Michael Jordan Says Dominique Wilkins Forced 41-Point Edge
Michael Jordan said Dominique Wilkins was the one opponent who made him rise to the occasion, a rare admission from a player who entered the NBA during the league's truly golden years. Jordan made the point while looking back at a rivalry that produced 41-point and 57-point nights in the same 1986 meeting.
Jordan And Wilkins In 1986
"Of all the guys I play against there's one who definitely makes me rise to the occasion," Jordan said while referring to Wilkins. That December game in 1986 became known as "The Shootout," and it lived up to the name: Jordan scored 41 points, Wilkins set a career high with 57, and the Atlanta Hawks beat the Chicago Bulls 123-95.
Isiah Thomas described the night as a back-and-forth battle. "They just go back and forth. Jordan had 30 at the quarter, Dominique had 22 at the quarter and they be pointing at each other and like, come on with it and they just go at it," he said. Thomas added, "It's good competition" and said, "They're not trying to hurt each other, but they're playing hard against each other. They both trying to win and after the game they probably go out to the bar."
Julius Erving And The Rivalry
The same look back also drew a line between Wilkins and Julius Erving. Jordan said he could not do anything when matched up with Erving because he had so much admiration for him, adding that he was just happy to be on the same floor with him. That separates Erving from Wilkins in Jordan's own account: one rival pushed him to score more, while another left him content just to share the court.
The scoring did not stop in that 1986 season. Late in the same year, Jordan put up 61 points against Wilkins and the Hawks, though Atlanta still won 117-114.
Jordan And Wilkins Again
The rivalry carried into 1988, when Jordan beat Wilkins in the dunk contest with a free-throw line slam. It added another chapter to a matchup that already had a one-game showcase, a 61-point response, and one clear assessment from Jordan: Wilkins was the scorer who forced him to rise to the occasion.
