29/06/2024 and las 16:55 CEST
Dominique Wilkins (Paris, 1960), was a nine-time NBA All-Star and winner of two American League dunk contests, with a total of 26,668 points and 7,169 rebounds in his NBA career, mainly with the Atlanta Hawks. of which he is currently executive vice president.
Dominique, how is the experience in Valencia?
Very well. I am working with the NBA and we always travel to promote basketball around the world. And in Spain, it is a good place to see these kids working and to see how far these future players have developed in Europe or perhaps in the NBA.
When you started in the NBA, there weren’t many Europeans playing in the league…
No, there were barely any. A couple of guys came early to our League like Aleksandr Volkov and Sarunas Marchulenis. Sabonis was another of the first guys to come to the NBA and get his chance.
Was there a perception that there were no players in the rest of the world capable of playing in the NBA?
Not everyone saw it that way. The Atlanta Hawks were the first teams to go to Europe and play against European national teams. I remember we played against the Russian national team. But anyway, we knew the kind of talent they had because we played them before anyone else.
Flow of Europeans to the NBA
And are you surprised by the number of players trying to make it to the NBA these days?
Well, I should say that it has been an explosion of European players in the NBA because the world has had the opportunity to see all these guys on the national team, playing for their national teams. So they’ve leveled the playing field as far as guys coming from Europe playing in the NBA.
Who was the first European player you shared a dressing room with?
Well, the only guy I played with when I was in my prime was Alexander Volkov, a wonderful person. Those guys started and then the arrival of players from all over the world, such as Spaniards, expanded.
How has the game changed since your time?
Well, the game is much more based on three points, with many outside shots to win without much tactical reading. There’s not as much inside play either. If you look at the teams that have won the title, if you look at the Denver Nuggets, Jokic has done everything. As for the inside and outside of the line, he has made a big impact. That’s what makes it so good. And if you look at the number of rebounds they capture, you don’t understand it, unless you play close to the rim.
Is this the same physical game that was available in your time?
No no. It’s not the same physical game, so it was really tough.
Did that allow you to fly like you did over the defense?
No, in those times, the physique was on another level. When you see one of the European guys now, like Doncic or Jokic, these guys have a special talent and it seems like no one can stop them, even in the NBA. When you are a good player, it doesn’t matter where you come from, it doesn’t matter the size, what matters is your heart and your determination. Doncic is really difficult to stop. He is a player who can beat you from any position. He is a good offensive player. Jokic is also a good all-around player. That’s why he is MVP three times.
Do you still consider Michael Jordan, who you faced on many occasions, as the best player?
Michael was one of the star players of our time, but we had many others like Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, David Robinson, Moses Malone, Kareem…all equally good but with different characteristics.
Can you compare those stars to recent ones like LeBron?
I don’t think so. I think it’s very bad to try to make comparisons and it’s not fair because it’s a different time in basketball. You never saw the centers we had back then. Those centers were great, they were unstoppable men, the David Robinsons, the Moses Malones, the Kareems… they were incredible.
You were one of the first big NBA stars to come to Europe. Do you remember that experience with Panathinaikos?
How can I forget it? The Greek fans don’t let you forget it, they were great, passionate and always supporting you.
At that time, not many Americans came to play in Europe….
They were brave in hiring me and I also came with the desire to do a good role with a great financial contract for that time.
Did it take you time to adjust to the European franchise?
It didn’t take me long. I was ready. I picked it up very quickly thanks to a lot of training. I didn’t have to wait long to succeed.
Time to train
Are you surprised that players like Barça’s Jabari Parker come to Europe and play well?
There is always time to adjust to the move to Europe, like Jabari in Barcelona, but you have the opportunity to work and improve your game through training. Here you train more than in the NBA and that is important. If you don’t have time to practice it is difficult to improve aspects of your game.
Do you think the NBA still has a lot of work to do to expand basketball around the world?
No, not really. We have expanded basketball so far than most people believe. We are much further than what David Stern expected as the first inspirer of bringing the NBA to the whole world, and now Adam Silver has taken it to another level.
You look in very good shape. Are you still doing any physical work?
I just keep moving all the time. When you rest and sit down, that’s when you look older (laughs)
When will the Hawks win the title?
Well, that’s what we hope. For that reason you build your team, to try to reach the championship, but it always takes time.
2024-06-29 14:55:11
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