Post by mooseguy1 on Aug 27, 2015 20:31:00 GMT -5
I don't know if "General Board" is the right place for this but I wanted to pass it along.
Former NBA player and backboard shattering Darryl "Chocolate Thunder" Dawkins has passed away at age 58, apparently of a heart attack, in Allentown, Pennsylvania. No, he never played college ball, instead entering the NBA straight from Maynard Evans High School in Orlando, Florida in 1975. The overall fifth draft pick, taken by the Philadelphia 76ers, Dawkins played 14 seasons in the NBA with the 'Sixers, Nets, Jazz, and Pistons.
He gained a certain notoriety by breaking backboards in Kansas City and at the Forum in Philadelphia against the San Antonio Spurs over a three week period in 1979. This predilection led the league to issue an order that such behavior would not be taken lightly and would result in fines and suspensions for the malefactors. Well, it was fun while it lasted.
Darryl, a thoroughly colorful fellow, quickly found another outlet for his dunkin' creativity and began naming his slams. The first board breaker was christened "The Chocolate-Thunder-Flying, Robinzine-Crying, Teeth-Shaking, Glass-Breaking, Rump-Roasting, Bun-Toasting, Wham-Bam, Glass-Breaker-I-Am-Jam", which, while somewhat unwieldy was nonetheless almost universally popular...with everyone but Bill Robinzine. Other titles included the Rim Wrecker, the Go-Rilla, the Look Out Below, the In-Your-Face Disgrace, the Cover Your Head, the Yo-Mama, the Spine-Chiller Supreme, and the Greyhound Special (for those rare occasions when he went coast to coast). Source: Wikipedia, so take it as you will. I can personally vouch for most of them but my memory is notoriously imperfect.
This man was bigger than life, stating on numerous times that he came from Planet Lovetron. (Incidentally, so does Amen Brother.) He also claimed to spend the off-season practicing "interplanetary funkmanship." Hey, don't we all? In fact, just last week, I forgot to take out the trash and my wife, the lovely Mrs. Moose, said, "And don't go giving me that 'I was practicing interplanetary funkmanship crap!'"
Chocolate Thunder, though spontaneous and larger than life, also knew sadness. He eloped with first wife Kelly Barnes of Trenton, New Jersey in September 1986. In hindsight, they should have thought it over a tad more. By late 1987, the couple were in the process of divorce when Kelly committed suicide at her parents' home. Darryl rebounded by marrying a Nets' cheerleader, Robbin Thornton, a union lasting 10 years. Third time's the charm, so they say, and indeed his third marriage to Janice was still in effect at the time of his passing and produced two children: Nick and Alexis.
Sure, Dawkins was rough around the edges but like most of us he was a work in progress. Mostly unknown today by those with a much later expiration date than I, I felt he deserved a bit of a write-up. I enjoyed the time he played in the NBA and am sorry to see that he has passed. No, he wasn't perfect, but who is, ya know? On balance, Darryl Dawkins brought a bit of color to the world. Prayers to his family.
Former NBA player and backboard shattering Darryl "Chocolate Thunder" Dawkins has passed away at age 58, apparently of a heart attack, in Allentown, Pennsylvania. No, he never played college ball, instead entering the NBA straight from Maynard Evans High School in Orlando, Florida in 1975. The overall fifth draft pick, taken by the Philadelphia 76ers, Dawkins played 14 seasons in the NBA with the 'Sixers, Nets, Jazz, and Pistons.
He gained a certain notoriety by breaking backboards in Kansas City and at the Forum in Philadelphia against the San Antonio Spurs over a three week period in 1979. This predilection led the league to issue an order that such behavior would not be taken lightly and would result in fines and suspensions for the malefactors. Well, it was fun while it lasted.
Darryl, a thoroughly colorful fellow, quickly found another outlet for his dunkin' creativity and began naming his slams. The first board breaker was christened "The Chocolate-Thunder-Flying, Robinzine-Crying, Teeth-Shaking, Glass-Breaking, Rump-Roasting, Bun-Toasting, Wham-Bam, Glass-Breaker-I-Am-Jam", which, while somewhat unwieldy was nonetheless almost universally popular...with everyone but Bill Robinzine. Other titles included the Rim Wrecker, the Go-Rilla, the Look Out Below, the In-Your-Face Disgrace, the Cover Your Head, the Yo-Mama, the Spine-Chiller Supreme, and the Greyhound Special (for those rare occasions when he went coast to coast). Source: Wikipedia, so take it as you will. I can personally vouch for most of them but my memory is notoriously imperfect.
This man was bigger than life, stating on numerous times that he came from Planet Lovetron. (Incidentally, so does Amen Brother.) He also claimed to spend the off-season practicing "interplanetary funkmanship." Hey, don't we all? In fact, just last week, I forgot to take out the trash and my wife, the lovely Mrs. Moose, said, "And don't go giving me that 'I was practicing interplanetary funkmanship crap!'"
Chocolate Thunder, though spontaneous and larger than life, also knew sadness. He eloped with first wife Kelly Barnes of Trenton, New Jersey in September 1986. In hindsight, they should have thought it over a tad more. By late 1987, the couple were in the process of divorce when Kelly committed suicide at her parents' home. Darryl rebounded by marrying a Nets' cheerleader, Robbin Thornton, a union lasting 10 years. Third time's the charm, so they say, and indeed his third marriage to Janice was still in effect at the time of his passing and produced two children: Nick and Alexis.
Sure, Dawkins was rough around the edges but like most of us he was a work in progress. Mostly unknown today by those with a much later expiration date than I, I felt he deserved a bit of a write-up. I enjoyed the time he played in the NBA and am sorry to see that he has passed. No, he wasn't perfect, but who is, ya know? On balance, Darryl Dawkins brought a bit of color to the world. Prayers to his family.