News of Darryl Dawkins’ death was met with both shock and sadness.
Dawkins, whose rim-rattling dunks earned him the nickname “Chocolate Thunder,” died Thursday morning at a hospital, according to the Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, coroner’s office. He was 58.
No cause of death immediately was announced, but it didn’t take long for former and current NBA players to react with heartfelt messages via social media.
Dawkins spent parts of 14 seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers, New Jersey Nets, Utah Jazz and Detroit Pistons. He was selected No. 5 overall in the 1975 NBA draft by the Sixers.