Former 76ers basketball star Darryl Dawkins dies

Sep 1, 2015 Former NBA star Darryl Dawkins recently passed on at the age of 58. The basketball star was popularly known as “Chocolate Thunder” for his powerful dunks

According to the website NJ.com, a spokesperson for Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest confirmed Dawkin’s demise, but did not comment of the cause of death.

Dawkins, who got his “Chocolate Thunder” nickname from musical great Stevie Wonder, averaged 12 points, 6.1 assists and 1.4 blocks per game throughout his 14-season NBA career.

In 1975, Dawkin became the first player taken directly from high school in the first round of the NBA draft. After leaving the NBA in 1989, Dawkins played two seasons in Italy. He eventually retired from basketball in 2000 after several coaching stints.