Former NBA star Darryl Dawkins dead at 58

Former Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Nets center Darryl Dawkins passed away on Thursday. He was 58.

WFMZ reported that a source confirmed the former NBA star’s death and his family later announced that he died of a heart attack.

Dawkins, who was nicknamed "Chocolate Thunder" by musician Stevie Wonder for his forceful dunks, was selected by the Sixers out of high school in the first round of the 1975 draft, according to Basketball-Reference.com. He played with the team until 1982 before being traded to the Nets for a first-round draft pick. He also had a brief stint with the Detroit Pistons and then with the Harlem Globetrotters following his NBA career.

After he retired, Dawkins settled in the Lehigh Valley area of Pennsylvania, which is about 60 miles outside of Philadelphia. He coached the Pennsylvania ValleyDawgs in the early 2000s and later became the head coach of the men's basketball team at Lehigh Carbon Community College.

Boxing great Larry Holmes lives in the same area as Dawkins and received a phone call from a friend with the sad news. He spoke about his relationship with the big man.

"We've been friends for a long, long time," Holmes said. "Darryl was always friendly. He was always good to me and to other people. Always laughing. A big guy with a big heart who always was in good shape."

Image courtesy of Credit: INFGoff.com

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