Atlanta Hawks Legend Dominique Wilkins Talks Larry Bird Battle in 1988 NBA Playoffs And Greek Career

Atlanta Hawks legend and Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame inductee (2006), Dominique Wilkins, battled many of the NBA’s most iconic players during his illustrious career. From Bernard King to Julius Erving, to Michael Jordan, Dominique left a legendary stamp on the game of basketball with his performances against each of those from the long list of NBA legends from the 1980s and the 1990s. Battling Michael Jordan from the college level to the NBA level in both NBA regular season and playoff games, as well as in the 1985 and 1988 NBA Slam Dunk Contests, Wilkins and Jordan’s legacies became intertwined with their in-season and all-star weekend battles.

Enter Larry Joe Bird. Boston Celtics legend Larry Bird became an iconic rival for Dominique Wilkins the moment he entered the NBA in 1983. As both star small forwards competed in the Eastern Conference, there was never a day off competing against the best. The Dominique Wilkins versus Larry Bird rivalry reached its climax in the 1988 NBA Playoffs. On May 22, 1988, the Atlanta Hawks took on the Boston Celtics at the legendary Boston Garden in the seventh game of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

This game would see Dominique Wilkins and Larry Bird elevate their games to another level as their back-and-forth duel in the fourth quarter would stamp one of the greatest NBA playoff Game finishes in NBA History. Wilkins would finish the game with 47 points on 19-23 shooting from the field, but the Boston Celtics would win 118-116 as Larry Bird scored 34 points on 15-24, scoring 20 points in that fourth quarter battle with Wilkins.

Dominique spoke with ESHE about the legendary battle with Larry Bird and his EuroLeague career.

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