Greatest moment in each NBA franchise’s history

Atlanta Hawks: Dominique Wilkins wins 1985 Slam Dunk Contest

Over his illustrious and prolific career with the Atlanta Hawks, Dominique Wilkins had plenty of moments that caused the jaws of fans to drop. However, there is not a more iconic moment in Wilkins’ body of work and in the history of the Hawks than his victory in the 1985 Slam Dunk Contest.

First off, this was back when the Slam Dunk Contest was the premier event of NBA All-Star Weekend. Subsequently, Wilkins wasn’t out there throwing it down against a bunch of nobodies that could barely get the ball over the rim. Instead, he was competing against some of the all-time great dunkers in league history, including the likes of Clyde Drexler, Julius Erving, and, of course, the ineffable Michael Jordan.

Wilkins absolutely tore the house down in Indianapolis, IN that night, though. The Human Highlight Film lived up to the billing with his ridiculously smooth two-handed windmills and so on to take down the murderer’s row of dunkers and capture the Slam Dunk title for himself.

It may seem a bit trivial to have a win in a Slam Dunk Contest be the greatest moment in a franchise’s history, but that doesn’t hold any water for me. For me, the iconic images of Wilkins flying through the air that night are something that is going to last forever. More importantly, though, Wilkins’ performance in the Dunk Contest turned the NBA-watching world’s eyes to the Hawks in a way that the organization had never quite seen before. That can’t be underestimated in terms of getting people excited about your team and star player.

Yes, Wilkins went on to compete in many other Dunk Contests and won another one in 1990. However, nothing touches that first win in 1985 in terms of meaning and greatness for the Hawks.

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