"I TOLD HIM THAT WAS A GOOD CONTRACT OFFER, BUT THAT WASN'T ENOUGH FOR ME" – WHY DOMINIQUE WILKINS TURNED DOWN THE PISTONS OFFER IN 1981
Dominique Wilkins officially made the jump to the NBA in 1982. He was the third overall pick of the Utah Jazz. However, he could have turned pro a year before if only his asking price had been met.
In April 1981, the Human Highlight Film had talks with the Detroit Pistons about going pro. He was only in his sophomore year with the Georgia Bulldogs at the time.
However, Wilkins turned down the offer. The Pistons dangled a $1.28 million contract over four years.
“I kinda turned that down. I told him that was a good contract offer, but that wasn't enough for me,” Wilkins said via UPI.com.
Zoid wanted more money
It turns out that the 9-time All-Star wanted a better offer at the time. He was hoping to get a better one for at least $320,000 a year.
Unfortunately, he and then-Pistons general manager Jack McCloskey failed to come to terms. Aside from the Pistons, another team that was interested in Nique was the New Jersey Nets.
With the numbers nowhere near what the high-flyer wanted, the 6-foot-8 forward revealed what could have enticed him to forego his remaining years and turn pro.
“I think about $375,000 a year. In that range,” he replied in 1981.
Wilkins ended up playing one more year with the Bulldogs before declaring for the 1982 NBA Draft, as the other teams found his asking price too stiff.
How Nique ended up with the Hawks
Although the Jazz did select Wilkins at the draft, he didn’t play a single minute for the team. Utah wanted Wilkins to play the power forward position, but Nique preferred to play at the small forward. Money was also an issue at the time as the Jazz were struggling financially.
With both sides failing to align, Utah ended up trading Wilkins to the Atlanta Hawks for John Drew, Freeman Williams, and $1 million in cash.
The deal was considered one of the most lopsided deals in league history. But the Jazz’s loss was the Hawks’ gain. Wilkins proved to everyone how good he was, as he was instrumental in helping the Hawks in the Central Division, leading the team to several playoff appearances.
The 9-time All-Star was a prominent contender in the Most Valuable Player award race, with his closest brush with victory occurring in the 1985-86 season.
That year, he finished second behind Larry Bird of the Boston Celtics. The Human Highlight Film averaged 30.3 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.8 steals in 78 regular-season games. Aside from the Hawks, Wilkins also played for the Los Angeles Clippers, Boston Celtics, San Antonio Spurs, and the Orlando Magic.
But of all the teams, there is no question Wilkins made his name in the league with the Hawks. He remains the all-time leading scorer of the team in regular season games to this day, with 23,292 points. Aside from that, the seven-time All-NBA team member is also the franchise leader in regular season games in Hawks history (882) as well as minutes played (32,545).
2024-04-25T02:41:20Z dg43tfdfdgfd