- Former NBA star Dominique Wilkins didn't like playing versus the Detroit 'Bad Boys' Pistons
- Wilkins also hated playing the power forward position
- The Atlanta Hawks and Detroit Pistons still respected each other's game
The Detroit Pistons dominated the NBA for a couple of seasons with their rugged playing style. They were nicknamed the Bad Boys Pistons due to their rough and tough strategies to dominate opponents.
The Pistons primarily tried to dominate Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls with it, but other teams were impacted as well. Former Atlanta Hawks star Dominique Wilkins recently shared about hating to play against the Bad Boys Pistons.
"Oh man, that Pistons team, that was the rise of that Pistons team when they ultimately got to championship seasons," Wilkins said on Vlad TV. "They started to get the Rodmans, they started to get their Acquires, they had Adrian Dantley for a few years."
"So they were a very, very tough team to beat because now they started to build that personality of bad boys," he continued. "I remember playing against them, and that series was brutal. Because we would beat each other.
"Our team, we had big guys who would play the physical bang, hit you going to the basket, so there was a mutual respect between the two teams but we did not like each other," Wilkins concluded.
Wilkins added about Bill Laimbeer: "I hated him as a player, but if you talk to Bill Laimbeer away from the court, he's the nicest guy you ever met."
(Starts at 1:12)
The Atlanta Hawks didn't really had many battles against the Bad Boys Pistons in the playoffs. The two teams locked horns in the First Round of the 1991 playoffs.
It was a tough series, but the Pistons ultimately recorded a 3-2 victory against the Hawks. Wilkins averaged 20.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game against the Pistons.
But Wilkins' Hawks were outplayed by the Bad Boys Pistons. As for the Pistons, they were finally dethroned by the Chicago Bulls in the Eastern Conference Finals. They were swept 4-0 by the Bulls.
It was the end of their reign of terror in the league. The Pistons were crowned back-to-back NBA champions in 1989 and 1990.
Dominique Wilkins Was Never Fond Of Playing As A Power Forward
Dominique Wilkins primarily played as a small forward throughout his 15-year career in the NBA. But there were times when he was requested to play as a power forward by the Atlanta Hawks.
In the same interview with Vlad TV, Wilkins revealed how he hated playing as the No. 4 for the organization.
"I remember I had to play both forwards–Power forward and small forward [in 1989]," Wilkins said. "I hated to play power forward, especially in that era. The power forwards were grown men."
He added: "Lifting weights and throwing barrels out of salons and stuff like that, stupid stuff they were doing. So I didn't want to fight with those guys. But we had too many big guys hurt."
Despite not wanting to switch from his primary position, Wilkins did what had to be done in order to help his team. It's rare to see such dedication in players anymore. With load management and whatnot, taking the fun out of the game.
Dominique Wilkins Says He Only Lost The 1988 NBA Slam Dunk Contest Because It Was In Chicago
The 1988 NBA Slam Dunk Contest was a legendary battle between Michael Jordan and Dominique Wilkins.
After three crazy rounds, Jordan won the competition, thanks to his iconic free throw line dunk. The final score was 147-145 in favor of the Bulls legend. To this date, Wilkins believes Jordan only won the dunk contest because it was in Chicago. Well, Wilkins was certainly not lying because even Jordan agreed to it.
"He said, 'Hey man, you know you won that dunk contest.' I said, 'Hey, how you doing, Mike?' I forgot about that dunk contest, but it shows you the mutual respect we have for one other. It was an unspoken thing."
Either way, it was one of the most memorable dunk contests in NBA history. It remains fresh in most fans' eyes. Even more so, because current top superstars in the league no longer participate in the iconic contest.
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