“You can be immortalized in that way” - Dominique Wilkins shares humble opinion on Hall of Fame honor

Dominique Wilkins looks back at his Hall of Fame induction
Dominique Wilkins looks back at his Hall of Fame induction

Dominique Wilkins was one of the most electrifying NBA stars during his time due to his athleticism and sheer scoring prowess. He ended his career as a multi-time All-Star, which was one of the reasons why he was immortalized in 2006.

Wilkins was the face of the Atlanta Hawks during the 1980s and early 1990s. With him at the helm, the Hawks were a consistent playoff threat in the Eastern Conference. For his excellence on the hardwood, he was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006, and he's been grateful for the recognition since then.

In a recent interview, the Human Highlight Film humbly looked back at his enshrinement.

"Anytime you can be immortalized in that way," Wilkins said, "it shows how far you've come from that little kid in the projects to now being a Hall of Famer, one of the greatest players to ever play. I mean, it's hard to really wrap your head around how special that is because that's something no one can ever take from me."
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Despite not winning a championship, Wilkins still made a huge impact on the Hawks. His battles against Michael Jordan during iconic Slam Dunk Contests became a great part of the history of the league.

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Dominique Wilkins looks back at his NBA career

As one of the best players in league history, Dominique Wilkins pushed through playing in the NBA until his late 30s. Although he wasn't getting the usual minutes back when he was a star, Wilkins still gave it his all.

The seven-time All-NBA player found himself part of the Orlando Magic during his final season. When asked if he knew when it was time to retire, he answered:

"Yes, I knew it was. I was pretty much done after that." Wilkins said. "The Magic was going through some changes themselves with players and different things like that. It was just something I didn't wanna do for another year. I made a decision after that season to retire.

He played his last game in 1999 when the Magic went up against the Philadelphia 76ers. Wilkins had two points in two minutes of playing time. The former Hawks star was asked if he regrets not winning a championship. According to him, it doesn't affect him as much and is grateful for what he's accomplished in his career.

"No, not at all. If you look at great players that played in this game and all the great players who hasn't won a ring – you look at Karl Malone and John Stockton, you look at (Charles) Barkley, you look at (Patrick) Ewing ... super players that never won – did that diminish their greatness? No."
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Also read: Watch: Bryce James balls out against Dominique Wilkins's son and the Georgia Stars

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