NBA at 75: Wilkins soared in 1980s, often felt unappreciated

By DOMINIQUE WILKINS
For The Associated Press

Dominique Wilkins was born in Paris. He’s lived in Dallas, Oklahoma and Baltimore. He played pro ball in NBA cities like Los Angeles, Boston, San Antonio and Orlando. He played internationally in Greece and Italy. But he considers Atlanta home. Wilkins shares what it was like to be part of the NBA in the transformative decade that was the 1980s. His story is unique; a native of North Carolina who saw a cross burning in his yard became embraced by many in the South. Basketball, he said, allowed that to happen.