Today in Sports History: April 17

Dominique Wilkins scored 41 points during an Atlanta Hawks versus a 1993 Charlotte Hornets game putting him over the 22,000 point mark. He was the 11th player to reach the 22,000 career point mark.
Nicknamed “The Human Highlight Reel,” Wilkins was selected third in the 1982 NBA draft by the Utah Jazz; he was traded to the Atlanta Hawks a few months after he was selected. He won his first Slam-Dunk Championship (1984) and played in his first NBA All-Star Weekend during the 1984-5 season. Wilkins holds the record for most free throws made with no misses and the most consecutive free throws made in a single game at 23 during a 1992 game against the Chicago Bulls. In addition to his time in the NBA, he played professional basketball in Greece and won the Final Four MVP award, the Greek Cup with Panathinaikos, and was named the MVP of the Cup Final. Wilkins retired from the NBA in 1999. He was the 1986 NBA Scoring Championship and a nine-time NBA All-Star. In 2001, the Atlanta Hawks retired Dominique Wilkins’ No. 21 jersey at Philips Arena. Wilkins is one of only three Hawks to have their numbers retired. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006.