Nique statue (USATSI)
'Nique will be in Atlanta forever thanks to sculptor Brian Hanlon. (Getty Images)

In Atlanta, last week was ‘Nique Week,’ seven days of tributes to the Atlanta Hawks’ great Dominique Wilkins. On the final day, a 13 ½ feet tall, 18,500 pound granite sculpture of Wilkins was unveiled in front of Philips Arena. This was also the culmination of sculptor Brian Hanlon’s hard work to properly honor his friend.

The two first met at Wilkins’s induction to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006 and have since worked together to make both of their dreams come true in Atlanta. “Watching his family arrive in a RV at the Hall of Fame coupled with his behavior as an inductee, which was extremely humble and grateful, made quite an impression on me,” recalls Hanlon. “I go after projects where I am really compassionate about the subject matter. I love the guys that are under the radar and need recognition; guys like Dominique, who have been slighted over the years.”

Slighted may be the perfect word to sum up Wilkins' career. The 1988 Slam Dunk contest in Chicago is often brought up when discussing Wilkins. It was there he showed the world his athleticism with never-before-seen dunks but lost to Michael Jordan. Jordan’s hometown advantage factored heavily in his win while Wilkins was left in second place.

Perhaps the biggest slight for Wilkins occurred in 1996, the tail end of his career, when the NBA left him off their official list of 50 greatest players of all-time. Wilkins was bouncing around from team to team but was still the only star that the Hawks had during the late 80’s and early 90’s and was the main player pushing the team into the playoffs. Long time Hawks’ fan and NBA.com writer Lang Whitaker recently wrote about this heartbreaking incident:

That was a real punch to the chest for Hawks fans, because suddenly the guy we'd held this blind belief in for so long was being institutionally snubbed. It was like the NBA was telling Atlanta fans that Dominique Wilkins was officially not as good as we all believed that he was. And it hurt.

The statue is a testament to Wilkins' hard work and Atlanta’s loyalty for their star. Atlanta civic leader Thomas Dortch worked with Hanlon to create a groundswell of support to build the statue and the Hawks got involved three years ago.

Hanlon’s work as the official sculptor for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame may have also sealed the deal. He crafts each inductee’s award, including the Bob Cousy Award for the top point guard in college basketball each year. This year Hanlon will be doing even more work for the Hall: “ I am going to complement the Cousy award by adding an award for every position in college basketball this year. I believe we are going to give out five or six new awards. The Hall will announce more details soon but one of the new awards will be the Dr. J award, which is long over due.”

While the process of creating a sculpture is an intricate and huge undertaking, Hanlon was miraculously able to complete the Nique statue in about seven months (he admitted that this was a job that would usually take 12 to 18 months). Not only was he able to create a magnificent statue in such a short period of time, he was also able to nail the details, like Wilkins’s flattop. “Without the flattop there is no Nique,” said Hanlon. “It is important to be correct on pieces not only aesthetically but historically as well. So I had to go with the short shorts, the Reeboks and of course his flattop.”

The size of the statute also is of historically significance. “I needed to create something that was in proportion to the monumental impact that Nique has had on the history of Atlanta,” he said. “Not only for his role as a great Atlanta Hawks player but also for the work he has done for the city.

I’m always interested in inspiring and educating a visitor to a piece of art I made. I want them to not only be inspired by the aesthetics but also possibly learn a little about the individual and their impact.”

Wilkins himself is quite impressed with Hanlon’s work and has been taken aback by the honor, as he recently told Grantland’s Jonathan Abrams:

It’s really hard to put into words what this does for me and my family. It’s a moment that never can be duplicated. And what it does for me, to be honest with you, is that in this city of Atlanta, we do have a basketball heritage and this is a statement to that effect. I feel it has been overlooked many, many, many years. It’s forgotten how successful this organization has been. Yeah, we haven’t won a championship, but we’ve played proud, consistent basketball in this city and we’ve had some great players come through this system. To have this statue for the city, for the state of Georgia, I mean, I can’t tell you how surreal this feels to me and for everybody in my family. This is a special moment.

This was such a special moment for Wilkins that he even hung out in front of the statute when it was unveiled to the public so he could take pictures with fans. Tragically, there was one person that Wilkins couldn’t take a picture with at the statue’s unveiling: Hanlon. The man he had worked with for over eight years to get the statue made had to undergo abdominal surgery and was unable to make the trip. Hanlon shrugs off his surgery even though he says it was to “save his life” but insists that his “warrior” attitude would have him back on his feet quickly. Perhaps this warrior attitude is what attracted Wilkins to Hanlon, as its something that they both share.

“I got a phone call from Nique after the unveiling and we both were in near tears,” said Hanlon. “We started off as acquaintances and now I can truly say that we are friends today.”