Legendary Basketball Player Darryl Dawkins Dead at 58
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Manny Carabel/Getty Images(NEW YORK) — Legendary basketball player Darryl Dawkins, known as “Chocolate Thunder” for his ferocious slam dunks, died on Thursday at the age of 58.
ESPN reports that a statement from Dawkins’ family cited a heart attack as the cause of his death.
Dawkins played 14 years in the National Basketball Association, including seven with the Philadelphia 76ers and five more with the New Jersey Nets. Posting 12 points and 6.1 rebounds per game, Dawkins was a steady player known for being dangerous around the rim. His 57.2-percent field goal percentage is among the 10 best in NBA history.
“The NBA family is heartbroken by the sudden and tragic passing of Darryl Dawkins,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. “We will always remember Darryl for his incredible talent, his infectious enthusiasm and his boundless generosity.”
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver released the following statement regarding the passing of Darryl Dawkins pic.twitter.com/lwWXmoDoOR
— NBA (@NBA) August 27, 2015
Dawkins, drafted fifth overall by the 76ers in 1975, was the first player to be selected in the first round of the NBA draft directly out of high school.
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