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Diasabra 22 Januari 2022

NBA at 75: Wilkins soared in 1980s, often felt unappreciated

(AP) - I say this to people all the time: the Georgia faithful treated me like I was
I’m not from Atlanta, but I am from At- their native son.
lanta.
There’s a lot of things that guys would
Where I’m truly from is a matter of inter- talk about back then. You had some
pretation. I was born in Paris. I’ve lived subtle conversations about how players
in Dallas, Oklahoma and Baltimore. I were perceived. If you had a great ath-
played in Los Angeles, Boston, San An- lete, a white guy who’s very intelligent,
tonio, Orlando, Greece and Italy. I grew he would have a “high basketball IQ.”
up in Wilmington, North Carolina. You heard a lot of that stuff. But you
rarely ever heard during that time that
But I played college basketball at Geor- an African-American player had a “high
gia. And I spent most of my career in At- basketball IQ.” It was those subtle type
lanta. I still live and work in Atlanta. So I of racist statements that were made back
say I’m from there. then. But over time guys have used their
platform to really hold people account-
Atlanta has always appreciated me, which able for what they say. And I think it’s
is important, because I’ve often felt un- great that they have done that.
appreciated, period. I never played with
another superstar in their prime and a lot I made the NBA’s 75th anniversary team.
of people never really gave me the credit I didn’t understand why I didn’t make
for what I’ve done. Not having another the 50th anniversary team. It’s amazing
superstar to play with, I still competed on because at that time, when that team was
the highest level. picked in 1996, I was seventh all-time
league scorer in history. I was like, “Am
When I came out of high school, because I missing something here?” And what I
I’d signed with the University of Geor- did, not playing with another superstar
gia, they ran me out of that little small ... I mean, people don’t understand how
town in Washington, North Carolina. hard that is, particularly in the 80’s, in the
I had a cross burning in my yard, so I East.
know what it looks like. And I never ex-
perienced anything like that until I went I was double-teamed every night. I would
south. I’ve seen it firsthand. But I’ve al- get Larry Bird one night, James Worthy
ways been the person to stand above it all another night, Larry Nance, Bernard
and try to take a negative and turn it into King, Julius Erving, every single night. It
a positive and not let them discredit who was just a super competitive time where
I am or treat me less than a man. you had real rivalries. But it made basket-
ball for me so much fun to play.
When I was in high school, we had a
Black prom and a white prom. The Black It was a great time. I mean the 80′s bas-
prom was at the recreation center, the ketball, man, I wouldn’t trade it for any-
white prom at the high school. I can’t thing in the world. That was a great time.
make this up. Superstar after superstar. And then you
had young superstars coming, when the
Racism was and is real, of course, but Michael Jordan arrival happened. It was
I never felt it in a locker room. It was just a wonderful time to play professional
kind of hidden in different ways, but I basketball.
never experienced it really as a profes-
sional. I didn’t feel it until later, believe And I’m so proud to have played it in At-
it or not. But even when I was in college, lanta, for Atlanta.

Number of early NFL draft entrants hits nine-year low at 73

(AP) - The NFL an- Alabama, which lost to Geor- after finishing their degrees year’s draft, though injuries
nounced Friday that 73 gia in the College Football The number of players and notifying the NFL. limited him to 11 games.
underclassmen have been Playoff title game, also had granted special eligibility was
granted special eligibility four underclassmen grant- down from 98 in 2021 and 99 Thibodeaux was expected to The total number of players
for the draft, the fewest in ed special eligibility for the in 2020. A record 106 juniors be in contention to be the entering the draft early (100)
the last nine years. draft, including All-America entered the draft without first overall selection in this is down from 128 last season.
receiver Jameson Williams, completing degrees in 2018.
All-American linebacker Na- who tore a ligament in his
kobe Dean was one of four left knee in the champion- Before this year, the only
players from national cham- ship game. time since 2014 the number
pion Georgia on the list, of underclassmen entering
along with receiver George Fellow Crimson Tide receiv- the NFL draft with special
Pickens, safety Lewis Cine er John Metchie, who injured eligibility fell below 95 was
and defensive lineman Tra- his knee in the Southeastern 2015 when the number was
von Walker. Conference championship 74.
game, has also declared for
Mississippi’s Matt Corral is the draft, along with Alabama Another 27 players, including
one of only two quarterbacks tackle Evan Neal and line- quarterbacks Sam Howell of
on the list, and a contender backer Christian Harris. North Carolina and Carson
to be one of the first quar- Strong of Nevada and Or-
terbacks selected in the draft Neal is expected to be one egon All-America defensive
scheduled for April 28-30 in of the first offensive lineman end Kayvon Thibodeaux, are
Las Vegas. drafted and a potential top-10 entering this season’s draft
selection. with eligibility remaining