Nine-time All-Star and Hall of Famer Dominique Wilkins was known as the “Human Highlight Reel” for good reason. As one of the most explosive athletes of his generation, Wilkins was known for his tremendous jumping ability and powerful rim-rocking dunks.
As one of the most successful athletes in the golden era of the NBA’s dunk contest, Dominique Wilkins speaks from experience when discussing the topic of the game’s best dunkers. When asked to select the greatest dunker in NBA history through a knockout bracket presented by the Daily Mail’s Calvin Milliner, the former Hawks legend didn’t disappoint.
When asked to choose between himself and Anthony Edwards, he said, “Really? Is that a trick question?”
Displaying extreme confidence in himself, he continued by selecting Julius Erving over Blake Griffin, Shawn Kemp over Ja Morant, and Vince Carter over Jason Richardson. This brought an end to the first round of knockouts.
At this stage, it was fairly evident that Dominique Wilkins leaned toward the older generation of dunkers. But considering what they had achieved, especially in comparison to athletes like Morant and Edwards, who haven’t even participated in the dunk contest, his opinion seems justified.
Heading into the next round, Wilkins selected Carter over Kemp, adding, “Vince Carter, because he can do it in many different ways, styles, going to the basket.”
When asked to select between himself and Erving, Wilkins surprisingly chose the 76ers legend. This trend continued in the final round, where he eventually selected Erving over Carter, saying, “Again, I’m going to give it to the King.”
While this may reflect Wilkins’ admiration for his idol, it is difficult to fault his selection. Erving was one of the most creative and versatile dunkers of his generation. As one of the first players to dunk from behind the free-throw line, the 76ers legend routinely dazzled crowds with his gravity-defying aerial maneuvers.
Wilkins’ bias towards Erving is clear. When attempting to create his ideal dunk contest, Dominique Wilkins was sure to mention Erving, along with the likes of Vince Carter, Shawn Kemp, and longtime rival Michael Jordan.
Wilkins’ duels with Jordan were epic to say the least. Although both won it twice, Jordan beat Wilkins in the final round of the 1988 dunk contest by a narrow margin.
Because of his reputation as a dunker, Dominique Wilkins is often overlooked as one of the NBA’s great forwards. While his explosiveness made him an exciting player to watch, the Hawks legend had more layers to his game.
For his career spanning 15 seasons, excluding two seasons played overseas, Dominique Wilkins averaged 24.8 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game, shooting 46.1% from the field.
In his list of accomplishments, beyond nine All-Star selections, he earned seven All-NBA selections and even won the scoring title in the 1985-86 season. For his achievements, he was also selected to the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team, cementing his place in league history.
