After 12 seasons with the team and more career field goals than anyone in the history of the organization, Dominique Wilkins is convinced his beloved Atlanta Hawks have never needed him more than they do now.
The man yet revered as the “Human Highlight Film” based on his time and aura in the ATL is again looking to soar to the rescue of his Hawks in the wake of a racially-charged scandal that now has co-owner Bruce Levenson being forced to sell off his controlling interest in the team and GM Danny Ferry fighting to retain his place in its front office after the two exchanged emails equating to an agreement of sorts the two shared about their fan base being “too black” and having “scared away whites.”
Several media outlets now report the 54-year-old Wilkins is “extremely interested” in acquiring the franchise and has aligned himself with a “very well-known businessman” who’s equally convinced ‘Nique in an ownership role is the best thing that could happen to the now beleaguered operation. So esteemed is Wilkins viewed around the league, the nine-time All-Star has already gained league-wide pre-approval for ownership.
All this comes just weeks after a similarly provoked Donald Sterling meltdown during which the now former L.A. Clippers owner angrily instructed a former girlfriend “not to bring blacks to my games.” In the wake of it all, Wilkins proved to be quite vocal about the need for the league to seek and demand greater diversity among the ranks of its ownership.
Certainly, there’s no denying Dominique Wilkins, still widely viewed as the face of the franchise, would be a welcome front office sight in Atlanta and around the league at a time when some predict league officials should be bracing themselves for what could become a revolting time for The Association.
Soon after being forced into exile, a still bitter Sterling hired a team of attorneys to “dig up dirt” on other owners and top league officials, concluding with attorney Bobby Samini predicting that “even more casualties” will result from the league’s new code of racial ethics.
“I can tell you that my sense is that this is just the beginning,” Samini told USA Today. “There’s not a single owner in the league who doesn’t have an e-mail, a conversation, a conference call comment, that by this standard that’s been established by Commissioner Adam Silver that wouldn’t completely taint them.”
But even Donald Sterling, Bruce Levenson, and Danny Ferry would be hard pressed to now argue Dominique Wilkins isn’t someone the Atlanta Hawks can’t desperately use. That’s as apparent as the views expressed by them have been biased.
