“He said, ‘Lace ‘em up, it’s going to be a long bleep night’” - Dominique Wilkins recalls story of Michael Jordan entering the opposition locker room and issuing a pregame warning

Dominique Wilkins and Michael Jordan were two of the most prolific scorers in the NBA's 80s and 90s eras. The Atlanta Hawks versus Chicago Bulls matches in those days were a must-see on TV, mainly because of “The Human Highlight Film” and “His Airness.” Their battles were almost always intense and exciting, with both players looking for every decisive edge they could get.

With the NBA celebrating its top 75 stars, Dominique Wilkins shared one of the most amazing Michael Jordan stories ever. In an interview with Yahoo Sports NBA writer Vincent Goodwill, the Hawks legend recalled MJ’s insane competitiveness and trash-talking.

Here’s how Dominique Wilkins reminisced about a night that happened almost 35 years ago:

“I had 57 against him, I think, in three-and-half quarters, but I remember later, we go to Chicago, he walks in our locker room and I’m like, ‘What in the... what is this so and so walking in our locker room for?’ And he walked by me, he walked by Kevin [Willis], get to Randy [Wittman] when he said, ‘Lace ‘em up. It’s going to be a long bleep night.’ I didn’t know what to say, I was shocked. He had 60 that night.”

The game the Hawks Hall-of-Famer is talking about took place on April 16, 1987, at the old Chicago Stadium. Wilkins’ veteran Atlanta team was one of the contenders to win the title, while Jordan’s Bulls were locked in for a playoff appearance despite an average record.

The no-bearing game turned out to be a classic as Michael Jordan wanted his revenge on Dominique Wilkins’ 57 points, which the latter scored on December 10, 1986.

The six-time NBA champion did get his revenge on Wilkins, scoring 61 points on 22-38 shooting. He also had 10 rebounds and four assists. However, he could not overcome the Hawks’ star-studded lineup as the Bulls lost the match.

According to Wilkins, here’s the reason why MJ was so obsessed with winning a supposedly no-bearing game:

“You gotta understand something about Michael. Michael is competitive to a different level. He’s so competitive that he’s almost like he’s possessed. And one thing you don’t wanna do when playing against a guy like him is give him fuel to come at you all night, every night, but that’s the way we all were. We were guys that it only took few things, certain things that set us off and make us want to destroy the opposition.”

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Dominique Wilkins and Michael Jordan only battled once in the playoffs

Dominique Wilkins was one of the few players who could match Michael Jordan's production in the 80s and early 90s

The much-anticipated Michael Jordan versus Dominique Wilkins rivalry barely happened in the postseason. It was only in the 1992-93 season. Wilkins was coming off a gruesome Achilles injury but was still a formidable opponent for the Chicago Bulls in the playoffs.

At the time, Jordan’s Bulls were in the midst of their three-peat and were the decisively stronger squad. Chicago promptly swept Atlanta 3-0 in the first round of the 1992-93 playoffs.

Dominique Wilkins was then traded to the LA Clippers after more than a decade of basketball excellence with the team that drafted him.

His Airness eventually went to the NBA Finals to defeat Charles Barkley and the Phoenix Suns in a thrilling series. It was the Bulls' second title in franchise history and the start of a dynastic rule in the 90s.