- In 2021, Le Bilboquet in Atlanta refused to serve Dominique Wilkins
- The restaurant claimed Wilkins did not meet the dress code requirement
- Wilkins believes race was a factor in them not serving him
Dominique Wilkins is an absolute legend in Atlanta, but in 2021, a restaurant named Le Bilboquet in the city refused to serve him. During an interview with Vlad TV, Wilkins recounted the disturbing incident, which he firmly believes had to do with his race.
“When I went in, I went in with a friend of mine,” Wilkins said. “We wanted to eat outside and I was dressed better than every guy in there at that time. And they said, ‘Sorry, we can’t serve you. I was like, ‘What?’ And they said, ‘You have track pants on.’ I said, ‘What is your definition of track pants?’ They said, ‘We don’t care, we just can’t seat you.'”
He was understandably taken aback, but what made the nine-time All-Star believe race had a part to play was how two white men were treated by the staff.
“There’s nobody sitting outside,” Wilkins continued. “And even if I wanted to sit inside, it shouldn’t have been a problem. But it’s two white gentlemen walk up beside me, they had shorts on and buttoned-down shirts and sandals, and she said, ‘Excuse me sirs, we’ll seat you in a minute. Let us finish talking here.’ And they refused to let me sit down and have lunch.”
The 63-year-old now wants them to shut down, if they haven’t already.
“People like that should never be in business, ever,” Wilkins stated. “… To say I would never eat at that place ever again is an understatement. To me, I hope they shut down sometime. If they not shut down already, they need to be.”
(starts at 1:26 mark):
Unfortunately for Wilkins, the restaurant hasn’t shut down yet. It’s really quite surprising that it hasn’t, as an incident like this leaves a very bitter taste in your mouth.
Racism of any kind anywhere is a disgrace, but for it to happen to Dominique Wilkins in Atlanta is particularly awful. The Hawks icon had called Le Bilboquet out on social media back then and stated it was the first time he had ever faced anything like this.
The restaurant initially released a statement defending its dress code. It unsurprisingly led to more backlash, and they eventually released one to apologize to Wilkins.
The apology meant nothing to Wilkins, however, as he felt they were just trying to cover their backsides at that point. He felt establishments like this shouldn’t be there in any city.
Dominique Wilkins Had To Deal With Racism In North Carolina
Wilkins was born in 1960, and like so many other Black individuals, faced racism at some point in his life. He grew up in Washington, North Carolina, and would go on to become a star basketball player at Washington High School. The racism that was prevalent in the area, though, greatly disturbed him and he faced some of it as well.
Following one such incident, Wilkins left racist North Carolina and didn’t return for 30 years. He headed to the University of Georgia for college and was treated much better there. They supported him and his family during a difficult time, which Wilkins remains grateful to them for.
Dominique Wilkins Spoke About His Experience In Boston
If there is a city in the U.S. that has a reputation for being racist, it is Boston. NBA players over the years have spoken about it as well, with LeBron James saying he hates Celtics fans as they are racist.
Wilkins, though, said he never faced any racism in Boston. He lived there for five years after retiring and said he was treated very well by everyone. It’s weird how one of the places where he didn’t really shine on the court, was where he was treated so well.
It’s great, though, that Wilkins didn’t have to face any of that. He got some peace of mind there post-retirement and just got to enjoy his time.
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