Legendary Darryl 'Chocolate Thunder' Dawkins Dies, 58

The NBA has lost another great player today with news of former Philadelphia 76er Darryl Dawkins' untimely passing. He was just 58.

Known to most as 'Chocolate Thunder', TMZ Sports reports that a family member made a 911 emergency call after which Dawkins was transported to a nearby hospital at Allentown, Pennsylvania.

Unfortunately, Dawkins was never able to recover and was pronounced dead at around 11:19 a.m. The cause of death has yet to be determined at this point, although family members claim that he had a heart attack. There was nothing suspicious nor was there any indication of foul play behind the shocking news of Dawkins' death.

Dawkins was the fifth overall pick of the Philadelphia 76ers back in 1975 in a class that included David Thompson and Marvin Webster. Dawkins applied for the NBA Draft directly from high school, foregoing his college year.

Dawkins didn't make an immediate impact and needed time to develop. It was only during the 1977-78 NBA season that Dawkins finally got a break and jacked up his numbers as he played along other NBA greats like Julius Erving and Doug Collins.

However, Chocolate Thunder's fame really took off when he started shattering backboards. He first did it at the Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City. Just three weeks after that backboard shattering incident, he also wrecked the backboard over at the Spectrum in a game against the San Antonio Spurs.

After the back-to-back backboard shattering incident, the NBA later classified such as an offense that carried fines and suspension.

Aside from the Sixers, Dawkins also had stints with other NBA clubs. The list includes the New Jersey Nets, Utah Jazz and the Detroit Pistons.

Dawkins got slowed down by injuries starting 1983, including a back injury that he incurred when he slipped in his bathtub. He tried to make a comeback with the Denver Nuggets and the Boston Celtics but Dawkins never got the nod.

Instead, Dawkins would continue to play in Italy, the CBA and IBA. He also had a stint with the Harlem Globetrotters in 1994-95.

After his playing days, Dawkins ended up coaching in minor league and junior college levels, much of which could be seen on his Twitter account.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver issued a statement via NBA.com on the untimely demise of the man known as 'Chocolate Thunder':

"The NBA family is heartbroken by the sudden and tragic passing of Darryl Dawkins," NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. "We will always remember Darryl for his incredible talent, his infectious enthusiasm and his boundless generosity. He played the game with passion, integrity and joy, never forgetting how great an influence he had on his legions of fans, young and old."