Darryl Dawkins’s Death Saddens the Basketball World

Darryl Dawkins’ death brings to mind more than his glass shattering dunks.

Darryl Dawkins is a former NBA star who died of a heart attack last week. At only 58 years of age, the former player’s death was met with surprise throughout the league and by fans. The 6-foot 11, 275 pound sensation for the Philadelphia 76ers was the first high school player to be drafted into the NBA. He was known in gambling news for his power slam dunks that often shattered the backboard glass.

• Died of a heart attack at 58 years old
• First to go from high school to the NBA
• Dunking brought Dawkins fame

What isn’t as well known is the depth of Dawkins’ character. Often feeling trapped by the high expectations set by his fans, he combated these pressures with humor throughout his 14 NBA seasons. Teammate Doug Collins said “the world could be crashing down around him, and there was never a day when I didn’t see him with a smile on his face.” Let’s look back at the world of this early basketball superstar.

The early years, long before Darryl Dawkins’ death

Not much is known about his high school career outside of the unanimous opinion that he was possibly the best player ever. His coach at Evans Fred Pennington commented. “As far as high school is concerned, I’ve still never seen anybody who could compare with him.” Pennington would go on to describe Dawkins as a “church-goer” who rarely

Chocolate Thunder strikes again

missed school and loved poetry.

Dawkins led this high school team to the Class AAAA State Championships making 25 points and 11 rebounds for the win. Although Moses Malone joined the ABA from high school a year earlier, Dawkins was the first to join the NBA. Dawkins once spoke about his reasons. “I didn’t make my decision until three days before the draft, and I just figured I wanted to be able to help my brother and sister get through college, and take care of my mother and grandmother, so I took the route.”

Entering the NBA as a hardship case, Dawkins was the fifth pick. The high school draftee felt an instant sense of pressure as he was instantly compared to the legendary Wilt Chamberlain. “When I walked into the league, they wanted me to be Wilt Chamberlain right away-without one minute of college ball. With their expectations taken back, the Sixers’ coach played Dawkins in only 37 games where he averaged 2.4 points in 4.5 minutes of playing time, according to mobile betting providers today.

Unfortunately Dawkins was an addition to a team that already had four all-stars including Julius Erving, Mo Cheeks and George McGinnis. It was difficult for Dawkins to get the opportunity to prove himself. Although he was inactive for most of the second season, the high school acquisition did prove useful in the playoffs. His performance earned him a regular position in the next season. The 20-year-old hopeful averaged 11.7 points and 10 rebounds per game in 25 minutes of play. They eventually made it to the playoffs again.

The breakout season that made people reflect on Darryl Dawkins’ death

The 1978-1979 season saw McGinnis traded to the Denver Nuggets to make space for Dawkins. As he and 6 foot 11 Caldwell Jones shared the center and power forward positions, Dawkins excelled, averaging 14.7 points and 8.7 rebounds. Making it to the finals, they lost to the Los Angeles Lakers. The next year Dawkins made the dunk “heard the world over.”

In a game against Kansas City Kings, in 1979, Dawkins made an “earth shattering” dunk that broke the backboard in the third quarter. The newly made sensation credited his actions to being a victim of “chocolate thunder.” “I could feel it surging through my body, fighting to get out. I had no control.” The attention made as much of an impression on him as it did to fans and as result he repeated same action several weeks later against San Antonio. Soon the nation would look with renewed eyes at Dawkins and basketball as America’s national sport reincarnated.

Soon punters who bet on sports in the US were waging on which games Dawkins would shatter the backboard. As America was caught up in Dawkins’ exploits, he was naming the dunks with monikers such as “the chocolate-thunder flying, Robinzine Crying, Teeth Shaking, Glass-Breaking and Rump-Roasting.” Although the “Dunkateer” was threatened with a USD 5,000 fine if he broke another backboard, the NBA used footage of Dawkins’ backboard smashing dunks as an advertisement. Failure to get to the finals resulted in Dawkins being traded to the New Jersey Nets the next year.

Although his time with the Nets was promising, Dawkins first averaged 12 points and his next season averaged 16.8 points. While he was averaging 15 points a game, the Dunkster fell in the bathtub injuring his back. In the next three seasons with Nets, Utah Jazz and Detroit Pistons, Dawkins only played 26 games. After playing for three teams in Italy and the Harlem Globetrotters, he ended his basketball career. Dawkins had a brief stint in coaching and tried to participate in some experimental leagues like Continental Basketball Association and International Basketball Association. Darryl Dawkins’ death will reverberate throughout the world, however his charisma on the court will forever be remembered.