Former NBA star Dominique Wilkins is widely recognized for his remarkable achievements, including winning the NBA Dunk Contest in 1985 and 1990. Despite these accolades, he still considers facing Michael Jordan one of his career’s most challenging experiences.

Dominique Wilkins praises Michael Jordan's athleticism

Wilkins recently appeared on the “All The Smoke” podcast with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson. During the appearance, Wilkins shared some memorable stories about his encounters with Jordan and highlighted the intensity and competitiveness that Jordan brought to the court.

“I played against some of the most hard-nosed, talented players who ever played this game. He was a phenomenon, and he had an attitude to go with it,” Wilkins said.

Wilkins and Jordan went head-to-head in a total of 48 NBA games, with Jordan holding a 30-18 winning record over Wilkins. The intensity of their matchups left a lasting impression on Wilkins.

“When you played against Mike, his eyes were bloodshot red every game like he was possessed. I used to say to myself, ‘I got to go to work tonight. Jesus is coming,’” he added.

Dominique Wilkins Hails Kobe Bryant as the Closest to Michael Jordan
Apart from praising Michael Jordan, Dominique Wilkins also shared his love and respect for the late NBA legend Kobe Bryant on the podcast. Wilkins praised Bryant’s athleticism and linked him to Michael Jordan.

“I love Kobe. Kobe’s an old-school throwback with a new-school twist. I remember when he was leaving his last game in Atlanta, and I went in the locker room afterward. I said, ‘Man, I loved the way you played the game; you never made excuses; you played hurt. You’re the last of our kind. When you leave, the last of our kind leaves with it.’ And he looked at me; he said, ‘Man, that really means a lot coming from you because a lot of the legends have told me that,’” he said.

“I said, ‘It’s true, man. I mean, you played really on a bad Achilles, which nobody’s gonna do.’ He’s the closest, to me, as a Michael-like player ever,” he added.

Wilkins faced Bryant three times throughout his NBA career, holding a 2-1 record over the Lakers star. Although they never met in the playoffs, Wilkins deeply respects Bryant and his contributions to the game.