The Story of Club 21: Money Laundering, Murder & Dominique Wilkins

In the late 80s and early 90s, Atlanta Hawks star Dominique Wilkins was flying high.

Dubbed “The Human Highlight Reel”, Dominique was one of the NBA’s best and most exciting players, until a shady business deal almost cost him everything.

Let’s go to the Club

There was nothing quite like the 90s party scene in Atlanta.

While I don’t speak from personal experience here, as I was still in elementary school playing the second-hand Super Nintendo my mom bought me during this time. I have heard some first-hand accounts from OGs about the dance parties, the Freaknik fest, and the general disregard for public decency.

A couple of clubs were known hotspots for such activities, including Sneakers in Marietta.

Officially, on paper at least. Prominent local criminal defense attorney Fred Tokars (more on him later) and two partners named James Mason and Billy Carter owned Sneakers in 1991.

In reality, they were all acting as frontmen for a uhm ‘street entrepreneur’ by the name of Julius Cline. Who, because of his criminal past, was banned by law from operating a club.

Like many a street entrepreneur, Cline needed a (legal) outlet through which to funnel funds, and his attorney, Tokars was happy to be the Saul Goodman to his Heisenberg.

So, by now you’re probably wondering how Dominique Wilkins gets involved in all this drama.

Sara from Sneakers

Let’s back it up a little bit.

The idea to buy Club Sneakers originally came to Tokars from his then-wife, Sara, who was the club’s marketing manager at the time and who he would later end up hiring a hitman to kill because she wanted a divorce☠️

Fred thought it was a swell idea, as it would help his client’s booming money laundering operation, seeing as how they already owned another midtown club called The Parrot and had experience in the business.

After the purchase of Sneakers was signed, sealed, and delivered, the Cryme Tyme partners wanted to re-brand the club and had Sara get in touch with Dominique’s representatives through her connections.

The deal they offered to Dominique was 10% of the club’s (legit) earnings in exchange for his naming rights.

Since NBA contracts weren’t nearly as lucrative back then as they are now, Nique agreed, and Dominique’s Club 21, in honor of his jersey number, was born. But then the NBA superstar learned that the real owner – Julius Cline is a drug dealer…

**Get your authentic Dominique Wilkins Hawks jersey so The Human Highlight Reel can make royalties off you too**

And he proceeds to ask for more money.

Three Sides to Every Story

As the old adage goes, there are three sides to every story: your side, my side, and the truth.

I say this because this is the part of the story where things get murky, with different accounts of what happens next.

According to some that were around back then like Andre Willis, Cline was a hot-head that refused to pay Nique a cent more and instead offered the same deal to Atlanta Falcons star cornerback Deion Sanders, who also happily obliged.

Others say Dominique got Cline to come around to the more money part and the two had a good thing going until the whole Fred Tokars murdering his wife thing came to light, the club shut down, and the Hawks traded Wilkins to the Clippers due to the heat the high-profile Tokars case was about to bring on the organization because of Dominique’s close ties to the rogue attorney.

The truth is probably somewhere in the middle like Malcolm.

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