Darryl Dawkins

Darryl R. Dawkins (January 11, 1957 – August 27, 2015) was an American professional basketball player and coach. A center, he played 14 seasons in the NBA, most notably for the Philadelphia 76ers and the New Jersey Nets, with later, briefer tenures at the Utah Jazz and Detroit Pistons. He was a three-time NBA finalist.

Born in Orlando, Florida, to Harriet James and Frank Dawkins, he was raised by his grandmother, Amanda Celestine Jones. A 6-foot-10 senior at Maynard Evans High School, he averaged 32 points and 21 rebounds and led his team to the state championship, drawing interest from Division I colleges across the country. He had considered Florida State, Kansas, and Kentucky before entering the NBA.

Dawkins averaged double figures in scoring nine times over his career and often ranked among the league leaders in field-goal percentage. In the 1983–84 season he set an NBA record for fouls in a season with 386. He was known for his powerful dunks, two of which shattered backboards in 1979 and led the NBA to adopt breakaway rims. Stevie Wonder gave him the nickname "Chocolate Thunder."