Darryl Dawkins, whose ferocious style of dunking the basketball changed the rules of the game and paved the way for breakaway rims, has died at the age of 58.
Dawkins died of a heart attack Thursday morning at a Pennsylvania hospital, his family said in a statement.
Known as "Chocolate Thunder" and celebrated for shattering backboards with his aggressive dunks, the 6-foot-11 Dawkins spent parts of 14 seasons in the NBA with Philadelphia, New Jersey, Utah and Detroit. He averaged 12 points and 6.1 rebounds in 726 career regular-season games.
Born Jan. 7, 1957, in Orlando, Fla.