analytics informs tactics. The fabled Boston team from 86. Who could shoot 3s besides Bird and Ainge? GSWß With the exception of Looney and Livingston... Everyone. Look at the ball handling of the GSW? Thompson, KD, Curry, Green.. they are all super-competent, creative ball handlers capable to beat opponents off the dribble. Boston? Don't knock today's NBA. These guys are awesome.
You gotta admire this mans knowledge, love and appreciation for the game. Also the humbleness he displays by the way he expresses himself about the players he competed against and admired as a fan of the game.
There is not a lot of guys that are as down to earth as DW. He was class personified, with one of the best hairdos, cuts, and a nice suit of clothes, even down to his sweat- suits back in the day. Cool Brother!
I was lucky enough to witness Bird and Wilkins play against each other in 1986 at the Army's expense. I ended up at midcourt about 6-7 rows up and as a Celtic Fan that was great seats.
@@DMSFister ..It's a disingenuous "compliment". MOST times when SOME folks hear a Black athlete speak, they're "amazed" at the level of intellect AND dialogue the black man puts on display! They speak like everybody else that went to College. Hell, I never went to College and speak better than most white friends of mine. It's a hidden negative perception of black folks!
I am Black, I take no offense to what he's saying. Stop looking expressly for things to be upset at, and instead take what he's saying at face value. He is saying Nique is able to convey his thoughts in a complimentary verabl fashion and that he is appreciative of that fact, nothing less nothing more. YOU are the one putting invisible strife and malice into the meaning. Stop that shit
Nique is true Class! He always speaks with the respect and with such a humble nature, but he was a Killer himself. Nique never backed down to MJ, Bird, Malone, Magic or any of the greats of his era. He held his own with any of them and often got the better of them on any given night. He was like a tornado the way he played, super high energy and a relentless attacker. He brought a totally original style of play, the way he would spin, the rebound dunking his own missed shots, and a seemingly endless arsenal of moves. He is one of the guys that helped make the NBA as popular as it is today, a true Showman and basketball legend forever.
Met 'Nique at a little diner in Atlanta on Peachtree about 13 years ago. Take out was taking forever, and being a ball player most of my life, I had to strike up a convo with him. Nicest guy ever and dropped a couple of gems on me from his time in the league - along with some stories of him schooling Hawks rookies in summer league/practice. We talked for a good 25-30. That was a cool moment with someone I grew up watching and revering HIGHLY.
@@timgoppelsroeder121 ^im sure it was originally Holmes...urban dictionary has it...and also says that "homez" is the "cooler" way to write "HOMLES" xD
@@timgoppelsroeder121 Well, when we started using it as urban parlance it was "holmes".. So you run along and stay lit, woke, non-binary and clap back about something you actually know about "homez"..
It was so nice to watch 'nique speak candidly like this. This man was my absolute idol in the 80s as I cultivated my love for basketball. I modeled my below-the-rim game after him as best I could. #21 forever
This is why basketball is my favorite sport. The stories alone from Dominique's perspective is amazing! A tremendous 6+ minutes of dialog from a legend himself. Dominque confirmed and backed up my understanding of the game of basketball about Larry Legend. And MJ too. It's a shame we all age. I could watch MJ, Larry Bird, Dr. J and the Human Highlight film as well as many other legends play basketball forever if it were possible.
Or more of the new school players are more evolved. In the end it is still a game. You can still be super competitive yet respectful and practice good sportsmanship. There are many greats that did that. It is such a myth that all players back in the day hated each other.
Met this man at my local Kroger(he live around east Atlanta by Stone Mountain) this man energy, personality everything is just great. Nique is awesome. Much love. Had a great convo
Dominique is very well spoken and seems to be a very humble gentleman. Wow. I guess I never knew what he was like until I watched this video. I respect him, his play and his attitude very much. Seems like a really great guy.
What a great era back then, all the superstars would participate in the dunk contest, it was so refreshing. Today's era, most superstars don't participate in the dunk contest, the fake goat of this current era is the leader of the I'm too scared to be in the dunk contest.
TheRealist 811 agreed!!! Mentality back then was supreme. They were young men. Now it’s a bunch of kids with talent. Alot of these players now in their 30’s still acting like children.🤦🏽♂️ Gotta grow up someday. Like NOW!!
The only way to look at Lebron is to look at it as if he actually grew up during that time. He'd be different than he is now. Not a flopping whiny ass near millenial Lebron. He'd have a different mentality. Same way you have to look at all old dudes playing in all sports today. Baseball players and golfers and shit, so hard to compare era's on the same level. But I'll tell you this much, Babe Ruth never had to face a Randy Johnson fastball. Wilt Chamberlain didn't have to play against another bunch of 7 footers.
At the beginning, I didn't know who was speaking, and I thought he was a "second line" old nba player... No, He is Dominique Wilkins, how humble is he? Great as a player, greater as a man!!!
Dominique could flat out FLY!!! I still remember seeing him shoot a 3 pointer and following up the missed shot with a dunk over everybody on the floor. The fact that Dominique would jump so high for a jump shot, land and still be the first one to the rebound made it even more unbelievable...all time favorite player and best offensive small forward ever IMO
Too many tattoos, friend. The NBA is for posers now. Everyone is inked up but too few have substance. 80s 90s few had ink but it was as raw an era as you like. Personally I don't follow the NBA anymore.
It's really absurd how under appreciated Dominique is in the history of NBA. The guy basically never played with a #2 or someone close to being a perennial all-star. He scored 24.8 ppg for his career with entire teams being able to double and triple him. No he wasn't as good as Bird, Jordan, Magic, Kareem, or Moses. But the other guys that get way more run in his era, because they were on better teams, is patently unfair to Dominique. He was also electrifying to watch. His combination of elevation and finesse with power made him stand apart from other pure scorers. The guy was a tremendous player but played on crap teams. Had he played with another star he would have altered his game but excel even more. I feel strongly he is vastly underrated.
80s 90s Best era. The stories, the legends, the intensity. Nothing like it. When it comes to Wilkins, i always liked him as a player, but never knew what a humble guy he is with such great perspective.
I had 5 posters on the walls in my room when I was in high school (87-91) Joe Montana, Ronnie Lott, Michael Jordan, Chris Mullin, and Dominique Wilkins....the Human Highlight Reel is a legend, his vertical hops were crazy, and he's a class act...
The Human Highlight film...Dominique Wilkins. Was robbed of the dunk contest championship against MJ. Bruh had some naaasty dunks on cats in his day. Never be another like him. Respect!
I loved watching the battles between Nique and Bird. They brought the best out of each other. I miss those days. I can't even watch the NBA these days.
Dominique played in the greatest era of NBA basketball and was among the elite of that golden era. He would have easily been a lock on the 92 dream team had he not been injured. Should have been a top 50 all timer.. Incredible talent....
I was a huge fan of Dominique as a kid. I had his Starting Lineup figure as a kid. He was always an underrated player during his career. Everyone remembers his dunks but he was a damn good player.
This story answers the silly question Shannon Sharpe keep getting wrong everyday........Is Lebron James the G.O.A.T.? The unbelievably obvious answer is no. There’s no way Lebron James or any NBA player going to walk into another teams locker room and say “It’s gonna be a long night.” then drop 60!!!......and this was Dominique Wilkins and the Atlanta Hawks, not no bums.......#MJ23 🐐
Adrian Terrell real talk that just shows how soft that era was cuz MJ wasn’t suppose to make it out of that locker room on both feet. He should have gotten his ass whipped on and off the court that day if they were so “ tough” but we see that’s some fake shit
Mj and Bird would both do that and back it up. Mj and Bird didnt need a finisher on their team. Theres a reason why Bird and Mj stories are still told even two plus decades after they happened. What stories will be told about Lebron? He went to 9 finals? Was swept twice and almost swept a third time by a team that was inferior? He played in a weak division where he always joined the strongest team at that time?
I have listened so many of these big black gentlemen talk about Bird....and how much respect they had for him...and it makes me RESPECT them for being so articulate, so honest about the game. Seems like they are all such nice guys....I would think they were doctors or something..so intelligent...always amazes me...Kareem, Dr J, Magic, Isiah, .... I love to watch their era play...and I hope they appreciate that their days were the best in the game...its changed so much now that it can't happen the way it did then...not that they aren't incredible athletes now...but they PLAYED back then...
One of the most under-appreciated players of his era dude was Jordans equal during the 80s dude should have been original Dream Team Member but he had an Achilles injury the man should have been top 50 greatest players but he is still a legend and one of the first original highlight-reel dunkers that gave posterizing power dunks Dominique Wilkins
Pure Gold!!! Thank you ‘Nique for all of the entertainment when i was a kid. Bad Boys fan here and you all had some great games against my boys Isaiah and them
Real talk Larry and Kobe are the most skilled players I ever saw with Bron,Mike,Hakeem,KD and KG being up there too. Larry passing ability was just as good as Magic or Bron but people focus more on the shooting and trash talking
What an incredible athlete and human being! We Greek basketball fans are so blessed we had the opportunity to have a HOF legend of his calibre playing in our league! Always grateful to you for the memories and history you helped us build, Nique
I would watch more sports if the players had humility like this. Furthermore it is obvious he cares little about the fame and money, and instead values the friendships and comradarie. Class act.
I like the way he speaks about all these legends, you can see the respect and emotion in his eyes when he's telling these stories. Do, you were a hell of a player too, one of my favourite ones, I think top 10 easily. When basket-ball was hard, rough, for men. I miss those times. Many think they were too hard but no, they were hard on the court but once outside they had respect for each other. Thanks for this video.
@78mfleet jason richardson, vince carter, shawn kemp, zack lavine, lebron james, blake griffin, Dominique wilkins. Off the top of my head. Watching the superbowl... brain is elsewhere.
Dominique told the Bob Lanier story on NBA-TV's Open Court show. The topic was about the dunk and its impact on the game. I had a really good laugh after hearing that story.
I was a kid watching the slam dunk contest with Jordan and Wilkins and people were talking so much about Jordan, and I was like umm what about Dominique? This guy was the human highlight and a great player
@shushishane yeah ok....theyre so skilled they settle for low percentage shots over higher ones....they settle for ISO ball instead of ball movement....coaching has nothing to do with it the NBA is nothing more than grown man AAU basketball.
@@Theycallmekenney idk if you think basketball today is all iso ball than wtf was the early 2000s mid 90s. Offenses back then were crafted around iso ball. Nowadays everyone's tryna play like the Warriors. Your probably thinking about James Harden when u talking about low pct iso ball, but u can't tell me he's any less skilled than anyone who has played his position in the pasts, sans guys like Jordan and Kobe. Guys aren't as skilled as they were before? Yeah there are guys who are 'projects', who come into the league cuz of wingspan and measurements, but there are literally 7 foot guards in the NBA. There were niggas in the NBA back in the day just to commit hard fouls.your argument off base bruv
Nique was a top 50 offensive player but not one of the best players. He didn’t play defense and was a poor rebounder for someone with his size and jumping ability.
Been a fan since playing NBA Jam. SOOOOO happy to see Dominique Wilkins seems like such a good dude. Thanks for all the memories! You were/are amazing! I am glad to see you enjoy sharing the stories even more than we love hearing them.
I remember as a kid when I used to collect basketball cards, I sent out a bunch of cards to my favorite NBA players hoping they'll autograph them and send them back. I got the addresses off Beckett or some magazine or other. Dominique was the only one to send a signed card back. I'll always remember that.
David Chung that’s dope
Yup
THAT - IS BEYOND AWESOME, MAN!!!! THINGS LIKE THAT MATTER, GOD BLESS HIM FOR THAT!
Damn bro thats awesome.
You were lucky!!!
I was at the University of Maryland basketball camp when Len Bias was there, and one of the coaches gave me a poster of him in a black and yellow uniform (Maryland rarely wore those uniforms).
I saw him standing by the court talking to a female, I asked him if he could autograph my poster, and he shitted on me right to my face!!! That shit really hurts a young kid.
I lost all respect for him at that time, and a couple of months later he died right after he was drafted. SMH
Dominique so underrated he a lengend thumbs up if u feeling mi
Joachim Ndahne - Nique Was A Beast In The Open Court.... And Truth Be Told " He Beat Michael Jordan In Their Slam Dunk Contest " THAT'S RIGHT!!...I SAID IT.... DOMINIQUE WILKINS BEAT MICHAEL JORDAN WHEN THEY HAD THE SLAM DUNK CONTEST... but they gave it to Mike the favorite 💰
He is a legend
He was my favorite everybody loved Jordan not me to me Dominique was the best he was always 2nd in scoring
You begging for thumbs up ruined it. Butch
Spot on pal.
I could listen to 'Nique talk for hours. Man just loves and respects the game. One of the few players I wish had gotten a ring.
The way Nique speaks about the past, it’s like he’s holding back the tears. Truly a great time in basketball history.
Dominique is modest....The night Jordan scored 61, the Hawks did win...on a game winner by Dominique over Jordan...one on one! 33rd point
I remember that. MJ was a ball hog when he didnt have to be.
Lol , nique was never modest , he lived to dunk for the highlights.
While Jordan lived to destroy everyone .....which clearly he did .
Nique could only dream of what it must be like to have never lost in the finals , ........ Jordan lived it like it was a walk through the park
@@atibagaskin77 Someone's not remember it well. He had to be, his team was absolute trash and the Hawks were loaded. the fact it was even close speaks volumes for how good Jordan is/was. Hawks almost won 60 games that year. They were 100% legit.
@@allgood9102 Nique conquered Europe dont be feeling sorry for him! Imagine a country treating you like a GOD!
@Lex Luger dunking on Larry Bird is not a giant feat, Bird had absolutely no hops oh, no bounce whatsoever!
The Larry Bird and MJ trash talk stories are always the best.
Never but Larry before Jordan... Never
@@alfjones6377 The fuck are u talking about?
@@jamtv3258 😀
Word!
And people think I'm crazy when I say I would take Larry Bird over LeBron James anytime all around Larry Bird is a better player than LeBron James
This era will always be my favorite! The fights the rivalry! The loyalty to cities! Today's game has none of that.
Dominique's windmill dunks are still the best!
His 2 handed specifically..
Guys back in the day played the dozens on each other, they not doing that now too hypersensitive. They would get on social media and whine to their followers
No one more electric at throughing that ball down with venom.
The Human Highlight film is still one of my favorite players to watch. Such a competitor!
And you'd better look out at the free throw line too!! Because even if he missed he was coming to follow it up! You'd get posterized if you wasn't careful!!
Such humble person. the way he’s talking about the greatest players ever played the game, makes u almost forget that he is one of them.
This guy is so overlooked and underappreciated. He put FANS in the stands!
And he competed in an era that was much more physical than the one today's players, such as LeBron James ever have. That's why it's completely stupid to call LeBron the G.O.A.T. He never played the likes of the bad boys. Dominique did. He's one of the most disrespected players ever to lace up a pair of shoes in the NBA. He was left off of 1997's greatest 50 player's list in favor of then 4 year player Shaquille O'neal. So, it wasn't about who was greatest, it was a popularity contest. Then, to top that off, Atlanta traded him to the Clippers like he was garbage. Dominique helped to build the NBA into the giant that it was. No doubt about it.
Glad he was never overlooked by the people who watched him actually play..It was crazy!! His dunks, and style of play was so explosive!
@@JaySpoonn He, like Michael, put butts in seats all over America, but never got his due, and Atlanta never got him the help he needed to truly win. He never had another true superstar like Michael and so many other championship teams did. Sad, to think of what could have been.
@@500erider Lebron James is 6’8, 260 pounds and runs like no one else you seen in the league. He could’ve played in any era. You adapt to the era your in. It may have been tougher physically back then but the league is far more skilled today. Also, Jordan is the Goat, but there is nothing wrong with being the 2nd or 3rd best out of 20,000!
Awesome upload! Dominique's one of my all time favorites. Legend!
Funny seeing you here, bro!
Sensi fam :)
As a kid I used to go to Madison square garden everyrime the hawks would come to town. I loved nique...we used to have dunk contests when I was young and I always repped the human highlight film...he was an explosive fierce dunker. He would come down the lane with a tomahawk put back like a warrior.
Better than LeBron
Michael Frazia awesome memories, foreal.
Bulls fan here..but when he said Larry Bird was so hot that one game he started hitting 3s with his left hand..I was in "awe" about that...Bird was a bad man!! Much respect to the legends of the 80s and 90s!
Andre Johnson ....We dont givaphuk who your team is.
Andre Johnson that was the game he scored 60 and he was so hot the Atlanta bench players were even cheering for him.
Confirmed. Bird was so hot in that game that the Hawks' bench was cracking up laughing every time he hit a shot...
I'mma Bulls fan as well . Watching Bird use to have me in awe , then pissed af after ! That dude use to make shots that I SWORE was trick photography or some shit . He was a monster ...
ruclips.net/video/l-VCJEY-hYQ/видео.html
Bird work ethic. Practice.
Shooting with either hand
Nique....definitely one of the greats
I miss that old school NBA. Competition. I was lucky to have cable growing up and we had WGN and TBS. I got to watch most of the Hawks and Bulls games and when they played each other... My lawd.
You don't see players going at it full speed for 48 minutes and for 82 games anymore. Every game was special.
Dominique was magnifique!!!
Nique Was That Dude. The Hawks didn't surround him with the right personnel, IMO. Yet, the Hawks were Must See TV. The Eastern Conference was Mad Competitive back then. The Hawks,Celtics,Bucks ,Detroit,Philadelphia and the Knicks were Great Teams. The Bulls came along later in the 80's. Great Era for the NBA.
I had my pops take me to the garden everytime nique came to new York. Explosive....
NBA was must see back then. So many great players and teams
They had a squad but couldn't get past the Celtics
The golden era no doubt. Cats forget about dudes like Sidney Moncrief, Marques Johnson, Terry Cummings, Rick Pierce, Bernard King, etc. It truly was the beast in the East vs the best in the West I don't even have to talk about the dudes on the west side.
Facts.
What a precious video. Dominique is a good man. Only a good man can speak like this. He paid a respect in his home to the guys he played against by putting posters on the wall. WOW! That's huge for me. What a athlete Nique was... Thise hard dunks. I bet the rims were like "oh nooo the nique took of".
Greets from Serbia!
Well said👍🏾
U pravu si zemljaku . Ali na zalost oni ne primete i ne cene na prvom mestu ljudske osobine
All of the great players knew when they played against Nique he was going to be dunking like crazy on them and there was no one on the floor who could stop him. Magic Johnson said that in an old interview.
For those of us who knew better, "Nique" was Original Top 50. Period.
Testos Tyrone ....Yeah, its a shame that they messed that up BAD.
truth
Facts he was that dude
Top 50? Nique was most definetily Top 30 material, when that selection was made. Pippen made that team, but Nique used to torch him worst that Jeanne D' Arc
He should've been, I don't understand why he was shunned. In the 80s you grew up watching the vets Bird and Magic, and the young stars Jordan and Nique.
Dominique has such a great attitude. You can feel his love for the game. Great player who I feel is still underrated. He would tear up the league today. He had the skill and the athleticism, the whole package.
If Dominique dunked in today's game, it'll be a 5 game suspension.
LMFAO LOUDLY
That put a smile on my face.
🤣🤣🤣
And you know this!!!!!!
😂🤣🤣👍
Pure class. Thanks for the memories Dominique.
Great piece. I wish it was an hour
The Human Highlight Film! One of the best Dunkers in Nba history!!
"One of the best players in NBA history!!". Fixed.
Shawn Kemp too
1 of best SF's ever
Ugly Nigga he was called both but more often referred to as the human highlight film...growing up in the 80s and 90s Dominique was my favorite player
Nah...a great basketball player not just dunker.
This vid should be a 'requirement watch' for rookies coming into the league, and some veterans.
Pure Class Dominique!
Best player to ever play in Atlanta. No one comes close.
Right after Melo ofc
Don’t for get spud Webb don’t sleep on the brotha
I see alot of windmill dunks these days but no one comes close to Nique.
Mookie Blaylock and Jon Koncack were damn good too
Trae Young ???
Nique was the most underrated player of all-time! Yes he got in the Hall of Fame but should have been in the 92 Dream Team, should have been in the 50 Greatest Players.
If I'm not mistaken he was born in Canada, thus not eligible for the Dream Team.
Sorry, born in France. But that explains why he wasn't considered for the team. Easily a good enough player. I think he was averaging around 28 for most of his career.
Who would you left out on the dream team ?
Well in all fairness, he did have a torn achilles that year so...
Preach and don't leave out the'88 dunk contest robbery
Chris Webber has this story about Michael Jordan when he pulled up on Chris Webber and Juan Howard outside the stadium before a game in his Ferrari smoking a cigar and asked Chris and Juan Howard who's gonna guard me tonight. Chris Webber points at Juan Howard and then Michael says that's a easy 40. I think Chris Webber said Michael ending up scoring 46 that night.
I thought it was Juwan
Naw they pointed at Calbert Cheaney
Hey check the one Byron Scott talks about MJ trash talking before a game.
LISTEN CLOSELY..........THE 80S AND 90S WERE REAL BASKETBALL!!! AND I AM 50 YEARS OLD.....SEEN ALOT ....BIRD AND JORDAN WERE THE ABSOLUTE GREATEST 2 ASSASSINS I EVER SEEN !!
@@Rico19735 I think I watched that one
Today's Basketball is Figure Skating compared to NBA 70s 80s 90s. NBA today they travel carry the ball and if you put one finger on someone its a FOUL. Smh
Ballerina league
Stop with the over the top nostalgia these players today will destroy the 70s, 80s goof.
I wish guys were that competitive today. Now days they'll go out to a party together and post it on instagram right after playing against each other in the NBA finals. SMH.
@@jeffsimmons9831 Nice joke.
What? Go watch the 86 finals between LA and Boston. That kind of defence (this was the NBA finals!!) would be absolutely obliterated by today's top teams. Go watch it and try to guess how many times Klay or Steph or KD would pull up for a three because the defense is collapsing around the zone leaving shooters tons of space. Today's top teams are more skilled, more efficient than the teams back then. Which is inevitable since the game and players evolve. Analytics informs tactics. The fabled Boston team from 86. Who could shoot 3s besides Bird and Ainge? GSWß With the exception of Looney and Livingston... Everyone. Look at the ball handling of the GSW? Thompson, KD, Curry, Green.. they are all super-competent, creative ball handlers capable to beat opponents off the dribble. Boston? Don't knock today's NBA. These guys are awesome.
You gotta admire this mans knowledge, love and appreciation for the game. Also the humbleness he displays by the way he expresses himself about the players he competed against and admired as a fan of the game.
There is not a lot of guys that are
as down to earth as DW. He was
class personified, with one of the
best hairdos, cuts, and a nice suit
of clothes, even down to his sweat-
suits back in the day. Cool Brother!
Didn't Nique have to put hands on one of the m custom suit sellers on ATL?
I was lucky enough to witness Bird and Wilkins play against each other in 1986 at the Army's expense. I ended up at midcourt about 6-7 rows up and as a Celtic Fan that was great seats.
Wow
Damn! Did you carry a camera back then?
SAMO 6IX yeah I’m sure he had a selfie 🤳🏿 and all
This is high quality, and Dominique is very well spoken. It makes for compelling footage.
Are you idiots for real? This man is complimenting nique, fuck outta here with your sensitive asses
@@DMSFister ..It's a disingenuous "compliment". MOST times when SOME folks hear a Black athlete speak, they're "amazed" at the level of intellect AND dialogue the black man puts on display! They speak like everybody else that went to College. Hell, I never went to College and speak better than most white friends of mine. It's a hidden negative perception of black folks!
I am Black, I take no offense to what he's saying. Stop looking expressly for things to be upset at, and instead take what he's saying at face value. He is saying Nique is able to convey his thoughts in a complimentary verabl fashion and that he is appreciative of that fact, nothing less nothing more. YOU are the one putting invisible strife and malice into the meaning. Stop that shit
@shushishane Exactly!! He can leave those back-handed compliments to himself..
Larry couldn't play lebron's position but LeBron could play Larry's position
One of the most underrated players in history.
Nique is true Class! He always speaks with the respect and with such a humble nature, but he was a Killer himself. Nique never backed down to MJ, Bird, Malone, Magic or any of the greats of his era. He held his own with any of them and often got the better of them on any given night. He was like a tornado the way he played, super high energy and a relentless attacker. He brought a totally original style of play, the way he would spin, the rebound dunking his own missed shots, and a seemingly endless arsenal of moves. He is one of the guys that helped make the NBA as popular as it is today, a true Showman and basketball legend forever.
Met 'Nique at a little diner in Atlanta on Peachtree about 13 years ago. Take out was taking forever, and being a ball player most of my life, I had to strike up a convo with him. Nicest guy ever and dropped a couple of gems on me from his time in the league - along with some stories of him schooling Hawks rookies in summer league/practice. We talked for a good 25-30. That was a cool moment with someone I grew up watching and revering HIGHLY.
You don’t belong in the league homez ! - Larry Bird 😂
Ole Shay Sharpe - and he had the game to back it up!
"Holmes"....
@@timgoppelsroeder121 ^im sure it was originally Holmes...urban dictionary has it...and also says that "homez" is the "cooler" way to write "HOMLES" xD
@@timgoppelsroeder121 Well, when we started using it as urban parlance it was "holmes".. So you run along and stay lit, woke, non-binary and clap back about something you actually know about "homez"..
@@Tyrannosaurus_STFU_III the irony of someone with stfu in there name complaining about word origins is really quite amazing.
Nique will always be "The Human Highlight".....much Respect.
Don't forget about David Thompson.
Nique & Kemp were on another level!💯
Count Duku on the same level as dunkers, not players. Nique carried a franchise for over a decade, Kemp wasn’t even the best player on his team.
Yo...real talk bruh...I may be biased since I grew up in Washington... But Kemp was that dude...he'd bang on anybody!!
@@senigunner athletically speaking.
@@senigunner kemp in 1996 was better than gp, that was his best season when they went to the finals
Kemp could jump but that's about it. If it wasn't for G.P. they never would've made the finals.
It was so nice to watch 'nique speak candidly like this. This man was my absolute idol in the 80s as I cultivated my love for basketball. I modeled my below-the-rim game after him as best I could. #21 forever
Great story from Wilkins on Bird and trash talking. In my opinion the 80's, early 90s was some of the best ERA of basketball ...EVER.
easy
This is why basketball is my favorite sport. The stories alone from Dominique's perspective is amazing! A tremendous 6+ minutes of dialog from a legend himself. Dominque confirmed and backed up my understanding of the game of basketball about Larry Legend. And MJ too. It's a shame we all age. I could watch MJ, Larry Bird, Dr. J and the Human Highlight film as well as many other legends play basketball forever if it were possible.
Never shook hands in 13 years. These dudes nowadays setting up group texts with each other trying to make a superteam. Pathetic.
Very Pathetic smh
Facts they all 🌈
Probably having big ass orgies with each other too. Dudes be weak these days
Weakness
Or more of the new school players are more evolved. In the end it is still a game. You can still be super competitive yet respectful and practice good sportsmanship. There are many greats that did that. It is such a myth that all players back in the day hated each other.
Hawks need to go back to that classic red yellow and white
That's the best throwback basketball jersey of all time..I need one
skip jr ABSOLUTELY
@@darellbell9023 yessir
@@northcarolina4177 haha not the best but yea top 5
Those jerseys were one of the most distinctive jerseys back in the day.
Met this man at my local Kroger(he live around east Atlanta by Stone Mountain) this man energy, personality everything is just great. Nique is awesome. Much love. Had a great convo
Dominique is very well spoken and seems to be a very humble gentleman. Wow. I guess I never knew what he was like until I watched this video. I respect him, his play and his attitude very much. Seems like a really great guy.
What a great era back then, all the superstars would participate in the dunk contest, it was so refreshing. Today's era, most superstars don't participate in the dunk contest, the fake goat of this current era is the leader of the I'm too scared to be in the dunk contest.
I don't believe Lebron would even win a championship in that era. The game was too physical. The rules are different in today's game.
Oldschoolhiphop I totally agree with you.
TheRealist 811 agreed!!! Mentality back then was supreme. They were young men. Now it’s a bunch of kids with talent. Alot of these players now in their 30’s still acting like children.🤦🏽♂️ Gotta grow up someday. Like NOW!!
+TheRealist 811 He definitely would've adapted he wouldn't have a choice.
The only way to look at Lebron is to look at it as if he actually grew up during that time. He'd be different than he is now. Not a flopping whiny ass near millenial Lebron. He'd have a different mentality. Same way you have to look at all old dudes playing in all sports today. Baseball players and golfers and shit, so hard to compare era's on the same level. But I'll tell you this much, Babe Ruth never had to face a Randy Johnson fastball. Wilt Chamberlain didn't have to play against another bunch of 7 footers.
dominique still entertraining and class act..
Dominique jumps and twists in the air like a tornado. Beside my all time favorite MJ, I always had a special affinity for his dunking creativity. 👍
At the beginning, I didn't know who was speaking, and I thought he was a "second line" old nba player... No, He is Dominique Wilkins, how humble is he? Great as a player, greater as a man!!!
Dominique could flat out FLY!!! I still remember seeing him shoot a 3 pointer and following up the missed shot with a dunk over everybody on the floor. The fact that Dominique would jump so high for a jump shot, land and still be the first one to the rebound made it even more unbelievable...all time favorite player and best offensive small forward ever IMO
80-90's basketball was the best by far!Real men playing a real man's game!!!
Humbling how humble this Hall of Famer is. MUCH RESPECT TO DOMINIQUE WILKINS!☝🏿
The mindset they had back in the day is missing big time today
Today version of nba players........BIG PUSSIES WHO ALL WANTA PLAY TOGETHER AND NOT COMPETE!
@@vincecozzi2545 agree. Cash and fame come before game. These new NBA players drop rap albums before they're even good lol
Too many tattoos, friend. The NBA is for posers now. Everyone is inked up but too few have substance. 80s 90s few had ink but it was as raw an era as you like.
Personally I don't follow the NBA anymore.
D. Wlikins praising all the bests... hats off, himself is just one of them... amazingly humble.
It's really absurd how under appreciated Dominique is in the history of NBA. The guy basically never played with a #2 or someone close to being a perennial all-star. He scored 24.8 ppg for his career with entire teams being able to double and triple him. No he wasn't as good as Bird, Jordan, Magic, Kareem, or Moses. But the other guys that get way more run in his era, because they were on better teams, is patently unfair to Dominique. He was also electrifying to watch. His combination of elevation and finesse with power made him stand apart from other pure scorers. The guy was a tremendous player but played on crap teams. Had he played with another star he would have altered his game but excel even more. I feel strongly he is vastly underrated.
My favourite dunker of all time! Thank you for this amazing video.
Larry bird was a bad man
So was Dominique Wilkins.
I agree to talk that type of trash mannnnn you gotta be a bad man.
lmao right of the bat, Larry Bird goes you don't even belong in the league holmes....
That was the greatest era in basketball. Love you all you guys, Dominque.
80s 90s Best era. The stories, the legends, the intensity. Nothing like it. When it comes to Wilkins, i always liked him as a player, but never knew what a humble guy he is with such great perspective.
I had 5 posters on the walls in my room when I was in high school (87-91) Joe Montana, Ronnie Lott, Michael Jordan, Chris Mullin, and Dominique Wilkins....the Human Highlight Reel is a legend, his vertical hops were crazy, and he's a class act...
I love this guy, always has smile on his face and optimistic vision of life... Great, great guy, and BB player, great dunker one of the Best...
The Human Highlight film...Dominique Wilkins. Was robbed of the dunk contest championship against MJ. Bruh had some naaasty dunks on cats in his day. Never be another like him. Respect!
Edward Reese: He wasn't robbed. Could have went either way.
i agree
He windmilled WAY too much
@@ben1ben2ben1 waaay too much!!
I forget what team it was but. I remember watching a dunk where 4 defenders actually jumped. He dunked on all of them
What a man, he has framed photos of his opponents in his house. Huge respect.
I loved watching the battles between Nique and Bird. They brought the best out of each other. I miss those days. I can't even watch the NBA these days.
Dominique played in the greatest era of NBA basketball and was among the elite of that golden era. He would have easily been a lock on the 92 dream team had he not been injured. Should have been a top 50 all timer.. Incredible talent....
I was a huge fan of Dominique as a kid. I had his Starting Lineup figure as a kid. He was always an underrated player during his career. Everyone remembers his dunks but he was a damn good player.
This story answers the silly question Shannon Sharpe keep getting wrong everyday........Is Lebron James the G.O.A.T.? The unbelievably obvious answer is no. There’s no way Lebron James or any NBA player going to walk into another teams locker room and say “It’s gonna be a long night.” then drop 60!!!......and this was Dominique Wilkins and the Atlanta Hawks, not no bums.......#MJ23 🐐
Adrian Terrell real talk that just shows how soft that era was cuz MJ wasn’t suppose to make it out of that locker room on both feet. He should have gotten his ass whipped on and off the court that day if they were so “ tough” but we see that’s some fake shit
LeBron is still the GOAT
Mj and Bird would both do that and back it up. Mj and Bird didnt need a finisher on their team. Theres a reason why Bird and Mj stories are still told even two plus decades after they happened. What stories will be told about Lebron? He went to 9 finals? Was swept twice and almost swept a third time by a team that was inferior? He played in a weak division where he always joined the strongest team at that time?
@@davidjriley you forgot about him getting owned by an old Jason Terry! That would NEVER happen to Jordan!
60 points a losing after going into their locker room aint GOAT shit. That got him a game winner in his face by Dominique.
This man was a tremendous talent. But I am struck by his humility. Everybody can see he was great but his humility makes him even greater.
I have listened so many of these big black gentlemen talk about Bird....and how much respect they had for him...and it makes me RESPECT them for being so articulate, so honest about the game. Seems like they are all such nice guys....I would think they were doctors or something..so intelligent...always amazes me...Kareem, Dr J, Magic, Isiah, .... I love to watch their era play...and I hope they appreciate that their days were the best in the game...its changed so much now that it can't happen the way it did then...not that they aren't incredible athletes now...but they PLAYED back then...
One of the most under-appreciated players of his era dude was Jordans equal during the 80s dude should have been original Dream Team Member but he had an Achilles injury the man should have been top 50 greatest players but he is still a legend and one of the first original highlight-reel dunkers that gave posterizing power dunks Dominique Wilkins
Dom is thee most under rated player ever!!!! In todays league he’d put up 40 a game easy. Two handed windmills all day
EVERYONE one knows about him and how good he was, how is he underrated?
He was great, elite for sure, but its like the man was a top 5 players.
Dominique was a great player and class act.
I wish the NBA had competitors like MJ, Bird, DR J, and Dominique. The story's about the trash talks and battles they all used to have were legendary
This was the era I watched and played ball in. Man I miss being young. Thanks nique
Pure Gold!!! Thank you ‘Nique for all of the entertainment when i was a kid. Bad Boys fan here and you all had some great games against my boys Isaiah and them
This change my perspective on Larry bird and can see why people say he is better than lebron
Real talk Larry and Kobe are the most skilled players I ever saw with Bron,Mike,Hakeem,KD and KG being up there too. Larry passing ability was just as good as Magic or Bron but people focus more on the shooting and trash talking
Never! Coming from a Kobe fan
Proud to hear. Bron cant sit at the table with Bird, and many others.
@Domini478 in the beginning Nique basically just some it up what Bird was
@@elbowgang9715 agreed
That’s what we’re missing so much of right now is HUMBLENESS ❤️
Here's a guy that has major respect for the game and those that came before him.
What an incredible athlete and human being! We Greek basketball fans are so blessed we had the opportunity to have a HOF legend of his calibre playing in our league! Always grateful to you for the memories and history you helped us build, Nique
I would watch more sports if the players had humility like this. Furthermore it is obvious he cares little about the fame and money, and instead values the friendships and comradarie. Class act.
Dominique this is a great interview bro..
Blown away by the wisdom and intelligence of Dominique. Great interview!
Saw Dominique when I worked overnight at walmart, he walked by me and gave me a head nod, I felt like a kid again😂😂😂😂
I like the way he speaks about all these legends, you can see the respect and emotion in his eyes when he's telling these stories. Do, you were a hell of a player too, one of my favourite ones, I think top 10 easily. When basket-ball was hard, rough, for men. I miss those times. Many think they were too hard but no, they were hard on the court but once outside they had respect for each other. Thanks for this video.
It's dope when greats still talk about the game as fans...shows a love of the game...
My idol growing up. No question he IS one of the top 50 players of all time.
Best in game dunker besides Mj & Vinsanity
And Kemp
...and Dr. J.
Ummmmmm..... in game dunker? Love me some mj. Goat. but he not even top ten at this point.....
@78mfleet jason richardson, vince carter, shawn kemp, zack lavine, lebron james, blake griffin, Dominique wilkins. Off the top of my head. Watching the superbowl... brain is elsewhere.
Paul Fearon Lebron... smh
Dude still has a sharp hairline
Eating good
Dominique told the Bob Lanier story on NBA-TV's Open Court show. The topic was about the dunk and its impact on the game. I had a really good laugh after hearing that story.
I was a kid watching the slam dunk contest with Jordan and Wilkins and people were talking so much about Jordan, and I was like umm what about Dominique? This guy was the human highlight and a great player
I've said OVER AND OVER today's players are great athletes but HORRIBLE BASKETBALL players....
That was so well said, couldn't have said it any better myself.
@shushishane yeah ok....theyre so skilled they settle for low percentage shots over higher ones....they settle for ISO ball instead of ball movement....coaching has nothing to do with it the NBA is nothing more than grown man AAU basketball.
@TheRealist 811 and fragile
appetite for destruction amen
@@Theycallmekenney idk if you think basketball today is all iso ball than wtf was the early 2000s mid 90s. Offenses back then were crafted around iso ball. Nowadays everyone's tryna play like the Warriors. Your probably thinking about James Harden when u talking about low pct iso ball, but u can't tell me he's any less skilled than anyone who has played his position in the pasts, sans guys like Jordan and Kobe. Guys aren't as skilled as they were before? Yeah there are guys who are 'projects', who come into the league cuz of wingspan and measurements, but there are literally 7 foot guards in the NBA. There were niggas in the NBA back in the day just to commit hard fouls.your argument off base bruv
Didn't make the NBA 50 greatest player. But He's more like top 30 players of all time. Love Nique.
And that was some bullshit!
Nique was a top 50 offensive player but not one of the best players. He didn’t play defense and was a poor rebounder for someone with his size and jumping ability.
Always loved Dominique. Great player and HOFer.
I love how they're so in awh of the greats before & with them.
I could listen to Dominique talk all day. He's a great storyteller 💯🙌🏼
'Nique....that Hawks shirt is clean!
That s-curl when he won the dunk contest was the real winner.
The curl looked wet but it was dry
He was d best dunker Mj said dat
@@sk.cportsavannah8712
MJ more of a finese dunker wit sweetness on top!
Nique was a finese & power dunker!
I loved watching Niq play the game. You knew something spectacular could happen at any moment #PamPack
This is an amazing upload! Keep stuff like this coming. Dominique was a rare and true talent and I loved hearing him speak about his experiences.
Been a fan since playing NBA Jam. SOOOOO happy to see Dominique Wilkins seems like such a good dude.
Thanks for all the memories! You were/are amazing! I am glad to see you enjoy sharing the stories even more than we love hearing them.