NBA Hall of Famer Dominique Wilkins Named 2011 Steve Schmidt Outstanding Contributor to Basketball
Chosen by the Atlanta Tipoff Club's Board of Directors, Wilkins will be recognized at the Atlanta Tipoff Club Naismith Awards banquet presented by AT&T and Delta on March 21 at the Georgia International Convention Center in Atlanta.
ATLANTA (March 11, 2011) – NBA Hall of Famer, 9-time NBA All-Star, 8-time All-NBA team member, 1986 NBA scoring champion and 2-time NBA Slam Dunk Contest winner Dominique Wilkins, “The Human Highlight Film,” can now add the 2011 Steve Schmidt Outstanding Contributor to Basketball award to his resume, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced today.
Chosen by the Atlanta Tipoff Club's Board of Directors, Wilkins will be recognized at the Atlanta Tipoff Club Naismith Awards banquet presented by AT&T and Delta on March 21 at the Georgia International Convention Center in Atlanta.
“Dominique Wilkins has been a great basketball ambassador for Atlanta for the last 25 years,” said Eric Oberman, Executive Director of the Atlanta Tipoff Club. “Whether you count his dominating on-court presence during his time in the NBA or his front-office, broadcasting and philanthropic work after his playing career, Dominique has helped advance the sport of basketball at all levels.”
Wilkins, the ninth all-time leading scorer and owner of the 11th highest scoring average in NBA history, was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006. Spending the majority of his career with the Atlanta Hawks, Wilkins’ 23,292 points with the club are the franchise best, and he ranks second overall in team history in steals (1,245), fourth in rebounds (6,119), fifth in blocked shots (592) and sixth in assists (2,322).
Wilkins won the 1986 NBA scoring title, made first-team All-NBA (1986), and claimed two NBA Slam Dunk contests (1985, 1990). He also was on the NBA All-Rookie Team (1983). He ended up playing with four other NBA teams after the Hawks (Clippers, Celtics, Spurs and Magic) as well as squads in Greece and Italy.
In January 2001, Wilkins became the third player in Hawks history to have his uniform number (#21) retired, joining legends Bob Pettit and Lou Hudson.
“Receiving Steve Schmidt Contributor to Basketball solidifies Atlanta as my home and it will always be dear to me,” Wilkins said, “I have always tried to use basketball as a vessel to share with the community. I am honored to be in a position to give back and I want to continue to grow in the Atlanta community in the future.”
A three-time All-SEC performer at the University of Georgia, Wilkins ended his Bulldog career as the school's all-time scoring leader with averages of 21.6 points to go along with his 7.5 rebounds. Leaving school after his junior season, Utah selected him as the third overall pick in the first round of the 1982 draft, then promptly traded him to Atlanta.
Wilkins was born in Paris, but grew up in Washington, NC where he attended Washington High School. He earned back-to-back MVP honors for his high school team that won consecutive class AAA state championships (1978-1979).
Today, he is the Hawks' Vice President of Basketball and analyst on telecasts and is extremely active with local and national charity endeavors. He has done work with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Special Olympics, Muscular Dystrophy Association and American Lung Association.
In July 2007, Wilkins launched "Nique and Newt's Full-Court Press on Diabetes" with former Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Newt Gingrich.
Last year's Steve Schmidt Award recipient was Mike Glenn.
For more information, visit www.naismithawards.com
ABOUT THE ATLANTA TIPOFF CLUB
The Atlanta Tipoff Club, an Atlanta Sports Council property, is committed to promoting the game of basketball and recognizing the outstanding accomplishments of those who make the game so exciting. The Atlanta Tipoff Club, founded during the 1956-57 season, has presented the Naismith Trophy every year since UCLA’s Lew Alcindor first won the award in 1969. Old Dominion’s Anne Donovan won the inaugural Women’s Naismith Trophy in 1983.
The Naismith Award is the most prestigious award in all of college and high school basketball, recognizing the Men’s and Women’s College Basketball Player of the Year, Men’s and Women’s College Basketball Coach of the Year, as well as awards for outstanding achievement in high school basketball, officiating, and contribution to the game. For more information visit www.naismithawards.com. The Atlanta Sports Council was created in 1985 under the original name of Sports 2000, and is a division of the Metro Atlanta Chamber. For more information visit www.AtlantaSportsCouncil.com.
