Darryl Dawkins, an NBA star known for his slam dunks has died. A source confirms that Dawkins died today. The 58-year-old made history in 1975, when he became the first player ever drafted directly from high school to the NBA. The Orlando native played 15 seasons in the NBA, spending the majority of his career with the Philadelphia 76ers and the New Jersey Nets.
After retiring from the NBA, Dawkins, nicknamed Chocolate Thunder by Stevie Wonder , coached the American Basketball Association’s Newark Express and the Pennsylvania ValleyDawgs, which played in the Lehigh Valley as part of the now-defunct United States Basketball League.