Darryl Dawkins, the former Philadelphia 76er known as “Chocolate Thunder,” has died. He was 58.
An autopsy is set for Friday to determine the cause and manner of death, the coroner’s office said
In 1975, Dawkins became the first basketball player in history to be drafted to the NBA straight out of high school when he was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers.
Dawkins was known as much for his monster dunks as his playing career. In 1979, he shattered two backboards in separate games
Dawkins retired from the NBA in 1989.
He spent time playing with the Harlem Globetrotters and went on to coach the American Basketball Association’s Newark Express and the Pennsylvania ValleyDawgs, which was part of the now-defunct United States Basketball League. Dawkins most recently was the former head coach of the Lehigh Carbon Community College men’s basketball team
Information from Eurweb.com and WFMZ-TV contributed to this report.
