In a game against the Kansas City Kings at Municipal Auditorium on November 13, 1979, Dawkins broke the backboard, sending the Kings' Bill Robinzine ducking. R.I.P. Darryl Dawkins, the legendary basketball player whose board-shattering dunks earned him the moniker "Chocolate Thunder", has died. Legendary NBA player Darryl Dawkins always put the crowd in a frenzy with his signature glass-shattering powerful dunk. Darryl Dawkins, a high-scoring, big-dunking center who played the bulk of his 15-year NBA career with the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Nets, has died at the age of 58 . Dawkins also played in Italy, the Continental Basketball Association and even had a brief stint with the Harlem Globetrotters. [18] His tenure with Utah lasted just four games before the Jazz traded him to the Detroit Pistons for a pair of second-round draft picks and an undisclosed amount of cash. That's per diem money.' The next season, he poured in a career-high 16.8 points per game on .593 field-goal shooting and grabbed 6.7 rebounds per contest. It needed to become Dawkins proof. Steeped in his Chocolate Thunder persona, the indestructible dunking force that earned cult status in the late '70s and early '80s, Dawkins toured the country in recent years to entertain league sponsors. He made this decision because he wanted to make enough money to help his grandmother, mother and siblings to escape poverty. He committed one more personal foul during his career than Michael Jordan, despite playing nearly 350 fewer games.[25]. Thoughts and prayers go out to Janice and the entire Dawkins family on the passing of a gentleman. His family, wife Janice, children Dara, Tabitha, Nicholas and Alexis, along with countless family, friends, and fans, all mourn his loss. But unlike Shaq, Dawkins never claimed an NBA title. Injuries plagued him late in his NBA career, and he went overseas for several more years to play primarily in the Italian league. The Associated Press, ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk and ESPN Stats & Information contributed to this report. He was 58. . Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. One gold chain had a cross while the other featured one of his nicknames "Sir Slam" in gold script. He said a construction worker recently came to his home to remove some debris and asked him, "Is this your play house?". Dawkins was traded to the New Jersey Nets in 1982, and he helped the team make the playoffs for four-straight seasons. This guy was a monster on the court. "I said, 'C'mon now, I'm not on 'Ballers.' He would name his dunks - the "look out below," the "yo-mama" and the "rim wrecker" among them - and often boasted that he hailed from the "Planet Lovetron.". . Or the Spine-Chiller-Supreme? Always told you I would make it to the NBA since I was little, I thank the man above for allowing me to come through on my promise to you. You may not think about it much today but the breakaway rim exists because of guys like Darryl Dawkins. Injuries plagued Dawkins late in his NBA career, and he went overseas for several years to play in the Italian league. Dawkins' shows of force unquestionably changed the game. TRENTON, N.J. Police were investigating the death Sunday morning of the estranged wife of professional basketball player Darryl Dawkins. Bove said athletes generally enjoy a better survival rate than the general population, but when they stop playing they become prone to weight gain. They exercise, they watch their nutrition, they try to limit the stress in their lives. The NBA had completely switched to the new rims by the Fall of 1981 and now they are standard across the world at the professional and collegiate levels. ", There's a surprisingly large population of ex-players, Haywood said, who refuse to go to the doctor because "they're afraid of what they'll find out.''. He also coached at times, at both the minor league and junior college levels. 'Whatever seed we are, we're ready': Is there room for Cleveland among the East elite? Darryl Dawkins, seen here at the 2013 NBA All-Star Celebrity Game, died Thursday at age 58. You were very inspirational to a lot of young players. But he slowly increased his minutes and production each of his first seven years in the league. 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There was the Rim Wrecker, the Look Out Below, The In Your Face Disgrace, The Yo Mama, The Spine Chiller Supreme, and on the occasion that he went coast to coast for a dunk, well those were called the Greyhound Specials. Kevin Durant, Jayson Tatum top NBA quotes of the week, When thinking about Dawkins, smiles won't end, NBA Players Pay Respect To The Late Darryl Dawkins. It worked. "It's too close to home," former star center Bob Lanier said. NBA Star Darryl Dawkins Died at 58 - inside Circumstances of His Sudden Death. Doing a good deed is always a good thing. Sometimes, Dawkins would also shave his head and have it oiled along with wearing an earring. Who was the first player to enter the NBA straight from high school? The NBA soon went to breakaway rims and mandated that backboards be shatter-resistant. His nickname, "Chocolate Thunder", was bestowed upon him by Stevie Wonder. Dubs' Curry (leg) could return as soon as Sun. Dawkins died Thursday at a hospital in Allentown, Pennsylvania, according to the Lehigh County coroner's office. The 76ers suffered another postseason disappointment in 1982 when they reached the Finals but lost again to the Los Angeles Lakers in six games. At 6 feet, 11 inches and more than 250 pounds, he broke two glass backboards in one month during the 1979 season prompting the NBA to adopt a new rule making it a finable offense to shatter a backboard. Longtime 76ers center Darryl Dawkins died Thursday at the age of 58. Dawkins so loved his dunks that he often named them. An autopsy concluded the cause of death was coronary artery disease. Just to show how big he was, back in 1999 as the millennium was ending Saturday Night Live was doing a Weekend Update segment where they were naming their Man of the Millennium. And Ill get to that in a moment. Darryl Dawkins was selected with the 5th overall pick by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 1975 NBA draft. He averaged 12 points and 6.1 rebounds in 726 career regular-season games. Dawkins died Thursday in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania hospital. Collins did not want to pick glass out of his hair. "A guy who never saw me," a beaming Dawkins said in a 2011 interview, "gave me the name 'Chocolate Thunder.'". "Darryl touched the hearts and spirits of so many with his big smile and personality, ferocious dunks, but more than anything, his huge, loving heart," his family said. After his NBA career, Dawkins played several seasons in Italy before taking several coaching positions and serving as an ambassador for the NBA. The Lehigh County coroner's office announced that an autopsy would be performed on August 27, but according to a statement released by Dawkins' family, the cause of death was a heart attack. Among them were former boxing heavyweight champion Larry Holmes, former 76ers teammates Billy Cunningham (who also coached Dawkins for five of his seven seasons with the team), former New Jersey Net Tim Bassett, and modern NBA players Jason Thompson and Karl-Anthony Towns.[37]. You were the originator of the dunk. Darryl touched the hearts and spirits of so many with his big smile and personality, ferocious dunks, but more than anything, his huge, loving heart. All Rights reserved. They actually put in a rule to prevent anyone else in the league from getting the same idea. That fateful year saw the deaths of Moses Malone, Dolph Schayes, Daryl Dawkins, Rod "Hot Rod" Hundley, Earl Lloyd, Roy Tarpley, Anthony Mason, Jerome Kersey, Harry . You were very inspirational to a lot of young players. The 58-year-old made history in 1975, when he became the first player ever drafted directly from high school to the NBA. He then tried to make an NBA comeback where he went to training camp with the Orlando Magic but didnt make the team. Dawkins also wore gold chain necklaces during games until the end of the 1980 NBA Finals when the NBA banned players from wearing them on court. In 1979, Dawkins shattered two backboards in separate games. Love you so much and going to miss you so much.. Darryl Dawkins was one of the most outrageous characters in NBA history. "If they go through with this, it will be the most wonderful thing they've ever done," Lanier said. His two backboard-shattering dunks came about a month apart early in the 1979-80 season, one against Kansas City, the other against San . Chocolate Thunder' will always have a special place in our hearts. Darryl Dawkins in 1995 AP Darryl Dawkins, the 14-year NBA vet . June 4, 2021 by Sports History Network. MacMullan: Deaths of Dawkins, Malone raise health concerns for NBA retirees, Owner: Snyder, Fields will bring Hawks success, Isaac has surgery on adductor, done for season, Clips' Powell out at least a week to treat shoulder, Kyrie teams with Luka for 82: 'Had to join party', LeBron to have tendon injury checked in 3 weeks. He was 58, and even though officials said an autopsy would be performed on Friday his family released a statement saying the cause of death was a heart attack. Darryl Dawkins, the first NBA player ever to be drafted straight out of high school and a flamboyant personality and showman dunker, died at the age of 58, according to multiple reports. "You were one of my favorite players of all time," Houston center Dwight Howard posted Thursday on Instagram under a photo of Dawkins dunking in a game for the 76ers. You were one of my favorite players of all time. So, once again, the game was delayed for over an hour as the arena crew had to completely replace the entire basket support. No cause of death was immediately announced; an autopsy was scheduled for Friday. Known for shattering two glass backboards in 1979 with explosive dunks, Dawkins, who got his nickname from musical great Stevie Wonder, averaged 12 points, 6.1 assists and 1.4 blocks per game . Longtime 76ers center Darryl Dawkins died Thursday at the age of 58. The first of Dawkins famous two dunks happened on November 13, 1979, in the Municipal Auditorium which was home to the Kansas City Kings. He played the game with passion, integrity and joy, never forgetting how great an influence he had on his legions of fans, young and old.". hide caption. He said it was because he wanted to take care of his family financially and you cant blame him for that. Following his NBA career, Dawkins had a brief stint with the Harlem Globetrotters, followed by a season spent with the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the Continental Basketball Association in the 199596 season. Bucks", "To the New Jersey Nets, there's no place like the road", "1984 NBA Eastern Conference Semifinals Game 6: Milwaukee Bucks at New Jersey Nets", "Utah Gets Dawkins and Turpin in a Three-Team Trade", "Jazz Trade Dawkins For Piston Draft Picks", "When "Chocolate Thunder" wore a Pistons uniform", "NBA's 'Chocolate Thunder' Darryl Dawkins dies at 58", "Magic Set 1st Game Pistons Will Be Foe In Arena On Oct. 13", NBA & ABA Single Season Leaders and Records for Personal Fouls, "Kelly Dawkins' Death Called Apparent Suicide", "Darryl Dawkins: To Lehigh Carbon Community College, by way of Planet Lovetron", "People of all levels remember 76ers legend Darryl Dawkins at viewing", Career Statistics at basketball-reference.com, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Darryl_Dawkins&oldid=1136782345, American Basketball Association (2000present) coaches, American expatriate basketball people in Italy, National Basketball Association high school draftees, Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball), Participants in American reality television series, Sportspeople from Allentown, Pennsylvania, 20th-century African-American sportspeople, Articles with unsourced statements from April 2018, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 1 February 2023, at 03:03. 1:45 PM PT -- Darryl's family says he died from a heart attack today. Roberts and her staff presented their vision of comprehensive screening for retirees to current players at their annual Las Vegas meeting in July. Following his professional playing career, Dawkins made his home in the Lehigh Valley. He was also known as Dr. Dunkenstein, Double D, or Sir Slam. And Last September, former Sixer Caldwell . In 2005, Dawkins was one of several former NBA players to audition for an analyst position with ESPN, as part of the network's reality series Dream Job. In September 1986, Dawkins eloped with Kelly Barnes of Trenton, New Jersey. He would name his dunks -- the "Look Out Below," the "Yo-Mama" and the "Rim Wrecker" among them -- and often boasted that he hailed from the "Planet Lovetron.". His first backboard-breaking dunk deserved an outrageous nickname, therefore he called it: The Chocolate-Thunder-Flying, Robinzine-Crying, Teeth-Shaking, Glass-Breaking, Rump-Roasting, Bun-Toasting, Wham-Bam, Glass-Breaker-I-Am-Jam. With his ferociously powerful play in the lane and a flair for outlandish outfits, creative nicknames ("Sir Slam," "Dr. Dunkenstein"), and wild theories ("I'm from Lovetron," he often said, claiming otherworldly status), Dawkins can in some ways be seen as an early version of Shaquille O'Neal. The Lehigh County coroner's office announced that an autopsy would be performed on August 27, but according to a statement released by Dawkins' family, the cause of death was a heart attack. Sa fortune s lve 5 000 000,00 euros mensuels He claimed to have come from a planet called Lovetron and called named himself Chocolate Thunder, claiming the nickname was given him by Stevie Wonder. A native of Orlando, Fla., Dawkins was part of the 76ers' playoff teams of the late 1970s and early 1980s, alongside Julius Erving and World B. An autopsy was performed Friday and the cause as well as the manner of death are pending further forensic . A Lehigh . Dawkins appeared to return to form the following season averaging 15.3 points and shooting .644 from the floor, but an injury midway through the season kept him out of 31 of the team's final 32 games. "[26] He named other dunks as well: the Rim Wrecker, the Go-Rilla, the Look Out Below, the In-Your-Face Disgrace, the Cover Your Head, the Yo-Mama, the Spine-Chiller Supreme, and the Greyhound Special (for the rare occasions when he went coast to coast). In a statement his family said he died of a heart attack. He was the fifth overall pick in the draft that year and helped the Sixers make three NBA finals before his trade to New Jersey in 1982. Dawkins' role in helping the Sixers win the Eastern Conference championship established him as one of Philadelphia's top players, on a team that included Julius Erving, George McGinnis, Lloyd Free, and Doug Collins. For weeks it was the only thing that basketball writers could talk about. But we're still losing guys younger than we should.". Frustrated with the team's inability to handle Lakers center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Sixers management traded Dawkins to the New Jersey Nets and Caldwell Jones to the Houston Rockets for Moses Malone, who helped Philadelphia win the NBA championship the following year. Dawkins subsequently played nine seasons in the National Basketball . Alex Murdaugh sentenced to life in prison for murders of wife and son, Biden had cancerous skin lesion removed last month, doctor says, White supremacist and Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes kicked out of CPAC, Tom Sizemore, actor known for "Saving Private Ryan" and "Heat," dies at 61, Biden team readies new advisory panel ahead of expected reelection bid, House Democrats unhappy with White House handling of D.C.'s new criminal code, Vast majority of U.S. homes are unaffordable to the average buyer. "It's too soon.". INTRODUCTION The Clerk has sent to the Court for review a pro se civil.20230302561 2015 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. "It's the topic nobody wants to address. Johnny Earl Dawkins Jr. (born September 28, 1963) is an American basketball coach and former player who is the head coach for the UCF men's basketball team.From 2008 to 2016, he was the head coach of Stanford.He was a two-time All-American and national player of the year as a senior in 1986 while at Duke from 1982 to 1986. No cause of death was immediately announced and an autopsy was scheduled for Friday. [12] The Nets won the first two games in Philadelphia of the best-of-five series, which were the first playoff game victories in team history. I thought, "Boy, I'd like to have a guy like that watching my back." "We will always remember Darryl for his incredible talent, his infectious enthusiasm and his boundless generosity. Dawkins took his anger out on the 76ers locker room by tearing a toilet out of the wall and dislodging a locker stall and barricading the door with it. A proper diet, routine exercise, limiting alcohol, eliminating smoking and undergoing regular screening, Bove said, are steps that should alleviate the players' fears. Dawkins played 13 seasons in the NBA after being drafted out of high school by the Philadelphia 76ers. There were also two rookies tearing up the league at the same time by the names of Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. The Lehigh County coroner's office announced that an autopsy would be performed on August 27; but according to a statement released by Dawkins' family, the cause of death was a heart attack. List of National Basketball Association career playoff blocks leaders, List of National Basketball Association players with most blocks in a game, "Stevie Wonder gave Darryl Dawkins his 'Chocolate Thunder' nickname", "A Game Played Above the Rim, Above All Else", "Dawkins Does Not Regret Heading To Nba 25 Years Ago He Left Maynard Evans High School In 1975 To Help His Family Make It Through Financial Difficulties", "Why Pros Spent 20 Years Shunning High Schoolers", "Philadelphia 76ers at New Jersey Nets Box Score, November 5, 1983", "Nets Franchise Single Game Record Blocks", "For the 76ers, it was almost a Net loss", "To the New Jersey Nets, there's no place like", "Mavericks defeat Lakers - 2011 (Western Conference semifinals) - Greatest NBA Playoff Upsets - Photos - SI.com", "1984 NBA Eastern Conference Semifinals Nets vs. The nets weren't on fire or anything, but as I looked up there, because of the friction his dunk had caused, I could see these tiny little silk strands sort of drifting through the air. Jim Spanarkel played with Dawkins in Philadelphia during Spanarkel's rookie season in 1979-80. "Darryl touched the hearts and spirits . But the fans could not get enough. Kevin Durant, Jayson Tatum top NBA quotes of the week, Shaken by deaths, union to help retired players, MacMullan: How Moses Malone mentored a young Charles Barkley, Recipient of Basketball Hall of Fame Curt Gowdy Media Award. "When we have this type of thing -- two former players dying back-to-back just weeks apart -- they see themselves as this select little group. Brand New App to watch all of WFMZ-TV News and Syndicated Programing 24/7 on your Streaming App enabled TV. The entertainer is blind, yet even he could tell there was something unique about Dawkins' game. Dawkins spent parts of 14 seasons in the NBA with Philadelphia, New Jersey, Utah and Detroit. Darryl Dawkins, who became famous for backboard-shattering dunks after he was the first NBA player to skip college altogether, has died at age 58. . Players scattered in every direction to get away. Dawkins was selected No. Dawkins set an NBA record for fouls in a season (386 in 198384). Former NBA star Darryl Dawkins' family says he died of heart attack, The former Philadelphia 76er formerly coached the LCCC men's basketball team, Stormcenter - School / Business Application. That bending motion is what keeps the backboard from shattering. . The nomenclature-obsessed basketball lifer known for his ferocious dunking ability and outsized personality was truly one of a kind. . 5 in the 1975 NBA draft by the 76ers. He was selected No. The Commissioner at the time was Larry OBrien. Dawkins died on August 27, 2015, in Allentown, Pennsylvania, at the age of 58. The name Chuck Taylor should ring a bell for any Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. He only averaged 2 points per game his rookie year coming off the bench. Winds may gust 30-40mph. These new rims had a spring and a hinge in them so that when someone dunks really hard the rim bends from the force of the dunk and then snaps back into position as soon as the player lets go. Darryl Dawkinss ferocious dunks became his calling card. . We've lost a dear friend and an iconic figure, both on and off the court. No cause was of death was given, an inglorious end to an oversized life. He was 58. But his most famous nickname was actually given to him by Stevie Wonder, and that nickname is Chocolate Thunder. Former National Basketball Association star Darryl Dawkins, known as "Chocolate Thunder" for his powerful dunks and flamboyant play, died at 58 on Thursday. He averaged double digits in nine consecutive NBA seasons, with his best year likely being the 1983-84 campaign for New Jersey. But in a move that shocked everyone, he declared for the NBA draft. He was taken fifth overall by the Philadelphia 76ers, and with his speed and imposing physical presence, Dawkins was expected to make an immediate impact and though started slow during his first few seasons, he eventually became a key contributor to Sixers squads that battled for Eastern Conference superiority in the late Seventies and early Eighties. Dawkins died Thursday at a hospital in Allentown, Pennsylvania, according to the Lehigh County coroner's office. [citation needed], At one point, Dawkins claimed to be an alien from the planet Lovetron, where he spent the off-season practicing "interplanetary funkmanship" where his girlfriend Juicy Lucy lived. Nicknamed "Chocolate Thunder," Dawkins played 13 seasons in the NBA after being drafted out of high school by the Philadelphia 76ers in 1975. "One night, first time he broke a backboard, and I remember going back to the locker room because there was a delay," Spanarkel said. His death came less than three weeks before the Sixers community lost another former center in Moses Malone, who died Sept. 13, 2015, at age 60. [19], Dawkins' personality was a natural fit on the "Bad Boys" Pistons team, and despite being limited to 14 games over two seasons, he was considered to be one of the leaders of the team. Date of death: August 27, 2015, Died Place: Allentown, Pennsylvania, United States: Nationality: . But first, let me give you some history on Chocolate Thunder. 'Whatever seed we are, we're ready': Is there room for Cleveland among the East elite? Something needed to be done with the actual equipment.
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