After he retired, he worked with kids at a local gym in Old Bridge NJ with very little fanfare... Always said "What's Up??" with a big smile... Great guy! RIP.
He dunked with his back to the basket against FREAKING BILL WALTON. It's kinda of terrifying, even. What a player and character, so sad he passed away too soon.
He had a great deal of success in his life, both as a professional athlete and as a family man. Glad to see people still giving him recognition so long after his playing career ended.
Man how I loved watching those games. Dr J , Moses Malone, Bobby Jones, Moe Cheeks. And the man started naming his dunks, Chocolate Thunder Darryl Dawkins my favorite 6er's. R. I. P. DD.
Unlike O Neal who hanged with all his weight on the board in order to break it on purpore , Darryl Dawkins used pure strength and explosion to do it. Such an impressive player
Yeah ok I love Darryl but Shaq would treat him like a ragdoll in his prime, we probably won't ever see a player that large move with such speed (in his prime in Orlando before he got lazy in LA)
If there was a Slam Dunk Hall of Fame, "Chocolate Thunder" would be on the first ballot. I am saddened that he has left this world through a relatively early death.
Dawkins was incredible. One of the greatest dunkers of all time. Unbelievable power and strength and athleticism. If only he put more effort into rebounding and scoring, who knows he could've been a hall of famer. He had all the talent and ability. Pretty amazing he went straight into the NBA outta high school. Still it always seemed as if he never played to his ability. Regardless of all that, he was a beautiful person and always seemed to be having' fun playing. You can't beat that. Thanks for all the memories RIP Daryl, Mr. Chocolate Thunder from the Planet Lovetron! In Yo Face Disgrace!
rip. so sad to see you go bro. I was fortunate enough to meet you at the basketball hall of fame a few years back, I'll never forget that day you were so amazing and nice
The most electrifying, power dunker there ever was or will be. You showed 20, he had 2000. I had the privilege of watching him almost every nite with the NJ Nets. Dunked on everyone & anyone at anytime.
Number 4 should be Number 1!!! "Chocolate Thunder flyin', Robinzine cryin', teeth shakin', glass breakin', rump roastin', bun toastin', wham, ham, glass breaker I am jam!!!"--Darryl Dawkins
do you know which one was the Go-rilla dunk? just curious We had him play here in my town for 2 years. Guy was 38 and used to dunk over anyone at any time. He set several all time record seasons in Italian league for 2pt shooting %. If memory is not failing he had a 78% 2pt shot season. At 18ppg. Simply unstoppable - edit - memory failed. Just checked: 1992-93 season 82,2% 2pt shooting @ 17,8 ppg; 1993-94 season 85,5% @ 19,5 ppg. Insane.
We imitated Daryl Dawkins a.k.a. "Chocolate Thunder & Julius Erving a.k.a. "Dr J" in the playgrounds everyday.. great memories on the asphault court at Carver Park on Cook St in Tullahoma, TN!
He was the best, and most exiting dunker ever in traffic! I don't think People can'really appreciate when you are young, way back before we hadn't seen thousands of incredible dunks in games and on youtube, in the late seventies... how much it meant.
It was clear, when Dawkins made up his mind to score... NO one could stop him. Very few players can decide when they're going to score, and how they want to do it. Rarity!
Great raw talent, but I always maintained, and still do, that he should have played at least two years in college. if he did, he could have vastly developed his skills and would have become an NBA all-pro and a HOF player.
@@sundromos9456 True. IDK. He said himself once when asked if he ever regretted not going to college, "Not at all. I could have went to college, turned sour, and would have wound up with nothing at all," and he was right. And as he said before he died, "I may not ever make to the hall of fame, but I played 15 seasons in the NBA and five years of pro ball in Italy, so I must have done something right."
I was a hugh fan of the 76er's before I became a Lakers fan. DAWKINS would post that big body down low and damn near drag the ball across the floor and then come up with a power dunk. Man he was strong. RIP Big Daddy D.
*Biggest Personalities Ever*...maybe a lil Immature (but he was straight out of High School) to Fame and Fortune! With a Boatload of Talent, *Force*, Sweet Jumper, *Power Dunker* and a *Legend*!...as I kid, I copied: The *One Hand Rebound* (On the Trampoline) the 2-Handed (take it behind your head) *RIM-ROCKA* *RIP DARRYL DAWKINS*...*I LOVE YOU, MAN*
I saw him playing in Tracer Phillips Milan against Estudiantes Madrid in European championship during his last years playing... FANTASTIC DARRYL DAWKINS!!!!!! 💕💕😢😢
I was talking 2 my family, a few days ago. About Darryl Dawkins aka Chocalate Thunder. And 2 hear him passing. Is heart felt. His familly is in my prayers. And he will not be 4 gotting!!!!!
The very first man to dunk and shatter the backboard in the NBA called his jam "The Chocolate-Thunder-Flying, Robinzine-Crying, Teeth-Shaking, Glass-Breaking, Rump-Roasting, Bun-Toasting, Wham-Bam, Glass-Breaker-I-Am-Jam"... R.I.P Darrell. You will be missed.
Mr. Dawkins changed the game of basketball. Collapsible rims were invented because of him. There was nothing better than watching a Celtics/Sixers game back in the day. RIP Mr. Dawkins.
JEEZ!!! I remember him coming out of high school around Orlando in the mid 70's to the pros. He was the talk of our high school in Bradenton, Florida long before the 76er's got him. The guy exceeded physical expectations and was ferocious on the offensive court. Nobody could stop him, would have liked to see him paired up with a much more offensive play-making guard like John Stockton or Magic!!
The NBA lost a great one today... he brought such a unique blend of talent, size, athleticism and RAW POWER to the fame, not to mention his truly one of a kind personality. He had over 30 names for his dunk- like the spine chilla- thrilla, the thank you ma'am wham bam I am jam, the funk from yo mommas trunk... awesome dunk highlights way ahead of his time... Def going to play as him in NBA 2k tonite
Most people won’t believe this story, but for those who can. I met Daryl Dawkins. When I was about 5 years old, my mom had to put me in after school day care because of my her and my step fathers work schedule. One day when the other kids and I were waiting for our parents to show and take us home, my step dad came to get me that day and when he got there, I told him how one of the kids dads was even taller than him (My step dad was 6’5) and how he was even “browner than I am” (lol) My step dad walked in to the next room with me to see what I was so excited about and suddenly he was more excited than I was, he said “That’s Daryl dawkins” and brought me over and he gave my step father his autograph and my step dad explained why they called him “chocolate thunder” To this day he was the biggest man I’ve ever stood next to in person. (if anyone doesn’t believe this story, the day care was in a place called Allentown in Pennsylvania, today I live about 45 mins away in Reading, PA now look up where his kids were raised)
Darryl Dawkins is hands down the Greatest inside man the game has ever seen, a Center that played like a Foward and could jump out the Gym, he had more finesse than any dunker i have ever seen, you can see Jordan, Dr.J, Dominique, in his dunk styles.
1. Elite Basket Rim Pulls 2. Two Handed Under Basket Athletic Flushes 3. Side Arm Tomahawks 4. Athletic Front Tomahawks 5. Straight Arm Tomahawks 6. Windmills Off One 7. Back Scratchers Off Two 8. Back Scratching Rim Hangs 9. Athletic One Handers Off One
Rip to one of the greatest dunkers and big men in history mr Darryl Dawkins the original backboard breaker I remember when shaq first came in the league he was compared to chocolate thunder Dawkins and Magic Johnson are probably the most beloved personalities in basketball history
1. Under Basket Rim Pulls 2. Under Basket Athletic Flushes 3. Back Scratchers Off Two 4. Side Arm Tomahawks 5. Athletic Front Tomahawks 6. Straight Arm Tomahawks 7. Windmills Off One 8. Athletic One Handers Off One
Wow! I didn't know that this guy was such a beast! I have recently read the article about him, because i remember him from Europe - back in 1992 Euroleague semi-finals he played for Philips Milan against my team - Partizan Belgrade and commentator during the whole game talked about Dawkins and that is the essential to stop him in the paint. And we did it, and later we won the title :) It's a pity that a man who played with the legendary Dr. Irving didn't know when it's enough :(
