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Former 76ers basketball star Darryl Dawkins dies

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Former New Jersey Nets players Darryll Dawkins and Otis Birdsong (R) joke around during ceremonies celebrating …

(Reuters) - Former National Basketball Association star Darryl Dawkins, known as "Chocolate Thunder" for his powerful dunks and flamboyant personality, died on Thursday of a heart attack, his family said. He was 58.

An explosive center whose dunks shattered two glass backboards in 1979, Dawkins got his nickname from musical great Stevie Wonder. In a 14-season NBA career he averaged 12 points, 6.1 assists and 1.4 blocks per game, statistics that were dwarfed by an outsized personality.