[人類精華影片特輯] Wilkins' Hall 0f Fame speech
Wilkins' Hall 0f Fame speech
'It's more than just a basketball'
Published on: 09/09/06
THE SPEECH
This is the advance text of Dominique Wilkins' acceptance speech
into the Basketball Hall of Fame.
He was introduced by Julius Erving.
Thank you, Julius. You've been like a brother to me and I can't
tell you how proud I am to be introduced by someone whose
achievements on and off the basketball court are nothing short
of amazing. There is only one Dr. J. and I thank you.
I am truly humbled and have many people to thank. But first,
I want to congratulate my fellow inductees whom I proudly stand
beside today.
I love basketball and have the utmost respect for the game; what it
has taught me about life and being a better person. Recently, I was
teaching some kids and handed a basketball to a youngster.
"Do you know what this is?"
"It's a basketball," replied the young man.
"It's more than just a basketball," I said. "If you care for it and
treat it with love and respect, it will give back to you and help
you achieve your dreams."
I have always dreamed of being in the Hall of Fame. Once you have
reached this level, you are part of basketball royalty and no one
can ever take that from you.
I want to thank my family, former coaches and teammates, and a host
of very special people who have played important roles in my life.
From growing up in O'Donnell Heights, Maryland, where the older guys
pushed me to play even though I had no clue what the game of
basketball was about; to my high school coach in Washington, North
Carolina, Dave Smith, who made my teammates and me recite a poem
called "Don't Quit" before every game.
Coach Smith was the best motivator I ever played for. He was the
ultimate hard-ass, but took me under his wing and taught me that
basketball can be used as a tool to take the next step in life
toward becoming a better man. Although we hated reciting the poem
back then, I realized as I got older that the words have a deeper
meaning.
When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest, if you must; but don't you quit.
In High School, Alvis Rodgers and Sean Williams were two of the
best teammates and friends I have ever had.
In college, Coach Hugh Durham was like a father to me. He was the
best competitor I ever played for and with his high-pitched voice
and jacket twirling everywhere; he made us feel as though we had
a sixth man on the floor. I also want to thank the University of
Georgia for providing me with a solid education and athletic
foundation; and all of my teammates, especially Vern Fleming, Lamar
Heard, Terry Fair and James Banks. These guys were more than great
friends and teammates, they're family.
I want to thank the Atlanta Hawks organization; Ted Turner, Stan
Kasten, and particularly, the Gearons, Michael Senior and Junior,
who are part of the team's ownership and are my extended family.
My former Hawks teammates and good friends: Glenn "Doc" Rivers,
Wayne "Tree" Rollins, Dan Roundfield, Randy Whitman, Anthony "Spud"
Webb and John Battle. I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge our
long-time trainer Joe O'Toole and broadcaster Steve Holman.
To Hawks President and CEO Bernie Mullin, GM Billy Knight and the
entire Atlanta Spirit family — I am proud to work for the Hawks
organization alongside so many great people. And of course, the great
fans and City of Atlanta — you have always made me feel at home and
I will forever consider myself an Atlanta Hawk.
I also want to thank the best NBA coach I ever played for, Mike
Fratello. I never appreciated just how good of a coach Mike was until
he no longer coached me. Mike was the shortest guy in the organization
but always thought he was a tough guy. He never backed down from
anything he believed in and it made me work that much harder.
Of course, all of this would not be possible without the support of
my tremendous family, which consists of my mother, brothers, sisters,
children, grandson; and my wife Robin, who gave birth to our child,
Jacob, just last week. I love you all.
And thank you to the NBA, the Hall voters and to all the incredible
basketball fans everywhere —without you there would be no No. 21
and "Human Highlight Film."
As I look forward to raising my two sons, Isiah and Jacob, in this
challenging world while striving to make a difference in people's
lives, I often think about the final words from the poem we recited
for Coach Smith: "Success is failure turned inside out;
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt;
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems afar;
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit;
It's when things seem worst that you mustn't quit."
I love you all and thank you again from the bottom of my heart.
資料來源
http://0rz.tw/1e1Uz
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