Nique statue at Philips

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ATLANTA -- On March 5th, the greatest Hawk in franchise history, Dominique Wilkins, will be honored in a private ceremony with the unveiling of a larger-than-life size statue. The 13.5-foot-tall, 18,500-pound granite sculpture will feature Wilkins in one of his signature explosive poses. Created by Brian Hanlon, the official sculptor of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, the statue will be available for the public to see firsthand, in-person on Friday, March 6th as it takes its place between the iconic Atlanta letters at Philips Arena.

Beginning on Sunday, March 1st, Hawks.com and FOX Sports regional network SportSouth will kick off ‘Nique Week’. Other local and national outlets of all mediums will pay homage to the “Human Highlight Film” in features stories and TV appearances throughout the week. Committed outlets include The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Atlanta Voice, NBA.com, ESPN, FOX Sports 1, Grantland, Slam, and Rolling Out.

“Dominique Wilkins has represented the Hawks organization and city of Atlanta in a first-class manner for over three decades. He is synonymous with Atlanta sports greatness and this statue and week-long celebration is fitting for his contributions to Atlanta and his place as the greatest player in franchise history,” Atlanta Hawks and Philips Arena CEO Steve Koonin said.

Award-winning, Atlanta-born-and-based author Charles Bethea will author an in-depth profile on the career of Dominique Wilkins exclusively for Hawks.com during the team website’s 21-day tribute to the legend leading up to the unveiling. Beginning on Feb. 13th, Hawks.com will count down the 21 most monumental moments of his career, releasing one moment per day leading up to the unveiling on March 5th.

In addition, SportSouth will unveil a special edition of the FOX Sports Fan Express with a tribute to Wilkins from Feb. 23rd through March 7th.  Fan Express is a luxury coach that delivers a door-to-door VIP experience for Hawks fans to and from Philips Arena.

Thursday’s private unveiling will be for family, close friends, former teammates and NBA legends. Highlights from the private ceremony honoring Wilkins will be televised in a special hour-long presentation, Celebrating Nique, at 8p ET on SportSouth.

‘Nique Week’ will culminate with ‘Dominique Wilkins Night’ on Friday, March 6th as the Eastern Conference-leading Hawks match up against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers at 7:30p. Fans should arrive early as there will be a state-of-the-art, one-of-a-kind 3D tribute to Wilkins before tip-off. Throughout the game, special videos and highlights from Wilkins’ career will be aired and at halftime, the Hall of Famer will address the crowd. A commemorative T-shirt will also be given to all fans in attendance and there will be more surprises throughout the evening. The game will be televised exclusively on SportSouth; coverage will begin at 6p ET with an encore presentation of Celebrating Nique followed by the Hawks LIVE pregame show.

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Hawks Announce Plans to Celebrate Accomplishments of Dominique Wilkins

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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.

Nique statue at Philips

Hawks Announce Plans to Celebrate Accomplishments of Dominique Wilkins

Philips Arena Celebrates 15th Anniversary By Announcing Plans To Build Dominique Wilkins Statue