* Legends Profile: Dominique Wilkins
On April 10, 1986, Dominique Wilkins used a monster performance to secure the 1985-86 scoring title.
In a 126-117 Atlanta Hawks win against the New Jersey Nets, Wilkins had 57 points on 21-for-37 shooting. Doing so pushed his season scoring average to 30.3 points per game — enough to edge out the Utah Jazz’s Adrian Dantley (29.83 ppg) and Denver Nuggets’ Alex English (29.8 ppg) for the scoring title.
Wilkins’ scoring title was the lone one of his career, although he would finish in the top 10 in scoring average nine times in his 15-season NBA career. All three players in this scoring chase in the 1985-86 season would go on to become Naismith Basketball Hall of Famers (English in 1997; Wilkins in 2006; Dantley in 2008).
As for the most points scored in 1985-86, that honor went to English. He logged 2,414 points in 81 games, more than what Wilkins (2,366 points in 78 games) or Dantley (2,267 points, 76 games) amassed.
A member of the NBA All-Rookie Team in 1983, the high-flying 6-foot-8 Wilkins was named to seven All-NBA teams and nine consecutive All-Star squads and is a two-time winner of the NBA Slam-Dunk Championship.
Wilkins is the Atlanta Hawks’ all-time franchise leader in both scoring and steals.
