BAMAPHIN 22
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Moments after he was chosen as a finalist for the Basketball Hall of Fame, Charles Barkley lobbied all 24 voters to elect Dominique Wilkins.
``Dominique should have got in last year,'' Barkley said Friday after the 16 finalists for the Class of 2006 were announced.
Dubbed ``The Human Highlight Film'' for his breathtaking above-the-rim game, Wilkins was a finalist last year but didn't make it. The Paris-born Wilkins was a nine-time NBA All-Star and two-time slam dunk champion. He's one of three Atlanta Hawks to have his jersey retired.
``People who know basketball, in the basketball world, understand what my place is in basketball history,'' said Wilkins, now the Hawks' vice president of basketball. ``And I'm confident things will be fine this go-round. Do I think I was a first-ballot? Of course. Hopefully things will work out this time.''
Among the other finalists are Connecticut women's basketball coach Geno Auriemma, Detroit Pistons president of basketball operations Joe Dumars and ESPN college basketball analyst Dick Vitale.
http://cnn.netscape.cnn.com/news/story.jsp?flok=FF-APO-2030&idq=/ff/story/0001%2F20060217%2F2225243826.htm&sc=2030
``Dominique should have got in last year,'' Barkley said Friday after the 16 finalists for the Class of 2006 were announced.
Dubbed ``The Human Highlight Film'' for his breathtaking above-the-rim game, Wilkins was a finalist last year but didn't make it. The Paris-born Wilkins was a nine-time NBA All-Star and two-time slam dunk champion. He's one of three Atlanta Hawks to have his jersey retired.
``People who know basketball, in the basketball world, understand what my place is in basketball history,'' said Wilkins, now the Hawks' vice president of basketball. ``And I'm confident things will be fine this go-round. Do I think I was a first-ballot? Of course. Hopefully things will work out this time.''
Among the other finalists are Connecticut women's basketball coach Geno Auriemma, Detroit Pistons president of basketball operations Joe Dumars and ESPN college basketball analyst Dick Vitale.
http://cnn.netscape.cnn.com/news/story.jsp?flok=FF-APO-2030&idq=/ff/story/0001%2F20060217%2F2225243826.htm&sc=2030
