ATLANTA -- The Atlanta Hawks and Philips Arena today announced plans to celebrate the 15th anniversary of Philips Arena and will construct a larger-than-life-size statue of Hawks’ legend Dominique Wilkins. The statue, which is to be unveiled at a special ceremony at Philips Arena on March 5, 2015, will be a symbol of the Hawks’ legend’s success as a player both on and off the court. Details of the statue and the ceremony will be released at a later date.
Additionally, the Hawks have named Wilkins as Special Advisor to CEO Steve Koonin and signed the legend to a new long-term partnership. He will also continue in his role as Vice President of Basketball.
“Being honored by the great City of Atlanta and my beloved Hawks team is incredibly humbling, I have to thank all the fans, the community and the Hawks organization, in particular the Gearon family, Rutherford Seydel and Tommy Dortch, who have been close friends and important figures since the day I was drafted,” said Wilkins. “I look forward to continuing my partnership with the team and the City for many years ahead.”
"There is no player more deserving of such an honor than Dominique for his continued commitment to the Hawks and the City of Atlanta. Beyond his amazing play on the court during his Hall-of-Fame career, he has been an ambassador for this franchise and the city for three decades," Koonin said. "For all he has accomplished and continues to do for the Hawks franchise and the City of Atlanta, we are proud to bestow this permanent recognition of his legacy."
Wilkins is the Hawks’ all-time leading scorer, ranking second in team history in steals, fourth in rebounds, sixth in blocked shots and seventh in assists. The 12th-leading scorer in league history is also a nine-time NBA All-Star and two-time Slam Dunk champion (1985, 1990).
Nicknamed ‘The Human Highlight Film’, Wilkins is one of three players in franchise history to have his uniform number (#21) retired, joining Bob Pettit and Lou Hudson. He was named to seven All-NBA teams and won a Gold Medal as a member of the United States World Championship team in 1994. Wilkins starred collegiately at the University of Georgia where he ended his career as the all-time scoring leader with averages of 21.6 points and 7.5 rebounds. A three-time All-SEC performer and Most Valuable Player of the 1981 Southeastern Conference Tournament, he was selected third overall in the 1982 NBA Draft.