Dominique Wilkins 54 points, season 1987 hawks vs celtics

[@PeterFreemantennis]

People forget how truly awesome the human highlight machine was

[@jmarcguy]

Nique brought it every night!!!! Regardless of the team record. So underrated! Really good rebounder. Great post game for a sf. Nice mid range game. Look at how he works to get CLOSER to the basket instead of shooting a deep shot. One of my favorites!!

[@ratesforless]

I was there for this game!!!!

[@averyt6521]

Wish i was there

[@JBrad-ht2sx]

One of the all time greats, Basketball in its heyday.

[@michaelroberts8583]

someone said he had a terrible 3 point shot? he was an excellent free throw shooter! consistently 81-84% every year! Owns NBA record 23/23 from free throw line in a regular season game.

[@justinjoseph6966]

It’s an outright travesty how underrated Dominique is.

[@jackdaws7125]

should've been part of the dream team

[@chadmodeste2758]

He got injured

[@joelb9]

because of his injury

[@bakari7196]

Actually, they named Chris Mullin and Scottie Pippen to the Dream Team before Dominique got injured in 1992. All the players with the exception of Clyde Drexler and Laettner were added in September of 1991.

[@ytgc-royalewarex5190]

At least he got selected to be in 1994 Dream Team

[@michaelroberts8583]

Also, he did have a 3 point shot. He shot .38% from 3 in '93 and .388% in '95. Those are great 3 point percentages. There wasn't a shot anywhere on the floor, any range that he couldn't make.

[@jmarcguy]

Thanks for putting this up! Not enough Dominique videos on here.

[@SinkingOrange]

Love the "That's impossible, but he did it!" at 4:20 Awesome line

[@kajunshaman]

Dominique Wilkins, along with Clyde Drexler, were the closest a player got to Michael Jordan in matching all around skills. Great times.

[@EYECONN]

+Kajun Shaman Wtf

[@Shirak19]

It's a shame that Nique and Clyde didn't have thier Pipen like MJ. Or even better they play together. That would be great duo and challenge for Bulls!!

[@kristion9774]

Muleq Pippen was Brad sellers backup originally for a full season! did they work with a backup with potential to help make it come to fruition like MJ did with Pippen?Trailblazers were stacked more than the bulls in the early 90s just dumb in pressure situations used to beat themselves! Before 1992 finals Magic and commentators are asking will the trailblazers finally stop beating themselves

[@Shirak19]

@@kristion9774 Blazers had only decent starting five ( but still not as good as Bulls ) and only 2 real players on bench ( Ainge and Robinson ). The whole 92 finals they played seven players instead of Bulls who won the 6 Game only because of bench players. If you exchange Clyde to Bulls and MJ to Blazers who do you think would won the series?? I bet for Bulls.

[@kristion9774]

Muleq 😂🤣😂 Jordan made Drexler wear 2 left shoes to Dream Team practice, allegedly teammates shared anonymously!

[@bobdavis3357]

Wilkins is one of the greatest superstars in NBA history. He always showed up to play.

[@Zamppa86]

That's just astonoshing...That stacked Celtics team with Bird, Mchale, Parrish and Johnson and 'Nique just comes and drops 54 on Bird's and McHale's face. A true human highlight film indeed! If only he had had a 3-point shot he would have been as good as Jordan...

[@averyt6521]

Nique did get a 3 shot

[@Riles3152]

Jordan was a career 32.7% 3 point shooter. He wasn't MUCH of a 3-point shooter either. He just didn't have to be due to the style of play in the league still leaning heavily into mid-range shooting and post play.

[@shipofthesun]

4:25 "That's impossible, but he did it!" I miss Skip.

[@sugaball1]

Unstoppable..and not one of the 50 “cut me some slack”..

[@Riles3152]

The thing about Nique is that most only remember him as a scorer and a dunker, but he was also by far the best player on a number of competitive, playoff contending 80's Atlanta teams.

[@cano21]

Nique was a BEAST!!!!

[@leonblack751]

Thia dude is a Monster

[@czrad8125]

What a show nique

[@skytime9]

My favorite player imma die-hard Hawks fan and next to Nique for me Jordan is my other favorite player

[@tylerlucasj]

"Physical 80's defense" LOL

[@Miltonman100]

Defense was shit in the 80's but that doesnt take away the greatness of the players.I just hate when ppl think certain eras are better than the others

[@Dirtnastyswedishman]

+Miltonman100 have you heard of Th Detroit Pistons?

[@TheMediocreDev]

Bad Boys in the late 80s were the ones that brought physicality into the game b/c they didn't have the talent to compete w/ the Celtics/Lakers. Pat Riley got swept by the Bad Boy & decided to emulate them when he went to New York/Miami.

[@Dirtnastyswedishman]

thaxcutioner#1 "didn't have the talent" lol, They had Isiah Thomas, Joe Dumars, Mark Aguirre, and Vinnie Johnson. Are you teliing me they weren't talented?

[@iandouglass7135]

If the Pistons had started Isiah, Dumars, Laimbeer, Rodman and Aguirre, their entire starting lineup would have been filled with guys who were multiple-time All Stars between 1985 and 1992. And that doesn't include Mahorn, who was an All NBA defender the year after he left the Pistons, and Micheal Williams who was an All NBA defender two years after he left Detroit, but who wasn't good enough to crack the three-guard rotation at the time. I think Williams also still holds the NBA record for consecutive free throws made. In terms of individual player accomplishments and talent, the Bad Boys were one of the most stacked lineups in NBA history.

[@bakari7196]

Dominique Wilkins always defended Larry Bird but Bird rarely played Dominique. Kevin McHale had to defend Nique most of the time.

[@mainemusso44]

imagine if scottie pippen played for the hawks with d wilks ..would mj still have 6? or nah

[@gavinward1714]

No. But imagine if jordan called up nique and said "me you scottie, south beach" how many championships would Jordan have? 12?

[@gavinward1714]

@@Anonymous-oy7oshuge difference between a dpoy coming to your team. And leaving your team to join two perennial all stars. Multiple times.

[@twocents6951]

We’ll never know but you can’t stop true greatness. I still think Jordan wins tittles eventually. Especially if Phil Jackson and and Krause are still in the picture

[@averyt6521]

Nope

[@robertk2007]

the omni used to rock with Nique!!!

[@leonblack751]

Easily top ten player in my book.

[@84s77]

in those days I watched to study the4th quarter of this game many times. Mchale's good diffense, but Wilkins scored so strongly...

[@wildcatselite1]

Underrated

[@ECWnWWF]

who says Atlanta is a bad sports town? that's a good crowd at the Omni..... maybe Philips Arena sucks....

[@MrGiantkiller33]

+ECWnWWF Man i loved nique and the Hawks. The Hawks always kicked out good squads, I really think if the Hawks would have beaten Boston, they would have matched up very well with L.A. in that 86-87 year!

[@ckobo84]

Who was the second best player for Atlanta? It was always Nique and a bunch of solid ok dudes. Never had that 2nd fiddle.

[@ytgc-royalewarex5190]

They are probably not bad. Just have a bad management, Hawks had a history of this case from what I know by far

[@ratesforless]

Being a native, I can explain. Atlanta isn't a bad sports town but a very transient one, where most of the people with spending $$$ are from elsewhere and bring their hometown allegiances with them. So most of them don't bother showing up unless their hometown teams or a superstar player visits. Also keep in mind that Atlanta is in the heart of SEC country, where being good without bringing home championships get coaches fired down here (see any UGA coach before Kirby Smart). So if the natives don't see a sense of urgency to take the next step forward instead of being satisfied with playoff appearances, they instantly find something else to do; just ask Chipper Jones or any Braves player from the late-'90s or early-2000s how empty Turner Field looked in October when the entire city knew in advance that they'd fall short of the World Series, yet Bobby Cox was as safe as a baby in his mother's arms. Finding other entertainment options is a much easier task in the South, where there's 11 months of mostly good weather to enjoy. This isn't just an Atlanta thing, either; ask folks in Miami, Charlotte, Tampa, or Houston how easy it is to attract fans when the sports product is mediocre at best. That's the part where the Hawks' front office failed Nique. They were perfectly fine with just making the playoffs every year instead of moving Heaven and Earth to bring in REAL players like the other Eastern conference contenders did. Local fans noticed those teams (see Detroit, Chicago, then New York, Miami, and Indiana) passing them by while the Hawks made excuses about the salary cap and as a result, they stayed home. That explains why the current regime quickly moved on from Pierce and then McMillen, as well as the rumors of them bringing in better players to surround Trae in order to avoid making the same mistakes that were made over 30 years ago...

[@Master4999]

Dem short shorts

[@angelriverast]

suppose to be in the original dream team no Pippen

[@chadmodeste2758]

Got injured and Pippen replaced him. But he was in the original team.

[@frankisantana]

The list does not make any sense, if the criteria is in relation to importance in Europe, the list is 1- Bob McAdoo, 2- Dominique Wilkins, 3- Mike Mitchell, 4- Bill Bradley. If the criterion is to walk around unknown teams with a belly and 40 years, my grandfather can do it too.

[@rhackett25]

54 wasnt even his season high lol

[@L.A.G.-]

interesting tactic. 5:26, #12

[@justletmeuseit]

mike fratello was 7' he just walks on his knees

[@gavinothegreat5765]

like jordans 63 they dont mention double ot

[@kristion9774]

gavino thegreat dudes go to overtime and don’t score shit but were hot the 1st 3 quarters. It says what you’re made of to keep scoring that late in a close game!

[@andreasgr1740]

well u are right abou nique,he had great games vs celtics but it was mainly mchale who guard him...of course bird could n't guard him but i don't think there is anyone who could then or now!

[@smithpoyde5370]

,💪💪💪💪

[@MrGiantkiller33]

Yes, Nique was great, but common, Larry Legend was amazing too? Larry dropped 63, (63) against Nique and the Hawks in 85-86 season!

[@ckobo84]

If you judged Bird by this video you'd think he was the worst player ever. Missed a bunny, got stolen by nique, was afraid to try the game winning shot, clanked all his outside jumpers.

[@davidborga]

dude didnt bounce once with the left

[@coreyeatmon5101]

Len Bias would've guarded nique

[@bobdavis3357]

as great as Wilkins was, he had seven 50 point games. Wilt only had 118 50 point games, lol

[@averyt6521]

Wilt vs lil cats

[@gavinothegreat5765]

fratello a hobbit

[@rafikz77]

Glorified stat padder 😂

[@AndruhaUkraine]

Great player! But he had a terrible free throw shot!)

[@AndruhaUkraine]

I said about his throwing technique, if you know what does in mean (and i`m 100% sure you don`t know what does it mean)

[@happyrappy]

Andrey Gubenko dude go look Wilkins holds the NBA record for the most consecutive free throws in a game.

[@AndruhaUkraine]

happyrappy i said about the way he used to throw it

[@happyrappy]

Andrey Gubenko ah ok, I was watching the greatest plays by bird jordan wilkins,,,,,james. James looks like a bulldozer vs swans. Well off to bed

[@AndruhaUkraine]

happyrappy I agree with you. But it`s not enough to get a 6 rings from 6 Finals )))