And this is also true, but Willoughby was drafted in the 2nd round, after Dawkins. And Dawkins is definitely a noteworthy player. Dawkins . Maurice Lucas of the Trail Blazers hauling down a rebound as Philadelphia's Darryl Dawkins battles for position during their NBA championship . But his most famous nickname was actually given to him by Stevie Wonder, and that nickname is Chocolate Thunder. His family said the cause of death was a heart attack. No immediate cause of death has yet been announced . Darryl Dawkins, known for his thunderous dunks and flamboyant nickname, has died. Once he became a regular starter the home announcer in Philadelphia was in a bit of a dilemma because when the starters are announced in the NBA, they include which university the player came from. #chocolate thunder, A photo posted by Dwight Howard (@dwighthoward) on Aug 27, 2015 at 12:31pm PDT. You were one of my favorite players of all time. 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. 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. Currently Reading. In the second game of the series, Dawkins got into a fight with Maurice Lucas, resulting in both players being ejected. "I will tell you we hope to have something sooner than later. 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. The Sixers won both playoff series and advanced to the NBA Finals. From the start of his pro career, Dawkins was capable of soaring above other players and arriving at the rim with unstoppable force. Turkey-Syria earthquakes death toll passes 5,000 . 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. And with that, he became the answer to a trivia question. "I don't believe it's out of malice. When Dawkins died suddenly from a heart attack in August at age 58, the news literally took Silver's breath away. Dawkins spent parts of 14 seasons in the NBA with Philadelphia, New Jersey, Utah and Detroit. In 1979, Dawkins shattered two backboards in separate games. Today in Central Florida sports history: Darryl Dawkins goes No. 5 but did not provide a cause of death, according to the website NJ.com. Rest easy OG. "I'm just one of his sons.". 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. . The cause of death is said to be a heart attack, according to Dawkins' family. Dawkins languished on the Sixers' bench for his first two seasons. Lanier believes those concerns can be rectified with the support of the current union leadership. He was heavily recruited by Division I colleges across the country, and he narrowed his choices to Florida State, Kansas, and Kentucky. Dawkins was selected No. Telephone calls to the county medical examiner's . His nickname, "Chocolate Thunder", was bestowed upon him by Stevie Wonder. You were very inspirational to a lot of young players. "When I heard about Darryl, I thought, 'That's not supposed to happen,' Roberts said. Basketball Manitoba paid tribute to Dawkins in a tweet posted shortly after news of his death broke. Nobody had ever done that before. ", 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 seemed a player who should have gone to college, maybe maturing before coming to the NBA. A spokesperson for Lehigh . 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.". Darryl Dawkins, the legendary basketball player whose board-shattering dunks earned him the moniker "Chocolate Thunder", has died. Ex-NBA star Darryl Dawkins, aka 'Chocolate Thunder,' dies at 58 During this season, the Skyforce's games against the Florida Beach Dogs were broadcast nationally by ESPN, as the Beach Dogs included another former NBA player, Manute Bol. Darryl Dawkins, who in 1975 became the second man, after Moses Malone, to jump directly from high school to the pro basketball, has died. Darryl Dawkins, the NBA's legendary 'Chocolate Thunder,' dies - Yahoo! "I have health insurance through my wife's job. The NBA soon went to breakaway rims and mandated that backboards be shatter-resistant. Dawkins averaged double figures in scoring nine times in his 14 years in the NBA, often ranking among the league leaders in field-goal percentage. The rim and backboard needed some beefing up. He also played in the NBA Finals three times as a member of the Philadelphia 76ers in the late 1970s and early 1980s. 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. From 2009-11, he was the head coach of the men's team at Lehigh Carbon Community College. Free. As promised Dawkins was fined and suspended. "I remember him yelling that he broke a backboard and that he wanted to renegotiate his contract because he could break a backboard.". "I'd like to be able to answer the question, 'What does a retired basketball player's heart look like?'". Doing a good deed is always a good thing. "The cardiac issues our players have experienced are well known.". The Commissioner at the time was Larry OBrien. 5 in the 1975 NBA draft by the 76ers. Jun 12, 2020 10:30 P.M. The deaths of no fewer than 25 NBA players (and other famous basketball pros) in 2015 set off alarms and made it an infamous year with the most deaths of former players. TRENTON, N.J. Police were investigating the death Sunday morning of the estranged wife of professional basketball player Darryl Dawkins. Moses Malone, Darryl Dawkins and the scary trend that's killing so many 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. [1] He was known for his powerful dunks, which led to the NBA adopting breakaway rims due to him shattering a backboard on two occasions in 1979.[2]. There you will see several highlight clips. "A guy who never saw me," a beaming Dawkins said in a 2011 interview, "gave me the name 'Chocolate Thunder.'". Darryl Dawkins death. Darryl Dawkins, the NBA's legendary 'Chocolate Thunder,' dies at 58. . Pieces of glass rained down on the court. But you are in a better place. Dawkins was selected No. He was particularly known for his tenure with the National Basketball Association's Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Nets, although he also played briefly for the Detroit Pistons and Utah Jazz late in his career. His first two seasons with the Nets were successful for both sides, as Dawkins experienced a career renaissance of sorts[7] and the Nets had their most successful seasons to that point. [27], Stevie Wonder, who frequently attended Sixers games, gave Dawkins the nickname "Chocolate Thunder".[28]. Dawkins grew up in Orlando, Florida and made history as the first player to be drafted to the NBA directly out of . Dr. Alfred Bove, physician emeritus at Temple University School of Medicine and a former Philadelphia 76ers team doctor, dismissed the notion that NBA stars are at higher risk for cardiac-related deaths than the general population. Darryl Dawkinss ferocious dunks became his calling card. At the time of his death he survived by his large extended friends and family. "Darryl touched the hearts and . There will never be another Chocolate Thunder. The good-faith actions of current players were welcome news to retired veterans who have been rattled by the spate of cardiac-related deaths. . "I really enjoyed getting to know Darryl.". He was the head coach of the American Basketball Association's Newark Express. 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. Thank u for the long talks and great memories. The Associated Press, ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk and ESPN Stats & Information contributed to this report. Darryl Dawkins was selected with the 5th overall pick by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 1975 NBA draft. . Then they lost again in 1980 to the Lakers. His power and talent tested the nuts and bolts of basketball literally. A Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest spokesperson confirmed to Comcast SportsNet that Dawkins died there on Thursday. He would coach there for five years before dying of a heart attack in 2015 at the age of just 58. Darryl Dawkins of the Philadelphia 76ers dunks during a 1980 playoff game against the Atlanta Hawks. When he finally established himself, injuries kept him from basketball greatness. It was during those early years that Dawkins also displayed the power that would become his claim to fame: In the span of one month during the 1979 season, he threw down a pair of monstrous dunks that shattered backboards in Kansas City and Philadelphia plays that would become highlight-reel staples for decades to come and would lead the league to implement the use of so-called breakaway rims to limit the possibility of player injury. "I feel badly these guys feel they are at risk for a shorter life span, but there are other factors that are leading to that.". Lehigh Carbon Community College, where Dawkins coached for two seasons, says: "LCCC community is saddened by the passing of Philadelphia 76er legend and former LCCC basketball coach Darryl Dawkins. 5 Things You Didn't Know About Darryl Dawkins - CBS New York [32] In 1988, Dawkins married a former Nets cheerleader, Robbin Thornton; they divorced after 10 years. "Win or lose, every night I could barely get to my locker.". Brand New App to watch all of WFMZ-TV News and Syndicated Programing 24/7 on your Streaming App enabled TV. No cause of death has been determined; an . Dawkins most recently was the former head coach of the Lehigh Carbon Community College men's basketball team. Rogowski, who worked for the Houston Rockets in a similar capacity, said he understands the concerns of a population that has seen a slew of former and current players experience heart issues. 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. He was the first player to enter the NBA immediately after high school.[4][5]. He saw the look in Dawkins eyes as he brought the ball behind his head with both hands and knew what was coming. Dawkins spent parts of 14 seasons in the NBA with Philadelphia, New Jersey, Utah and Detroit. In a completely separate story, a guy named Arthur Ehrat and his nephew, who was an assistant coach at St. Louis University had an idea for a breakaway rim that could handle all of the hard dunking that you saw in the ABA and NBA. He always seemed destined to either die early or live on forever. Hall of Famer Darryl Dawkins Passes Away At Age 58 - VAVEL The world of basketball lost one of its most colorful characters with the death of Darryl Dawkins on Thursday. An autopsy is scheduled for Friday. 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. On Thursday afternoon his family released a statement about his passing: "It is with great sadness that we share the passing of our beloved husband and father, Darryl Dawkins, who succumbed today to a heart attack. 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. The entertainer is blind, yet even he could tell there was something unique about Dawkins' game. 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. The cause of death remains unknown and investigators did not say if the mix of drugs was a factor. Darryl Dawkins - Wikiwand Darryl Dawkins - Wikidata Twice, he broke backboards dunking in games. [14] Despite Dawkins averaging 22.3 points and 7.3 rebounds per game in the following series against the Milwaukee Bucks,[15] including leading all scorers with a career playoff high 32 points in a 106-100 Game 1 win,[16] the Nets would lose the series in six games after losing Game 6, during which Dawkins scored 29 points and grabbed 8 rebounds, by one point, at a score of 9897. So they traded Dawkins to the New Jersey Nets in order to create salary space to go after Malone, which they did. He also appears in NBA Live Mobile as a Legend based on his 19791980 season with the Sixers. That study, O'Keefe said, is not applicable to basketball players. We have very effective treatments available to us.". Darryl Dawkins, former NBA star, dies at 58 - CBS News stephen dawkins nba coach So, once again, the game was delayed for over an hour as the arena crew had to completely replace the entire basket support. Players scattered in every direction to get away. He was also known as Dr. Dunkenstein, Double D, or Sir Slam. Darryl Dawkins, 58; former NBA star - The Boston Globe Not many. Thank u for the long talks and great memories. "But simply being an NBA player is not one of them.". Darryl Dawkins Obituary (1957 - 2015) - Atlanta, PA - Legacy This page was last edited on 27 November 2022, at 01:06. (Reuters) - Former National Basketball Association star Darryl Dawkins, known as "Chocolate Thunder" for his powerful dunks and flamboyant play, died at 58 on Thursday. "We haven't done enough for our past players, who have a rich history of promoting our game. A Lehigh . 5 in the 1975 NBA draft by the 76ers. Death date: 23 November, 2002, Saturday This memorial website was created in memory of Jerome J Labanz, 71, born on June 8, 1931 and passed away on November 23, 2002. As I mentioned, it was two dunks. An autopsy was performed Friday and the cause as well as the manner of death are pending further forensic . Sports People; Suicide Suspected - The New York Times The 58-year-old NBA star, who lived in the Allentown area, died Thursday. The biggest surprise about Darryl Dawkinss death on Thursday is that it came at age 58. 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. Dawkins celebrated for kindness, powerful dunks, 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. [33] Dawkins later remarried; he and his wife, Janice, had three children: Nick, Alexis, and Tabitha, a daughter from Janice's previous relationship [34] who has Down syndrome. Dawkins also played in Italy, the Continental Basketball Association and even had a brief stint with the Harlem Globetrotters. This November 1979 file photo shows Kansas City Kings' Scott Wedman and Philadelphia 76ers' Julius Erving watching as Kings' Bill Robinzine, left, and 76ers' Darryl Dawkins run for cover after Dawkins shattered the glass backboard during a basketball game in Kansas City, Mo. [35], Dawkins died on August 27, 2015, in Allentown, Pennsylvania, at the age of 58. 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. After Philadelphia won the next two games, the Nets won a decisive game 5 when Dawkins' defense on reigning MVP Moses Malone helped New Jersey overcome a late deficit to win their first playoff series. In 2009 he was named head coach of Lehigh Carbon Community College in Pennsylvania. Roberts said action from the players' association on providing screening for their retired players is "imminent.''. Love you so much and going to miss you so much.. Darryl Dawkins was one of the most outrageous characters in NBA history. Darryl Dawkins, NBA's 'Chocolate Thunder,' Dies - WSJ Dawkins, who had already been known to fans as Dr. If you really want to see him in action go to YouTube and search for Chocolate Thunder Dunking. So, Dawkins is the first player to enter the NBA straight from high school. Dawkins, still playing for Philadelphia, went up for a ferocious dunk against Bill Robenzine and shattered the glass backboard. He remained enormously popular after his playing days were done, even during his stint as a member of the Harlem Globetrotters. There were also two rookies tearing up the league at the same time by the names of Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. Others were comparatively subtle even if they seemed just as ridiculous. The players' association has put Joe Rogowski, its director of sports medicine, in charge of overseeing the screening program. He signed a seven-year contract worth $1 million. Following his retirement from the NBA, Dawkins - nicknamed Chocolate Thunder by Stevie Wonder - coached the American Basketball Association's Newark Express and the Pennsylvania ValleyDawgs, which played in the Lehigh Valley as part of the now-defunct United States Basketball League.