Latest news with #Wilkins'
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
"It was because of Magic Johnson, I think, that trade happened" - Dominique Wilkins on why told the Utah Jazz he didn't want to play for them after being drafted
"It was because of Magic Johnson, I think, that trade happened" - Dominique Wilkins on why told the Utah Jazz he didn't want to play for them after being drafted originally appeared on Basketball Network. There was never a question of talent when Dominique Wilkins stepped out of the University of Georgia in 1982. What existed instead was tension between a player who knew exactly who he was and a team that wanted him to be someone else. Advertisement The Utah Jazz had the third overall pick in the NBA Draft and saw a high-flying, physically gifted forward who could slide into their power forward slot. But Wilkins, whose game thrived on space, rhythm and flair, wasn't about to be boxed in. Wilkins' decision The Jazz called his name that June. And before the ink could dry, the resistance was already there. Utah wanted him to grind in the paint as a power forward. 'Nique had other plans. He wasn't about to give up the perimeter, the motion, the above-the-rim grace that defined his game. "I didn't want to go to Utah," the Hall of Famer said. "It was because of Magic Johnson, I think, that trade happened, because I used to tour all over the country with all the greatest players in the league at that time… And I thought that journey with Magic helped push that trade." Advertisement "The Human Highlight Film" had just wrapped up a standout junior season, averaging 21.6 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. He had the flash of the ABA and the substance of a dominant collegiate forward. That trade — one that became one of the most defining early moments of Wilkins' pro career — landed him with the Atlanta Hawks, where his real story began. The move away from Utah was a recalibration of destiny. The Jazz, faced with Wilkins' disinterest, shipped his draft rights to the Hawks in exchange for John Drew, Freeman Williams and a million dollars in cash. It wasn't a blockbuster at the time, but it aged like one. Drew would battle addiction, Williams was a role player and Dominique, well, he would go on to become the face of a franchise, an icon of 1980s and early '90s basketball and a nine-time All-Star. In a strange twist, the Los Angeles Lakers actually held the No. 1 overall pick in that same 1982 draft before trading it to the San Diego Clippers, who then selected Terry Cummings. Advertisement Had the Lakers kept the pick, Wilkins might've ended up with the Showtime purple and gold — a possibility that would have entirely shifted his career arc. Instead, he went to Georgia and later landed in Atlanta, just hours away from his college stomping grounds. The fit proved perfect. Related: "I see it happen with Larry Bird more often than any player" - Danny Ainge hails Larry Bird as the most unstoppable scorer of his era A refined game The high-flyer was made for Atlanta. And Atlanta was made for him. Over 12 seasons with the Hawks, he averaged 26.4 points per game, claimed a scoring title in 1986 with 30.3 points a night and became one of the most electric dunkers the league had ever seen. More than that, he brought relevance to a Hawks franchise that had long floated in anonymity. Advertisement But according to Wilkins, much of that readiness to take over stemmed from the formative summers spent battling against the NBA elite in real-time pickup games. These weren't casual shootarounds. They were high-intensity, pride-on-the-line matchups with Magic Johnson organizing elite-level runs. For Dominique, those summers were the prelude to the big stage. "Magic kind of discovered me coming out of college even though I was a high draft pick," the nine-time All-Star recalled. "I used to travel with all the best players … So, coming into the NBA, I was ready to play because I already played with the best players during the summer." By the time he suited up as a rookie, he wasn't the wide-eyed newcomer most franchises expect from a first-year player. He was sharper, faster, more self-aware. That early exposure gave him both confidence and clarity. It also gave him the leverage to say no to Utah without flinching. Looking back, the trade was a win-win — but mostly for Wilkins and the Hawks. Utah eventually found success years later with Karl Malone and John Stockton, but it took a different timeline and a different vision. 'Nique, meanwhile, became a pillar of consistency and showmanship. He recorded 25,613 career points and left the game with a résumé that includes a place in the Hall of Fame, a No. 21 jersey hanging in State Farm Arena and a legacy as one of the greatest small forwards of his generation. Advertisement Related: "There's a guy who played in Cleveland named Lonnie Shelton — nobody talked trash to him" - Dominique Wilkins on the player no one in the '80s dared to trash-talk This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on May 30, 2025, where it first appeared.
Boston Globe
6 days ago
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Former chief justice of SJC, Herbert P. Wilkins, dies at 95
Wilkins died Tuesday, the statement said. Wilkins was a Harvard University graduate, and editor of the Harvard Law Review, who went on to chair Concord's Board of Selectman for six years in the early '60s and to work as town counsel in Acton and Concord in the late '60s and early '70s. 'Appointed in 1972, Justice Wilkins served on the Supreme Judicial Court with great distinction for almost three decades,' the justices said in their collective statement. 'As a jurist, he was known for his incisive rulings and meticulous attention to detail,' the statement said. 'His respectful and polite demeanor on and off the bench earned him the respect and admiration of all who worked with him.' 'The people of the Commonwealth are fortunate that a person of his intellect, dignity and commitment to justice was willing to devote his talents in their service,' the justices said. Advertisement They offered their 'deep condolences' to Wilkins' family. When Wilkins was nominated as chief justice in July 1996, he had been an associate justice for 24 years, the longest tenure of any associate at the time. Governor William F. Weld appointed Wilkins to the position later that year. Wilkins served as chief justice until he retired in 1999. In retirement, Wilkins taught law at Boston College. Advertisement Wilkins followed in his father's footsteps. Both men graduated from Harvard, and Raymond Sanger Wilkins also served as chief justice of the state's high court, from 1956 to 1970. The younger Wilkins earned his undergraduate degree at Harvard in 1951 and graduated magna cum laude from Harvard law School in 1954. Before he was a judge, Wilkins was an associate and partner in the Palmer & Dodge law firm in Boston. It was while Wilkins was chair of the planning board in Concord that the National Historic Sites Commission set its sights on the Lexington and Concord area for the creation of a national park. At that point, Wilkins said he 'was already deeply involved with the plans for the park,' according to In January 1959, Wilkins 'outlined the general scheme' for the park for the Concord Journal, which included a map 'which is pretty much along the lines of exactly what the park now consists of,' Wilkins said in the interview. Nine months later, on Sept. 21, 1959, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed a bill establishing Minute Man National Historical Park as a national park. As a jurist, Wilkins was twice recognized by the Boston Bar Association. In 1991, the association presented Wilkins with the prestigious Haskell Cohn Award for distinguished judicial service, and in 1997 he received a citation of judicial excellence. Wilkins is a former president of Harvard College's board of overseers and former trustee of Milton Academy and Phillips Exeter Academy. No information was immediately available about funeral services. Advertisement Tonya Alanez can be reached at
Irish Daily Mirror
23-04-2025
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Connacht boss Cullie Tucker quizzed on future as province target late URC charge
Connacht interim boss Cullie Tucker insists his focus is on Saturday's must-win clash at the Lions and not on his own future. The scrum and contact coach took charge when Pete Wilkins fell ill and, following Wilkins' departure from the province last Wednesday, Tucker was handed the reins for the province's final stretch of regular URC fixtures. He learned of Wilkins' exit just after the squad landed in South Africa last week ahead of their narrow defeat to the Stormers - a result that earned Connacht two bonus points. In 12th place with 35 points, Tucker is bullishly targeting three wins and 15 points to make the eight-team play-offs - starting with Saturday's trip to the Lions at altitude in Johannesburg. Asked if he was interested in the head coach role full time, the Limerick man said: "My focus is on the Lions and not beyond beyond that, it's too important a game so that's where all my energy is going into." Connacht had a late try to win the Stormers game correctly ruled out for obstruction, ensuring a 34-29 loss. But Tucker insists the performance showed the belief that is there that the westerners can make the play-offs - and earn Champions Cup rugby next season. Victory over the Lions would leave the province with two home games to negotiate against Edinburgh and Zebre. It's about staying in the fight. "It shows the belief in the squad," Tucker said of Saturday's near miss. "We've areas we have to get better in, we're pushing them to be better every day and we had a harsh review of the game this morning, to take the learnings out of it. "If you keep showing up and keep creating, that's when you will get the rewards. I'd be very worried if we weren't creating and weren't in the fight but we are, so I believe that will come right for us. "The fact that we've scored so many tries and had so many near misses, we've 15 bonus points which is by far the most of anyone. It's just been fine margins at times that have cost us. "The character I've seen since I've come in as interim and the fight from the guys, I firmly believe the last three games we're a great place to push for play-off. "Absolutely that's the challenge, that's the motivation. We're still very much in the fight, while we wanted to take five points last week and probably deserved it, two points still keeps us very much in the hunt with three games to go. So that's the carrot for us, huge motivation for us as a squad and the boys are already working hard towards that goal. "It's a realistic possibility. We're still in the fight, we're still in the hunt and that was the goal of coming on this trip. I was proud of the performance against the Stormers, they were relentless and kept coming back. "Once those traits are evident in them we'll be in every battle, every fight. All going well we'll be coming back from Africa with two games to look forward to."
NZ Herald
22-04-2025
- Sport
- NZ Herald
Silver Fern-turned-coach aims to be a Premier Donna
Wilkins' coaching journey began in 2008, when she was pregnant with her first child. 'I helped Robyn Broughton coach with the Steel, I was assistant coach in 2008, so that was quite a cool insight into coaching,' she says. When she returned to playing netball, coaching was put aside, and after her professional sport retirement, she did some coaching with her three kids, and took up some specialist coaching roles with the Mainland Tactix and the Silver Ferns. Wilkins only did part-time coaching roles as her kids – now 13, 14 and 16 – were her focus. 'But now they're all at boarding school, so I guess it's an opportunity for me now to see whether or not it is something I want to do at the elite level,' she says of her new role as head coach of the Tactix. 'It's different coming and doing specialist sessions than being a coach of a team, there's so many other things and aspects to it. Whereas as a specialist coach, you can come in, do the court stuff and you're away again, it's a little bit different.' The biggest change from a specialist coach to head coach so far has been the added responsibilities, as the Tactix head into ANZ Premiership pre-season. 'I know I can cope with teaching them what I want them to do on court or trying to make them better in certain aspects of their game. I'm pretty confident and comfortable that I can do that role,' Wilkins says. 'But it's all the other stuff, I'm up at night thinking, oh I've got to do that, or let's not forget that, it's all the extra stuff I guess. A lot of admin, and just understanding what else is involved in the role, and trying not to leave anything out.' Wilkins is grateful for the support of former Tactix head coach Marianne Delaney-Hoshek, who was in the role for over seven seasons. 'I'm comfortable ringing her up, she's a great mate of mine, and Debbie Fuller, who's involved with the Ferns, I'll give her a call if there's questions that I've got,' says Wilkins. 'It's probably a little bit of a worry that you're going to leave something out, not intentionally but maybe because you don't know.' The Tactix have a new manager this year, but retain their strength and conditioning lead, Mark Drury, and physiotherapist Alana Malcolm. 'If we had been all new, it would have been quite daunting and overwhelming, so I'm just lucky that I've got people who have been in those roles for a while and they know the system. They've been amazing,' Wilkins says of their support. There are also regular meetings with the other ANZ Premiership coaches, three of whom are new for this season – and all ex-Silver Ferns. 'Wendy [Frew] and I are in quite a bit of contact, and of course Bubby, Temepara [Bailey], I've played a lot of netball with her,' Wilkins says of her former teammates, now fellow head coaches. She's eager to continue with the coaching systems Delaney-Hoshek put in place, with the Tactix narrowly missing out on the final last year. 'I'm a firm believer that if they had made that final, they would have won the championship,' Wilkins says. 'I think their systems and a lot of the structure they've got off-court is really awesome.' The ANZ Premiership season starts in May, and Wilkins is looking forward to building the team culture before the games kick off. 'That's a big part of it, is making a really good team unit, you can't win a team sport by yourself,' she says. 'I want the girls to do it for themselves, but everyone else who's in their team and the wider squad. Hopefully they can have that bit of want, and you can see that they're going for everything and leaving nothing unturned and just giving it their all.' She notes with a laugh that she was quite a direct player, so her coaching style is likely to be direct too. So far, there hasn't been much that's surprised her in this new role. 'Having been a player at that elite level, you know the expectations a bit. It's not like I've come in and haven't been around high-performance environments,' Wilkins says. 'I'm probably quite lucky in that respect, I know what the expectations are, so I think I can coach those expectations a wee bit, especially for those new ones coming in.' Wilkins encourages anyone who has an interest in coaching to go after it. 'If you have a passion for the game, back yourself to give it a go,' she says. 'There's so many people who can benefit from the passion – you might not have all the knowledge in the world, but some of that can be learnt.' Why did you get into coaching? Just probably wanting to give back a little bit, I enjoy the sport, and I'm at a space in my life now where I can actually do it a little bit more. Just a really ideal time in my life to be able to see if it's what I want to do. Who inspires you as a coach and why? Robyn Broughton – she was a massive influence on me. I spent a number of years under her guidance, not only as an amazing coach and a talented netballer as well, but the passion that she had for the game, and also as a person. What are you most proud of as a coach? Maybe if we win a championship, I'll be proud! To be fair, this is my first elite sports coaching role, so hopefully there'll be a number of things I'll be proud of by the end of it. What is the biggest challenge you have had as a coach? The biggest challenge in taking this role is moving away and moving up to Christchurch for five months. I relocated, I've left my husband at home with my dog, and it's pretty tough on him, because all our kids are at boarding school in Christchurch. I just want the girls to want to learn off me … If you're turning up and they're actively keen to get involved, then you know you're doing something right.
