ATLANTA -- Atlanta's basketball legend Dominique Wilkins will live on... in granite.
The Hawks revealed the statue at a ceremony on the floor of Phillips Arena. It will take up permanent residence outside the main entrance of the area.
"This is what this statue stands for -- it's stand for change in this city, in this franchise," Wilkins said. "It stands for history. So we've got to embrace that."
Wilkins gained the nickname "The Human Highlight Film" for his repeated trademark dunk: a one-or-two handed windmill. It won him slam dunk contest titles in 1985 and 1990. He was a nine-time NBA All-Star and remains 12th on the NBA scoring list with 26,668 points.
Wilkins played for Atlanta from 1982 through 1994. He played college ball at the University of Georgia. Wilkins left college after his junior year and was selected by the Utah Jazz in the 1982 NBA Draft. The team, however, traded Wilkins when it admitted couldn't afford him. The Hawks -- and Atlanta -- were forever grateful for that decision.
