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As hip-hop expanded from the East and West Coasts into the South, the club became a place where a spin from one of its influential DJs could propel a new song to the top of the charts. The club introduced new music for hip-hop stars like Future, Migos and Jeezy and helped popularize Atlanta favorites like Jermaine Dupri, Killer Mike and 2 Chainz. Dominique Wilkins, a Hall of Famer who played for the Hawks from 1982 to 1994, was a famous patron in its early days, as was the football star Deion Sanders.
For a general interest audience, what have been the advances in modern medicine and technology that have helped players return from an Achilles injury much better than in previous eras? Cerynik: “I don’t have data to back this up. But the historic narrative is starting to be rewritten a bit on how players previously performed worse after injury versus before injury. That historic convention is starting to be challenged in more modern times as the procedure itself evolves, and the recovery protocols evolve as well. There’s a study that we wrote years ago [in 2013]. Some others have had some follow-up studies. It showed that historically, from the time behind Kobe Bryant tearing his Achilles [in 2013] and before, almost everyone except Dominique Wilkins performed significantly worse after coming back from their injury. Many never returned to play. Many didn’t return for more than one season. Their minutes per game were less. All of the performance metrics were down.
Dominique Wilkins, who matched up against Chicago Bulls great Scottie Pippen during their heyday, compared Jalen Johnson to the six-time NBA champion. “Well, I must say he’s a little bit of Scottie Pippen as far as being a point forward,” Wilkins told Casino.org in an exclusive interview. “Pippen was a point forward, and was very effective at the position. This guy Jalen, he brings even another element, because the way he rebounds, the way he passes, and he flirts with a triple-double every single night. I love Jalen Johnson. The way he plays, man, and he’s so deserving of this honor that he received during All-Star weekend. I couldn’t be happier for him.”
“I look at Jalen like someone like your brother in a sense,” Wilkins said. “I have a great relationship with him. I have a great relationship with his mom and dad. I saw the growth in him two years ago, and I said to his parents, ‘Don’t worry, he’s gonna do very well in this league, and he’s gonna be a great player in this league. Just be patient.’ And now look where he’s at.”
Trae Young was limited to 10 games this season due to a sprained MCL injury and has yet to make his debut for the Wizards. Wilkins commented on the trade, saying that sometimes “things don’t work out.” “Sometimes in life, things don’t work out, and it’s time,” Wilkins said. “We all have been through it. I’ve been through it, and it’s nobody’s fault. It’s just the way the business is running, how it’s done. Trae was a tremendous player in an Atlanta Hawks jersey. No one could ever take that from him. What he did was very special.”
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Young was the franchise pillar for the better part of 8 seasons here in Atlanta, and he leaves behind a résumé as good as any player since Dominique Wilkins himself. Wilkins can also empathize closely with being traded away from a franchise so key to one’s own identity. Wilkins spoke on the trade, saying that, “sometimes in life, things don’t work out, and it’s time. We all have been through it. I’ve been through it, and it’s nobody’s fault. It’s just the way the business is running, how it’s done. Trae was a tremendous player in an Atlanta Hawks jersey. No one could ever take that from him. What he did was very special.”
“Jalen Johnson has developed quicker than a lot of people have given credit for or expected,” Wilkins said. “But they always say, take care of your business at hand. Don’t worry about too much down the road right now. Worry about what you’re doing now. You take this one game at a time, one month at a time, one year at a time.” “He’s still a young guy, so it’s a few different areas where he can get better, and he will get better,” Wilkins detailed. “He will get better defensively. He will get better as far as different ways he can score. As a young guy, you can always get better. You can always add new things to your game to make you an even more lethal player. Being 24 years old, he’s still learning right now.”
Dominique Wilkins spoke with DJ Saddiqi of Casino dot org on his meteoric rise, saying: “Well, I must say he’s a little bit of Scottie Pippen as far as being a point forward,” Wilkins led with. “Pippen was a point forward and was very effective at the position. This guy Jalen, he brings even another element, because the way he rebounds, the way he passes, and he flirts with a triple-double every single night. I love Jalen Johnson. The way he plays, man, and he’s so deserving of this honor that he received during All-Star weekend. I couldn’t be happier for him.”
Cavs Notes: .@James Harden (20 PTS) has just passed Wilt Chamberlain (771) for the 10th-most games with 20+ PTS in @NBA history. 9. Carmelo Anthony - 796; 10. JAMES HARDEN - 772; 11. Wilt Chamberlain - 771; 12. Dominique Wilkins - 756. #LetEmKnow
Jorge Sierra: Damian Lillard is now the player with the most All-Star contest wins in NBA history, tied at five with Dominique Wilkins. Dame has two Skills Challenge titles along with three three-point contest victories. So there's that.
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Dominique Wilkins, who has the program’s lone retired jersey, “unretired” his number for Jake Wilkins. That’s a lot of pressure — for anyone. Each time Jake plays, fans and media want to know: Is he actually good? Or is he just on scholarship because of his father? Does he have a legitimate shot at the NBA? Jake hears the chatter — what he calls “outside noise” — but he ignores it. “It really goes in one ear and out the other way,” he says. “I never really let that get too much of my time, because most people don’t even know what they’re talking about. … I really don’t get into any of that.” He acknowledges, though, that since jumping to the collegiate level, the noise has increased. But he doesn’t let himself stray from who he knows himself to be. Who his dad has been. “He never forced me to play basketball,” Jake says. “It was kind of all on my own, so it was never a problem with me trying to create my own (legacy).”
Do you feel like you guys cared more about the Dunk Contest? Nate Robinson: I mean, they just make it where it's not as cool now. I don't know why, I don't know where it went wrong. But back in the day, doing the Dunk Contest, it stamped who you were and what you were trying to bring to the table. Like, come on, man, you had guys like Michael Jordan doing the Dunk Contest when he was young. Like LeBron [James], he should have done it. Guys like Ja Morant, Zion [Williamson], why are you guys not doing what you're meant to do? You know what I'm saying? It doesn't make sense. Like, come on, Ja. You supposed to do that rookie year. Zion, you supposed to do that rookie year. Come on, bro. The best of the best. Blake Griffin, myself. I mean, Tracy McGrady, Vince Carter, Michael Jordan, Jason Richardson, Desmond Mason, Steve Francis, Baron Davis, Dominique Wilkins, they all did it. They were dunkers, and they did the Dunk Contest. So many guys blessed the Dunk Contest and still became the player that they are today. It didn't hinder them. Even if they didn't win, they still did it.
What does it mean to you for you to be a presenter for Dwight’s Hall-of-Fame induction? Wilkins: “It’s an honor and a pleasure that he reached out and wanted me to be a part of presenting him in the Hall-of-Fame. That’s always an honor when a colleague or when you have a young guy that is going down the same road you went down and reach out to you in such a manner. That’s a special, special honor and special trip. I was more than happy to be there for him.”
Where do you rank Dwight as a dunker overall? Wilkins: “He’s one of the best dunkers in history. That’s pretty much automatic. He did some pretty special stuff.”