Former Atlanta Hawk Wilkins, soars again - in slo-mo

For the latest Philippine news stories and videos, visit GMANews.TV The game result hardly mattered to the fans. All they wanted was to see NBA greats Dominique Wilkins, Tim Hardaway, Robert Horry and Vlade Divac once again showcasing their talents that made them legends of the sport. The NBA Generations waylaid the PBA All-Stars, 109-86, on Friday night at the Araneta Coliseum with Wilkins turning back the hands of time to lead the way for the visiting team. The 6-foot-8 Wilkins was the most active offensively and defensively among the three other already retired NBA players. Despite already sporting a potbelly, the 49-year-old Wilkins opened up the game with a one-handed breakaway jam, giving the Filipino crowd the chance to see live the former two-time slam dunk champion’s moves. Wilkins, fired up with the crowd’s response, made another dunk in the 9:14 mark of the opening period as if saying that the now retired NBA player still has what it takes to challenge the current crop of high-leapers Dwight Howard, LeBron James and Kobe Bryant. Asked how he feels in turning back the hands of time, Wilkins answered: “I feel very sore," a remark that brought laughter to members of the media who attended the after game press conference. “Did you notice I had an ice bag after the game in one of my ankles? It has been a long time since I played at this type of competition that way since I retired 10 years ago," added the nine-time NBA All-Star. He said that he had a lot of fun in the NBA Asia Challenge’s three-city sortie. The NBA Generations, along with players from the National Basketball Development League and the New Jersey Nets’ Dunking Divas, also had stops in the cities of Incheon and Seoul in Korea. “This trip has been interesting for me. It’s fun to play with guys who understand the game, the veterans. It makes it easy for you to just get up and play your game," he added. Wilkins, who played most of his career with the Atlanta Hawks, said it had been hard playing again after hanging up his sneakers 10 seasons ago. “Scoring is easy but running is hard." He even praised the PBA All-Star saying: “The guys are really quick, energetic and run the ball well." - Jonathan Perez, GMANews.TV