Boston Celtics: The 25 Most Hated Opponents
By Bill Speros
24. Dominique Wilkins
Yes, Dominique played for the Celtics briefly from 1994-95. It was his time as a member of the Atlanta Hawks during the 1980s during which he brought fear and anger into the hearts of Celtics fans. The Hawks were perennial wannabes during the era of Celtics dominance in the 1980s. Wilkins was their most prolific scorer and a consistent all-star. Larry Bird began trash-talking Wilkins during the first time they ever played against each other by telling the young Hawk during the 1982-83 season “you don’t belong in this league, Homes.”
By the time Game 7 of the 1988 Eastern Conference finals arrived in Boston Garden on May 22, Wilkins and Bird would engage in one of the NBA’s greatest playoff mano-a-mano battles. The two titans swapped bucket for bucket throughout the fourth quarter. Wilkins had scored 47 points when it was over. However, with 20 of Bird’s 34 points in the final 12 minutes, the Celtics scored a 118-116 series-clinching victory.
“The basket was like a well,” remembered Wilkins. “I couldn’t miss. He couldn’t miss. And it went down to the last shot of the game. Who was going to make the last shot? That’s the greatest game I’ve ever played in or seen played. It was two guys who just did not want to lose.”
Next: No. 23 -- The Bucks