This is somewhat old news, that Barkley, Dumars and Dominique were inducted with 3 others into the 2006 class of Hall-Of-Famers, but I thought some of these articles were great reads and tributes to three of the superstars from the golden age of NBA basketball... all very different players, but all played a huge part in the sucess of the 1980s and 1990s NBA.
Barkley, Wilkins, Dumars enter Hall of Fame
The Associated Press, SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2006
SPRINGFIELD, Massachusetts Charles Barkley played the comedian during his induction into the U.S. Basketball Hall of Fame on Friday.
But, behind the scenes, he also sounded a lot like a role model.
He drew laughs by thanking his financial adviser for protecting his money, but threw in a little advice for today's players.
"I tell all these young kids, the money you make, save it, put it in the bank. That money has to last you the rest of your lifetime, don't waste it," he said.
At the pre-induction news conference, he also took those players to task for a selfish style, and pointed to his own highlight films for those looking for an example of how the game should be played.
"I always tried as hard as I possibly could," Barkley said. "I like seeing that on tape. Today, they want to be stars. They don't want to be great players. We wanted to be great players."
Barkley was enshrined with two other NBA greats, Dominique Wilkins and Joe Dumars, Italian coach Sandro Gamba, former U.S. college commissioner Dave Gavitt, and University of Connecticut women's coach Geno Auriemma.
Barkley averaged 22 points and almost 12 rebounds in 16 NBA seasons that included stops in Philadelphia, Phoenix and Houston. But it was his charismatic personality and outspoken style that made him a superstar.
He put that style on display on Friday, with one liners about not finishing his college education and being arrested several times.
"I was always acquitted," he said.
But there was a message behind the humor.
He made headlines in a 1993 Nike television spot, when he solemnly warned the audience, "I am not a role model. . . parents should be role models."
He said on Friday that he was proud he started that conversation, and believes he is supposed to do great things with the fame that basketball has given him.
"Basketball is really important and significant in my life, but it's the least important thing," he said. "When I was able to give a million dollars to buy houses for the (Hurricane Katrina) evacuees, that was more important to me than anything I ever accomplished on the basketball court."
Dumars was the good guy on the Bad Boys, the Detroit Pistons teams in 1989 and 1990 that won NBA championships, and also included more high-profile stars, such as Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas, Bill Laimbeer and Dennis Rodman.
"I wasn't concerned about the marquee board," said Dumars, who played his entire 14-year career in Detroit. "That's never mattered to me and I gladly let others step forward and do that. If there was a championship that year, then my whole focus was just that."
Like Barkley, Wilkins never won a championship. But he was a nine-time NBA All-Star and a two-time NBA Slam Dunk champion known as "the Human Highlight Film" for his above-the-rim acrobatics.
"At a time when our league was being elevated, he was iconic for what he could do with the basketball," said NBA commissioner David Stern.
Wilkins said he wants to be remembered for being a complete player.
"Dunking was just a small part of my game," he said. "Dunking was just an intimidating tool I used. I had a much more rounded game than just dunking. To get 26,000 points, you don't get them all on dunks."
Gamba began playing basketball to rehabilitate hands injured when he was hit by machine gun fire as a 12-year-old boy during World War II.
He coached in European basketball for more than three decades, including four consecutive Italian Olympic teams from 1980-92. His team won a silver medal at the 1980 Moscow Olympics and gold at the 1983 European Championships.
Auriemma already has five U.S. college championship trophies at Connecticut and is closing in on winning his 600th career game next season. He joins UConn men's coach Jim Calhoun in the Hall of Fame.
Gavitt helped form the U.S. Big East college league in 1979 and served as its first commissioner. Gavitt also was president of USA Basketball and is credited with putting together the original 1992 Dream Team that won the gold medal in Barcelona, a team that featured Barkley, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan and Larry Bird.
"Barkley was the best player on that team," Gavitt said.
The Associated Press, SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2006
SPRINGFIELD, Massachusetts Charles Barkley played the comedian during his induction into the U.S. Basketball Hall of Fame on Friday.
But, behind the scenes, he also sounded a lot like a role model.
He drew laughs by thanking his financial adviser for protecting his money, but threw in a little advice for today's players.
"I tell all these young kids, the money you make, save it, put it in the bank. That money has to last you the rest of your lifetime, don't waste it," he said.
At the pre-induction news conference, he also took those players to task for a selfish style, and pointed to his own highlight films for those looking for an example of how the game should be played.
"I always tried as hard as I possibly could," Barkley said. "I like seeing that on tape. Today, they want to be stars. They don't want to be great players. We wanted to be great players."
Barkley was enshrined with two other NBA greats, Dominique Wilkins and Joe Dumars, Italian coach Sandro Gamba, former U.S. college commissioner Dave Gavitt, and University of Connecticut women's coach Geno Auriemma.
Barkley averaged 22 points and almost 12 rebounds in 16 NBA seasons that included stops in Philadelphia, Phoenix and Houston. But it was his charismatic personality and outspoken style that made him a superstar.
He put that style on display on Friday, with one liners about not finishing his college education and being arrested several times.
"I was always acquitted," he said.
But there was a message behind the humor.
He made headlines in a 1993 Nike television spot, when he solemnly warned the audience, "I am not a role model. . . parents should be role models."
He said on Friday that he was proud he started that conversation, and believes he is supposed to do great things with the fame that basketball has given him.
"Basketball is really important and significant in my life, but it's the least important thing," he said. "When I was able to give a million dollars to buy houses for the (Hurricane Katrina) evacuees, that was more important to me than anything I ever accomplished on the basketball court."
Dumars was the good guy on the Bad Boys, the Detroit Pistons teams in 1989 and 1990 that won NBA championships, and also included more high-profile stars, such as Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas, Bill Laimbeer and Dennis Rodman.
"I wasn't concerned about the marquee board," said Dumars, who played his entire 14-year career in Detroit. "That's never mattered to me and I gladly let others step forward and do that. If there was a championship that year, then my whole focus was just that."
Like Barkley, Wilkins never won a championship. But he was a nine-time NBA All-Star and a two-time NBA Slam Dunk champion known as "the Human Highlight Film" for his above-the-rim acrobatics.
"At a time when our league was being elevated, he was iconic for what he could do with the basketball," said NBA commissioner David Stern.
Wilkins said he wants to be remembered for being a complete player.
"Dunking was just a small part of my game," he said. "Dunking was just an intimidating tool I used. I had a much more rounded game than just dunking. To get 26,000 points, you don't get them all on dunks."
Gamba began playing basketball to rehabilitate hands injured when he was hit by machine gun fire as a 12-year-old boy during World War II.
He coached in European basketball for more than three decades, including four consecutive Italian Olympic teams from 1980-92. His team won a silver medal at the 1980 Moscow Olympics and gold at the 1983 European Championships.
Auriemma already has five U.S. college championship trophies at Connecticut and is closing in on winning his 600th career game next season. He joins UConn men's coach Jim Calhoun in the Hall of Fame.
Gavitt helped form the U.S. Big East college league in 1979 and served as its first commissioner. Gavitt also was president of USA Basketball and is credited with putting together the original 1992 Dream Team that won the gold medal in Barcelona, a team that featured Barkley, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan and Larry Bird.
"Barkley was the best player on that team," Gavitt said.
Fittingly, Dumars slips in Hall of Fame under the radar (source)
DETROIT (AP) -- Joe Dumars is going into the Basketball Hall of Fame just as he played -- under the radar.
Making all the noise, drawing all the attention Friday night will be two other inductees -- Charles Barkley and Dominique Wilkins. Barkley, no doubt, will have the most entertaining speech. Wilkins will monopolize the highlight tapes.
Dumars plans to stay nice and quiet, in keeping with the way he acted as a player and conducts himself as the Detroit Pistons' president of basketball operations.
"It's only befitting that I go in with a couple guys like Charles and Dominique because it typifies my 14 years in the NBA," Dumars said in an interview with The Associated Press this week. "And it's absolutely the way I would prefer to go into the Hall of Fame."
Unlike Barkley and Wilkins, Dumars was an NBA champion. He was the MVP of the 1989 NBA finals and helped Detroit repeat the next year.
"The three of us are getting to the same mountain top as players, using three different routes," Dumars said. "You're either a Hall of Famer based on championships or numbers, and I'm 100 percent comfortable and happy with the route I've taken."
Detroit drafted Dumars with the 18th pick overall in 1985, and the skinny, unknown shooting guard from McNeese State spent his entire 14-year career with Pistons -- the longest any player has played for the franchise.
"What's great about only playing for one team is that when people think about your career, they don't have to piece it together," he said. "They don't have to say, 'What did he do there?' or 'Did he win a title there?' If people think about my career, they only think about the Pistons, and I like that."
Dumars, elected in his second year of eligibility, might not be a Hall of Fame player because of any one facet of his game, but his versatility earned him a spot among the game's all-time stars.
"Nobody deserves it more than Joe," Pistons owner Bill Davidson said.
Michael Jordan has said Dumars was the toughest defender to score against in the NBA, helping him earn a spot on the All-Defensive team four times. The shooting guard averaged a relatively modest 16.1 points and 4.5 assists.
"Arguably, he helped form one of the greatest backcourts in NBA history, with Vinny [Johnson], Joe and myself," Hall of Fame point guard Isiah Thomas said in a statement released by the New York Knicks, a franchise he leads as coach and president. "He was a Hall of Fame player and Hall of Fame person. His contributions to our game of basketball far exceed what he has done on the court."
Dumars was the good guy on the Bad Boys, a person respected so much that the NBA created the Joe Dumars Trophy after he won the league's sportsmanship award following the 1995-96 season.
"To the people closest to me, that awards means as much or more than anything," he said. "It solidifies how you carried yourself for a very long time in the public eye."
Dumars' path to the Hall of Fame began in the dusty backyard of his parents' home in Natchitoches, La.
"The light from a liquor store turned off at midnight, so that's when my imaginary games ended," he said. "In the summer, I bet I spent about six hours a day out there shooting -- mostly by myself. My mom and dad always knew where I was because they could hear me dribbling."
Dumars will be presented by Thomas in Springfield, Mass., where people from Louisiana and Michigan will gather to celebrate.
"The most special thing will be that people from my childhood, college and NBA career will all be there with me in one place for the first time in my life," Dumars said. "It's going to be an overwhelming and emotional time for me."
DETROIT (AP) -- Joe Dumars is going into the Basketball Hall of Fame just as he played -- under the radar.
Making all the noise, drawing all the attention Friday night will be two other inductees -- Charles Barkley and Dominique Wilkins. Barkley, no doubt, will have the most entertaining speech. Wilkins will monopolize the highlight tapes.
Dumars plans to stay nice and quiet, in keeping with the way he acted as a player and conducts himself as the Detroit Pistons' president of basketball operations.
"It's only befitting that I go in with a couple guys like Charles and Dominique because it typifies my 14 years in the NBA," Dumars said in an interview with The Associated Press this week. "And it's absolutely the way I would prefer to go into the Hall of Fame."
Unlike Barkley and Wilkins, Dumars was an NBA champion. He was the MVP of the 1989 NBA finals and helped Detroit repeat the next year.
"The three of us are getting to the same mountain top as players, using three different routes," Dumars said. "You're either a Hall of Famer based on championships or numbers, and I'm 100 percent comfortable and happy with the route I've taken."
Detroit drafted Dumars with the 18th pick overall in 1985, and the skinny, unknown shooting guard from McNeese State spent his entire 14-year career with Pistons -- the longest any player has played for the franchise.
"What's great about only playing for one team is that when people think about your career, they don't have to piece it together," he said. "They don't have to say, 'What did he do there?' or 'Did he win a title there?' If people think about my career, they only think about the Pistons, and I like that."
Dumars, elected in his second year of eligibility, might not be a Hall of Fame player because of any one facet of his game, but his versatility earned him a spot among the game's all-time stars.
"Nobody deserves it more than Joe," Pistons owner Bill Davidson said.
Michael Jordan has said Dumars was the toughest defender to score against in the NBA, helping him earn a spot on the All-Defensive team four times. The shooting guard averaged a relatively modest 16.1 points and 4.5 assists.
"Arguably, he helped form one of the greatest backcourts in NBA history, with Vinny [Johnson], Joe and myself," Hall of Fame point guard Isiah Thomas said in a statement released by the New York Knicks, a franchise he leads as coach and president. "He was a Hall of Fame player and Hall of Fame person. His contributions to our game of basketball far exceed what he has done on the court."
Dumars was the good guy on the Bad Boys, a person respected so much that the NBA created the Joe Dumars Trophy after he won the league's sportsmanship award following the 1995-96 season.
"To the people closest to me, that awards means as much or more than anything," he said. "It solidifies how you carried yourself for a very long time in the public eye."
Dumars' path to the Hall of Fame began in the dusty backyard of his parents' home in Natchitoches, La.
"The light from a liquor store turned off at midnight, so that's when my imaginary games ended," he said. "In the summer, I bet I spent about six hours a day out there shooting -- mostly by myself. My mom and dad always knew where I was because they could hear me dribbling."
Dumars will be presented by Thomas in Springfield, Mass., where people from Louisiana and Michigan will gather to celebrate.
"The most special thing will be that people from my childhood, college and NBA career will all be there with me in one place for the first time in my life," Dumars said. "It's going to be an overwhelming and emotional time for me."
'Nique's journey to the Hall (source)
Dominique Wilkins celebrates induction with people he loves By SEKOU SMITH, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Springfield, Mass. — Dominique Wilkins was popping Pringles, sipping water and singing along to Stevie Wonder just before 5 a.m. Wednesday, losing himself, at least for a moment, in the mind-boggling journey that ends with Friday night's induction ceremony into the Basketball Hall of Fame.
But as the luxurious, 40-foot RV that served as his chariot hugged the curves of the highway a few blocks from where he grew up in Baltimore, Wilkins snapped out of his euphoric trance and glanced over his shoulder to make sure his most precious cargo was safe and comfortable.
His wife, Robin, sat cradling their newborn son, Jacob Dominique Wilkins, who was officially a week old Wednesday, was adjusting his fragile 20-inch frame into a more comfortable position.
"He came out perfect, without a problem," Wilkins said while driving in a moment when the several media cameras tracking his family's every move were finally pointed elsewhere. "I've felt anxious and nervous all at once. Getting on this RV to make this trip was the first time it really hit me, though. You realize how important all this is and that it's truly a once in a lifetime thing to go into the Hall of Fame.
"But that little guy right there makes everything perfect for me. I couldn't imagine being here or making this trip without him."
Memory lane
For Wilkins the trip bounced back and forth between a nostalgic joy ride he could share with his family and the emotional roller coaster that has marked his now Hall of Fame career. He expected to gain entry last year but was passed over and had to wait.
Yet, while the whole world focuses on the Human Highlight Film, Dominique Wilkins' focus never wavered from his newborn son, whom Wilkins said personifies all that he was then, is now and will be in the future.
"That's a 7-footer right there," Wilkins said looking over his shoulder repeatedly at his wife and son. "Look at his feet. Look at his hands. He's got my ears, there's no question about that. He's definitely got my ears. ... But it's like this was meant to be, this trip, sharing it with my wife and my sons and the rest of my family. It's a blessing that I didn't plan on."
Robin wasn't sure she and Jacob would make the 21-hour trip, which climaxed Wednesday afternoon with a surreal, behind-the-scenes peek at the preparations for tonight's ceremony.
Jacob wasn't scheduled to join the rest of the family for at least another month. Yet there they were, mother and son, along with seven other family members and four media members, gliding along the highway, en route to Wilkins' date with basketball immortality.
"I was devastated when she [her doctor] said I couldn't go," Robin said. "I was just crushed. It was unbelievable. They told me that Jacob might have to stay in the hospital for a week or two, so we still didn't think we'd be able to go. It just so happened that he's fairly strong and healthy, even though he's a preemie. That's why the lack of sleep and rest has been entirely worth it. Because Dom has been on cloud nine getting ready for this day, and now it's here. And I didn't want his mind to be anywhere else."
City protectors
Sharing the 1,030-mile journey with his children (his 10-year-old son, Isaiah, was also on board) and the rest of his family is what made the trip so appealing to Wilkins. It was, he said, like retracing the steps of his life on the way to what will stand as his greatest achievement as a player.
A stop for gas near his old Baltimore neighborhood came hours after a dinner stop in Concord, N.C., in which Wilkins didn't last 10 minutes before the entire Cracker Barrel restaurant, from the manager, kitchen and serving staff and patrons, began the steady parade of autograph and picture requests for one of basketball's true living legends — only 129 players have been enshrined thus far.
"We were maybe six or seven miles from where I grew up, and it's an eerie feeling to be near here now with my life coming full circle in ways that I never imagined," Wilkins said. "When I was growing up around here, this was the area with the highest crime rate in America. But I had a free pass. There was an order on the street that I wasn't to be messed with. If you did, you were going to have a problem. That was the code. Because I played basketball and the guys that ran the streets believed I had the talent to make it out of there. I could go to any court on any block and it was no problems. And I'll never forget those guys for what they did for me. They taught me how to play the game. They taught me to respect the game."
When he returned to his old stomping grounds a few years ago, Wilkins assumed all those guys would be dead and gone, victims to the life he escaped when he relocated to North Carolina for high school.
He was wrong.
"This cat named Big Harold is the guy that got me started in this thing," Wilkins continued. "He had a smooth jump shot and a crazy handle. He was strong, too, one of those guys that in my opinion was a playground legend. And he was right there when I came back. It was an awesome feeling to see him after all those years still here."
Just as awesome, he said, as the feeling he had when the members of his new family decided to accompany him on his pilgrimage to the Hall of Fame.
Wilkins shared driving duties with his father-in-law, James "Grand" Taylor, who served as the trip's official captain, navigator, RV technician and all-around man-in-charge. Meanwhile, his mother-in-law, Julie Taylor, and sister-in-law, Jill Collins, helped Robin tend to the baby and the other children, Jill's daughter, Genesis, and her son, Alex.
"They're all more excited for me more than anything else," he said. "Isaiah was so happy for me it touched off something in me. He was like 'can I be there with you to see everything.' That's when this all hit home for me.
"Because it's always been about family for me. And having them come up and be a part of this is what makes it special. I've got my brother [Gerald] coming up and my nephew [Damien] and hopefully my mom and my sisters. It's great to have the people who mean the most to you here to witness this and be a part of what's going on."
Time with family
With 1,030 miles to cover without an overnight stop there was plenty of time for jokes, card games, homework, movies, naps, stories, sightseeing, snacks and non-stop doting on Jacob, who remained the center of most everyone's attention from the time Taylor guided the RV from the front of Wilkins' Lilburn house Tuesday afternoon.
"I'm really looking forward to hear what Dom has to say [Friday night]," his father-in-law said while filling the 100-gallon gas tank during a stop in Virginia. "Dom is known as a guy who always speaks from the heart, so I'm eager to hear what he has to say. I know he has a speech prepared, but I don't expect him to stick to the script."
Wilkins said he tossed out the script a while ago. Robin explained it best.
"There's been a lot of adjustment for us this year," she said. "We moved into the house in December, got married in January, found out we were pregnant Jan. 19, so we basically got pregnant the night we got married, and haven't stopped going since."
Jacob's early arrival and the scramble to get everything in order for the trip didn't allow Robin the normal time to recuperate. The rest of the family went to work, Wilkins said, as they have done throughout what became an exhausting eight months.
Robin and her oldest sister, Charcy Williams, spent Labor Day weekend scouring the malls in Atlanta for preemie clothes for Jacob. Bags had to be packed and loaded. Food had to be prepared. The children had to be signed out of school early Tuesday. Robin and Jacob had to make one last doctor's appointment Tuesday afternoon before the departure.
"My goal," Robin said with a smile while holding Jacob, "is to do nothing whenever we get home."
Home is a few days away. There is tonight's ceremony, before a crowd of more than a thousand, and more activities Saturday morning. And then another 21 hours back to Atlanta.
"This is the closure I need for myself after all these years and all that's gone on," Wilkins said. "This takes away all the injustices I've experienced. There is no higher plateau I could be on right now. This lasts forever. That's why I wanted the kids to see it, and maybe one day, years from now, they can bring their kids here to see all this.
"And really it's not just me and my family alone. I hope this is a special time for the city of Atlanta and the entire state of Georgia. The people, the fans, they've always treated me like a native son, and it's always felt like my home. And just like being in the Hall of Fame, that feeling inside of you stands the test of time. So when I really think about it, there were more than 13 or 14 people that made this trip. A whole lot more."
Dominique Wilkins celebrates induction with people he loves By SEKOU SMITH, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Springfield, Mass. — Dominique Wilkins was popping Pringles, sipping water and singing along to Stevie Wonder just before 5 a.m. Wednesday, losing himself, at least for a moment, in the mind-boggling journey that ends with Friday night's induction ceremony into the Basketball Hall of Fame.
But as the luxurious, 40-foot RV that served as his chariot hugged the curves of the highway a few blocks from where he grew up in Baltimore, Wilkins snapped out of his euphoric trance and glanced over his shoulder to make sure his most precious cargo was safe and comfortable.
His wife, Robin, sat cradling their newborn son, Jacob Dominique Wilkins, who was officially a week old Wednesday, was adjusting his fragile 20-inch frame into a more comfortable position.
"He came out perfect, without a problem," Wilkins said while driving in a moment when the several media cameras tracking his family's every move were finally pointed elsewhere. "I've felt anxious and nervous all at once. Getting on this RV to make this trip was the first time it really hit me, though. You realize how important all this is and that it's truly a once in a lifetime thing to go into the Hall of Fame.
"But that little guy right there makes everything perfect for me. I couldn't imagine being here or making this trip without him."
Memory lane
For Wilkins the trip bounced back and forth between a nostalgic joy ride he could share with his family and the emotional roller coaster that has marked his now Hall of Fame career. He expected to gain entry last year but was passed over and had to wait.
Yet, while the whole world focuses on the Human Highlight Film, Dominique Wilkins' focus never wavered from his newborn son, whom Wilkins said personifies all that he was then, is now and will be in the future.
"That's a 7-footer right there," Wilkins said looking over his shoulder repeatedly at his wife and son. "Look at his feet. Look at his hands. He's got my ears, there's no question about that. He's definitely got my ears. ... But it's like this was meant to be, this trip, sharing it with my wife and my sons and the rest of my family. It's a blessing that I didn't plan on."
Robin wasn't sure she and Jacob would make the 21-hour trip, which climaxed Wednesday afternoon with a surreal, behind-the-scenes peek at the preparations for tonight's ceremony.
Jacob wasn't scheduled to join the rest of the family for at least another month. Yet there they were, mother and son, along with seven other family members and four media members, gliding along the highway, en route to Wilkins' date with basketball immortality.
"I was devastated when she [her doctor] said I couldn't go," Robin said. "I was just crushed. It was unbelievable. They told me that Jacob might have to stay in the hospital for a week or two, so we still didn't think we'd be able to go. It just so happened that he's fairly strong and healthy, even though he's a preemie. That's why the lack of sleep and rest has been entirely worth it. Because Dom has been on cloud nine getting ready for this day, and now it's here. And I didn't want his mind to be anywhere else."
City protectors
Sharing the 1,030-mile journey with his children (his 10-year-old son, Isaiah, was also on board) and the rest of his family is what made the trip so appealing to Wilkins. It was, he said, like retracing the steps of his life on the way to what will stand as his greatest achievement as a player.
A stop for gas near his old Baltimore neighborhood came hours after a dinner stop in Concord, N.C., in which Wilkins didn't last 10 minutes before the entire Cracker Barrel restaurant, from the manager, kitchen and serving staff and patrons, began the steady parade of autograph and picture requests for one of basketball's true living legends — only 129 players have been enshrined thus far.
"We were maybe six or seven miles from where I grew up, and it's an eerie feeling to be near here now with my life coming full circle in ways that I never imagined," Wilkins said. "When I was growing up around here, this was the area with the highest crime rate in America. But I had a free pass. There was an order on the street that I wasn't to be messed with. If you did, you were going to have a problem. That was the code. Because I played basketball and the guys that ran the streets believed I had the talent to make it out of there. I could go to any court on any block and it was no problems. And I'll never forget those guys for what they did for me. They taught me how to play the game. They taught me to respect the game."
When he returned to his old stomping grounds a few years ago, Wilkins assumed all those guys would be dead and gone, victims to the life he escaped when he relocated to North Carolina for high school.
He was wrong.
"This cat named Big Harold is the guy that got me started in this thing," Wilkins continued. "He had a smooth jump shot and a crazy handle. He was strong, too, one of those guys that in my opinion was a playground legend. And he was right there when I came back. It was an awesome feeling to see him after all those years still here."
Just as awesome, he said, as the feeling he had when the members of his new family decided to accompany him on his pilgrimage to the Hall of Fame.
Wilkins shared driving duties with his father-in-law, James "Grand" Taylor, who served as the trip's official captain, navigator, RV technician and all-around man-in-charge. Meanwhile, his mother-in-law, Julie Taylor, and sister-in-law, Jill Collins, helped Robin tend to the baby and the other children, Jill's daughter, Genesis, and her son, Alex.
"They're all more excited for me more than anything else," he said. "Isaiah was so happy for me it touched off something in me. He was like 'can I be there with you to see everything.' That's when this all hit home for me.
"Because it's always been about family for me. And having them come up and be a part of this is what makes it special. I've got my brother [Gerald] coming up and my nephew [Damien] and hopefully my mom and my sisters. It's great to have the people who mean the most to you here to witness this and be a part of what's going on."
Time with family
With 1,030 miles to cover without an overnight stop there was plenty of time for jokes, card games, homework, movies, naps, stories, sightseeing, snacks and non-stop doting on Jacob, who remained the center of most everyone's attention from the time Taylor guided the RV from the front of Wilkins' Lilburn house Tuesday afternoon.
"I'm really looking forward to hear what Dom has to say [Friday night]," his father-in-law said while filling the 100-gallon gas tank during a stop in Virginia. "Dom is known as a guy who always speaks from the heart, so I'm eager to hear what he has to say. I know he has a speech prepared, but I don't expect him to stick to the script."
Wilkins said he tossed out the script a while ago. Robin explained it best.
"There's been a lot of adjustment for us this year," she said. "We moved into the house in December, got married in January, found out we were pregnant Jan. 19, so we basically got pregnant the night we got married, and haven't stopped going since."
Jacob's early arrival and the scramble to get everything in order for the trip didn't allow Robin the normal time to recuperate. The rest of the family went to work, Wilkins said, as they have done throughout what became an exhausting eight months.
Robin and her oldest sister, Charcy Williams, spent Labor Day weekend scouring the malls in Atlanta for preemie clothes for Jacob. Bags had to be packed and loaded. Food had to be prepared. The children had to be signed out of school early Tuesday. Robin and Jacob had to make one last doctor's appointment Tuesday afternoon before the departure.
"My goal," Robin said with a smile while holding Jacob, "is to do nothing whenever we get home."
Home is a few days away. There is tonight's ceremony, before a crowd of more than a thousand, and more activities Saturday morning. And then another 21 hours back to Atlanta.
"This is the closure I need for myself after all these years and all that's gone on," Wilkins said. "This takes away all the injustices I've experienced. There is no higher plateau I could be on right now. This lasts forever. That's why I wanted the kids to see it, and maybe one day, years from now, they can bring their kids here to see all this.
"And really it's not just me and my family alone. I hope this is a special time for the city of Atlanta and the entire state of Georgia. The people, the fans, they've always treated me like a native son, and it's always felt like my home. And just like being in the Hall of Fame, that feeling inside of you stands the test of time. So when I really think about it, there were more than 13 or 14 people that made this trip. A whole lot more."
Comment