Longtime NBA center Darryl Dawkins, perhaps best known for his emphatic slam dunks, died Thursday at the age of 58.
After WFMZ-TV initially reported the former Philadelphia 76ers star's death, a Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest spokesperson confirmed the report to John Finger of CSNPhilly.com. Finger noted the cause of death is unknown.
Sean Highkin of Bleacher Report passed along a message from Dawkins' family:
Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports provided a statement from 76ers CEO Scott O'Neil:
Dawkins was affectionately referred to as "Chocolate Thunder," a nickname given to him by legendary singer Stevie Wonder due to his penchant for victimizing opposing defenders with highlight-reel dunks.
The Orlando, Florida, native truly earned his moniker in 1979 when he twice shattered the backboard with his devastating slams, one of which can be seen in this GIF, courtesy of Complex Sports:
After being chosen with the No. 5 overall selection in the 1975 NBA draft out of high school by the Sixers, Dawkins went on to spend 14 seasons in the league with the 76er ...
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Article written by Mike Chiari
Darryl Dawkins, NBA Legend, Dies at Age 58
August 27th, 2015 by Mike Chiari Leave a reply »
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