To celebrate its 50th anniversary in 1996, the NBA came up with a list of what were supposedly its 50 greatest players of all time. There were several head-scratching omissions, but I’m focusing on the most blatant one today: Dominique Wilkins.
All the guy did was average 24.8 points per game over his career — including 11 consecutive years of at least 25 a game. When that list was chosen, he had played 13 of his 15 NBA seasons. For his career, he piled up 26,668 points — still good for 12th on the league’s all-time list.
Although consistent, Wilkins certainly wasn’t boring. He took what Dr. J did to new heights, earning himself the nickname of "The Human Highlight Film" for his spectacular dunking.
Maybe he was underrated because of the glut of great players at his small forward position during his time. Maybe it’s because he never led the Atlanta Hawks or any of the other four teams he played on to an NBA championship.
But does that explain why he also wasn’t on the original Dream Team, but Christian Laettner — who hadn’t even played in the NBA yet — was?
If any of this bothers Wilkins now, he doesn’t show it. The 55-year-old Naismith Hall of Famer and vice president of the Hawks was all smiles Saturday at the Kroc Center in Kapolei, interacting with Hawaii kids with whom he has something in common.
Diabetes.
Just a few months after his playing days ended in 1999, Wilkins began to suffer from blurry vision and fatigue.
"My doctor told me he had good news and bad news for me," Wilkins recalled. "The good news was I’m not dying … yet. Whatever that meant. The bad news was I had a serious illness and needed to make some lifestyle changes."
Wilkins took the diagnosis seriously. And he began to use his celebrity status to spread awareness. Most of the kids he played with and spoke to Saturday didn’t know who he is, but their fathers certainly did.
And when a giant of a man like Wilkins tells kids he is like them and must eat right, exercise and take medication or risk his health and maybe his life, you can bet they listen.
Wilkins made two appearances Saturday afternoon. Earlier, he personally congratulated people who like him have type-2 diabetes, and are graduates of the 2015 Diabetes Care for Life Program, facilitated by Straub Clinic & Hospital.
His visit at the Kroc Center was part of a day camp for children who have type-1 diabetes, or what is known as juvenile diabetes.
The NBA Draft is in just a couple of days, and this is a busy time for Wilkins in his role as a Hawks exec. But he feels the 25 or so appearances he makes each year to raise diabetes awareness are just as important.
"It’s a passion for me," he said. "That passion comes from being affected by it. My family’s been affected by it, my grandfather and father died from it. It’s been a part of my family, so it makes it easy for me to get involved in it."
He knows Hawaii has the highest rate of diabetes in the nation, and that’s why he’s here. As are African Americans like Wilkins, Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders and Asian Americans are statistically more prone to diabetes than others.
"Y’all hurt people here with food," Wilkins said, but then he immediately added that fresh fruits and other healthy things to eat are abundant in Hawaii.
"One of the main things is eat better, but also stay active. Even if it’s just washing your car, keep moving," Wilkins said. "Don’t sit around all day watching TV and hoping for a miracle drug. It’s up to you."
Maybe it’s time for the NBA to make another list, of its alumni who make a positive difference in the lives of others. Dominique Wilkins definitely belongs on that one, too.
Reach Star-Advertiser sports columnist Dave Reardon at dreardon@staradvertiser.com, his “Quick Reads” blog at staradvertiser.com and twitter.com/dave_reardon.
