"It definitely ranks with Michael Jordan and me": Dominique Wilkins on Vince Carter's 2000 Dunk Contest and more (Exclusive)
In less than a month, Vince Carter will be officially recognized as a Hall-of-Fame player who excelled as a complete player due to his prolific dunking, versatility and durability.
On Oct. 13, it seems inevitable that the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame will show a highlight reel of Carter’s dunks, including in the 2000 NBA Dunk Contest. Then, Carter excited the crowd with acrobatic dunks that showed off his athleticism and creativity.
So much that Dominique Wilkins, another Hall-of-Famer partly for his jams, pondered how that contest compared to when he competed in the NBA Dunk Contests in 1985, 1988 and 1900. Wilkins slammed it home.
“It definitely ranks with [Michael] Jordan and me,” Wilkins told Sportskeeda. “I have to give the young fella his credit with that. His performance blew everybody else away. It wasn’t even close.”
Dominique Wilkins on Vince Carter making the Hall of Fame
Wilkins, currently an analyst for the Atlanta Hawks’ telecasts on Bally Sports, spoke to Sportskeeda about numerous topics involving Carter. Wilkins shared his favorite dunks of Carter, calling Carter’s game when he scored 25,000 points on a dunk and more.
The following one-on-one interview has been edited and condensed.
It’s not surprising Vince will get in the Hall. But from one dunker and Hall-of-Famer to another, how do you put Vince’s career in perspective?
Dominique Wilkins:
“He’s had a hell of a career. He really has put his mark on the game. Like you said, having him go to the Hall is pretty much an automatic. Everybody knows that he was going in the Hall-of-Fame and that he was a pure Hall-of-Famer. I couldn’t be happier for him. He’s a great guy as well as a great basketball player, so it’s well deserved.”
What did Vince mean to you personally with your connections as elite dunkers and that he played in Atlanta toward the end of his career?
Dominique Wilkins:
“First of all, Vince is a friend. I look at him as almost a little brother figure. If you look at my career and his career, the first thing people see and notice about us is dunking. A lot of times, people don’t realize that we were complete ball players. We could do it all. We had midrange. We had post-ups. We could shoot the 3. All the stuff you see guys doing now, we could do all of that. Vince is very indicative of what you see today. He’s been doing that stuff for a long time.”
What perspective have you given Vince on overcoming that tag that you’re both more than just dunkers?
Dominique Wilkins:
“The problem is, for a lot of athletes, we’re not the only ones. When you’re a highflier with great athletic ability, the only thing people really look at is dunking. They don’t realize that you don’t become a Hall-of-Famer and you don’t become a great player just by the fact that you can dunk a basketball. I know a lot of great athletes that are dunkers and haven’t done half as much as what Vince and myself have done. So a lot of times, they miss the boat because they look at the athletic side of us. They forget about all of the other attributes that they bring to the game.”
You’ve often marveled at Vince’s longevity. Why do you think he was able to stay in the game for so long?
Dominique Wilkins:
“Vince always took care of himself. He always stayed in shape. He never stopped working out. He played games. He was one of those guys that wanted to play. He didn’t miss many games. I admired that about him. To play 22 years in the league, that’s incredible. That’s actually remarkable for a guy his size that stayed in the league for that long. Usually, you have guys that stay in the league more than 18 years are big guys - guys that are 6’10, 6’11 or 7-footers that have a lot of staying power. He’s been one of the few guys. LeBron [James] is in that same situation with having that type of staying power.”
You called the game that Vince eclipsed 25,000 career points, and he did it on a dunk. What was that moment like for you?
Dominique Wilkins:
“I was probably happier than he was (laughs). I rarely ever stand up when something like that happens. But when he reached 25,000 points, I was up cheering at the scorer’s table. Life comes full circle. For him to get 25,000 [points] on a dunk, especially at his age at the time? It was breathtaking, man. We had fun with that on the telecast. We had so much fun with that, talking about ‘the old man’ getting his 25,000 points on a dunk. That was a sweet.”
I don’t know if this is tough to answer. But what’s your favorite dunk of Vince’s?
Dominique Wilkins:
“Oh, man. He’s had so many. One of the dunks I really enjoyed was the one that he had in the [2000] Olympics when he jumped over the 7-footer (laughs). He jumps over a 7-footer? That’s crazy in itself. I don’t know if it’s No. 1, but it’s close to it. He’s had so many great moments going to the basket. He had one on Alonzo Mourning that was pretty impressive where he hit him in the air and finished it. He’s done that so many times in games. He’s one of those guys that brings a lot of energy, too. You got a guy that can dunk the basketball, but they can’t bring that kind of energy that he brings.”
You’ve also said that you and Vince distinguished yourselves as dunkers by your willingness to throw down in traffic. What was the key to do that?
Dominique Wilkins:
“It’s about having that great ability to go to the basket. Hopefully, that gives you an advantage. But also Vince will you with this. He wanted to dunk as hard as he could on bigger guys that tried to block his shot. That would deter them next time to challenge him. That’s how all of us thought. I felt like if I can get a foul or two early up on another great player, then I create the advantage for myself. Now, they don’t play me as hard. That was my mentality, and that was his mentality.”
Where do you rank his 2000 Dunk contest to the ones you competed in 1985, ‘88 and ’90?
Dominique Wilkins:
“I’ll put it this way here. That dunk contest that he won it, to me, is in the top two dunk contests or top three in the history of the dunk contest, in my opinion. It wasn’t the contest itself, but his dunks. It was his energy, creativity and his size. He made it look even more dramatic. He’s 6’6 or 6’7’ maybe. He made it look unreal. Vince’s ability to create in the air is what makes him special. There aren’t too many guys that can create in the air like Vince did.”
Does that still rank behind 85, 88 and 90, though?
Dominique Wilkins:
“It definitely ranks with [Michael] Jordan and me. I have to give the young fella his credit with that. His performance blew everybody else away. It wasn’t even close. We had a lot of great dunkers in that dunk contest that Mike and I were in. But what Vince did in that contest? After his second or third dunk, it was pretty much over. It was pretty much over.”
How would you imagine a dunk contest playing out between you and Vince?
Dominique Wilkins:
“It definitely would’ve brought out the best in all of us because we would’ve brought out the best in each other. You know why? We’re competitors. But I know Vince. He would want to make it fun, but he wants to win. So I think all of us would’ve brought out the best in each other. I know that for a fact. As great competitors, that’s what we do.”
When Vince played during his final two seasons in Atlanta, what impact did you see him having on the young group?
Dominique Wilkins:
“They respected him for what he has done and what he continued to do. He could still contribute. He was great in the locker room. For me, it was more than just his basketball exploits. He was a great guy to be around. We developed a friendship that we still have right now to do this day. I look at him for his friendship and how funny he was. He was just a cool guy to be around.”
What’s your favorite memory that captured that strong friendship?
Dominique Wilkins:
“The thing that I loved about him as a player is that he played angry. He played with a chip on his shoulder. Not where it was arrogance, but it was just competition. He wanted everything to go right for him with the way he played. I admired that. It reminded me of a lot of things that I did as a player. He and I connected very easily. It was very organic.”
Mark Medina is an NBA insider for Sportskeeda.. Follow him on X, Instagram, Facebook and Threads.