DeMar DeRozan of the Toronto Raptors (L) reacts with his coach Darryl Dawkins during the Slam Dunk Contest at NBA All-Star Saturday Night at Staples Center in Los Angeles February 19, 2011. AFP PHOTO / Robyn Beck / AFP / ROBYN BECK
NBA legend Darryl Dawkins, who died last August at age 58, will be remembered Saturday in a special half-time tribute ceremony when the Philadelphia 76ers host the Brooklyn Nets.
Dawkins, a slam dunk master nicknamed “Chocolate Thunder” for his backboard-shattering skill at jamming the ball through the hoop, died of a heart attack.
Former Sixers teammates Bobby Jones and World B. Free will be on hand to recall his glory days with Philadelphia from 1975, when the 18-year-old was selected fifth in the NBA Draft directly out of high school, to 1982, when the 76ers reached the NBA Finals, losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in six games.
“Those of us fortunate enough to have known Darryl remember his open heart, generous nature, and insatiable appetite for life and laughter,” said Scott O’Neil, the 76ers’ chief executive officer.
Players will wear custom-made Dawkins socks and “Chocolate Thunder” shirts in pre-game shooting warmups.
Dawkins broke two backboards during 1979 games, leading the NBA to pass a rule bringing a fine and suspension for shattering a backboard.
Matching his flamboyant on-court feats with off-court fun, Dawkins dubbed himself “Sir Slam” and “Doctor Dunkenstein” and had several nicknames for his dunks, including “The Rim Wrecker,” “The In Your Face Disgrace” and “Look Out Below.”
Dawkins once claimed to be an alien from the planet “Lovetron” who practiced “interplanetary funkmanship” there in the off-season.
“For his larger than life personality, game-changing style of play and thunderous dunks, he was the epitome of a Sixers player,” O’Neil said.
“We pay tribute to both the dominating player on the court and the lighthearted spirit that created ‘The Planet Lovetron’ — we are so proud to call him a Sixer.”
Over 14 NBA seasons, Dawkins played in 726 games for the 76ers, Nets, Detroit and Utah and averaged 12.0 points and 6.1 rebounds a game.