Former Jazzman Darryl Dawkins has died

[Stifle Tower]

Okay, so he only played 4 games with Utah, IINM.

Still, "Chocolate Thunder" was one of the most entertaining guys in the league back in his day. And we probably owe the implementation of break-away rims to him. Just 58 at his passing. Didn't know Karl-Anthony Towns is his nephew. Here's hoping he found his "Planet Lovetron" in the sky.

https://www.cbssports.com/nba/eye-on-basketball/25282431/former-76ers-nets-star-darryl-dawkins-dies-at-58

Karl-Anthony Towns ✔ @KarlTowns I'm going to miss you so much Uncle Darryl. There will never be another Chocolate Thunder. Love you so much and going to miss you so much.

 

[homeytennis]

Okay, so he only played 4 games with Utah, IINM.

Still, "Chocolate Thunder" was one of the most entertaining guys in the league back in his day. Just 58 at his passing. Didn't know Karl-Anthony Towns is his nephew.

https://www.cbssports.com/nba/eye-on-basketball/25282431/former-76ers-nets-star-darryl-dawkins-dies-at-58

I saw him play in a preseason game for the Jazz vs. the Trailblazers in Boise in which he got ejected. I don't think he quite fit in with Frank Layden and was traded soon thereafter. Ironically the Portland center in that game Kevin Duckworth also died young of a heart attach.

 

[YB85]

58 in human years but 406 in Lovetronian.

*Pours one out.

 

[Miggs]

Everything I've heard about the guy is positive. A sad day.

 

[Stifle Tower]

Everything I've heard about the guy is positive. A sad day.

Yep. Never realized he was so active after his career ended.

 

[Hearsky]

From a New York Times article in 1987. A month after he was traded to the Jazz, his estranged wife committed suicide.


''I'm glad to be out of Utah,'' said the 31-year-old Dawkins. ''I'd rather be playing for the Afghanistan All-Stars than the Jazz. I didn't get along at all with the general manager there.''

His allusion was to Dave Checketts, who is actually the Jazz president. Dawkins's problems with Checketts began when Dawkins returned to Trenton to make arrangements for his wife's funeral.

''Kelly's funeral was on a Saturday morning,'' Dawkins said, ''and he wanted me to come back and play that same night. I needed a week off and I don't know of a player in this league that hasn't gotten it when he had personal problems. It was a very traumatic time for me. After viewing Kelly's body the night before in the funeral home, I got an anxiety attack and went to the Kings Medical Center in Philadelphia - at least I think that was the name of the place - but you don't remember names of places in the state I was in.''

The Jazz tell a different story. Checketts said that after the funeral he called Dawkins and they discussed the player's returning that night. The Jazz arranged for the flight, but Dawkins missed the plane, according to Checketts. Dawkins was suspended without pay.

''Kelly's family is real down,'' Dawkins said. ''At the viewing of the body, people made me feel as though they felt I drove her to the suicide. I had nothing to do with it, I was in Utah.''

 

[Stifle Tower]

The Jazz tell a different story. Checketts said that after the funeral he called Dawkins and they discussed the player's returning that night. The Jazz arranged for the flight, but Dawkins missed the plane, according to Checketts. Dawkins was suspended without pay.

Doesn't paint the Jazz in a very positive light. OK, so he was going to play and then became distraught and missed the flight. Geez, do you think that might be a natural reaction after your wife commits suicide? I don't care if they were "estranged" or not. The funeral is certain to bring on strong emotions, even if he thought he was strong enough to get through it.

And the decision to suspend him without pay for that? That also implicates Larry H. Miller. Heartless ******** in this case. Nowadays that would have been a slam dunk for the player's union to get the suspension overturned.

 

[Maneesh]

Doesn't paint the Jazz in a very positive light. OK, so he was going to play and then became distraught and missed the flight. Geez, do you think that might be a natural reaction after your wife commits suicide? I don't care if they were "estranged" or not. The funeral is certain to bring on strong emotions, even if he thought he was strong enough to get through it.

And the decision to suspend him without pay for that? That also implicates Larry H. Miller. Heartless ******** in this case. Nowadays that would have been a slam dunk for the player's union to get the suspension overturned. But Larry H. was not known as a warm person. Ironically after Checketts left, they feuded and Larry H. allegedly tried to block Checketts from getting a site for Real Salt Lake.

And yes, Cy, franklin, etc. I know I will be attacked for creating drama and making it all up. Go back to the DNews or Trib. There is ample evidence of the animosity between Checketts and Larry H.

Here you go. I'm too lazy to look up other articles.

https://rslcup.blogspot.com/2009/12/checketts-miller-feud-still-boils.html

I hope you can't stop all this drama and make stories to get people mad. This is not for laughing when it say LarryH is bad! You can't know him or everything!

 

[Stifle Tower]

I hope you can't stop all this drama and make stories to get people mad. This is not for laughing when it say LarryH is bad! You can't know him or everything!

Did you even read the link? Sorry, TPP (and I don't know whose alt you are). I'm not making up the feud between Larry H. and Checketts. Larry H. got to be where he is (was) by being pretty ruthless at times. Does that make him "bad?" In specific cases, yes (IMO). Was he a bad person overall? No, I never said that. You haters are so funny - and predictable. Accuse me of making things up. I find an article by Brad Rock where he quotes Checketts directly and you still accuse me of making things up. Since you apparently don't know how to click on a link, here you go:


""I don't regret the comments," said Checketts. "What I find fascinating is that he could deny this. I have it on perfect authority that he lobbied legislators against the passage of (a stadium support bill) on the hill during the session. I know he lobbied a couple of important local mayors and leaders, always with the same thing in mind. He did not want me to get a better deal than he did at the Delta Center."

Checketts added that he made calls to Miller but "I could not get a return call from him."

Asked if he was labeling Miller a liar, Checketts said, "I've just been crystal clear on what reality is, and I stand by it."

Checketts said he agrees with one civic leader who noted, "(Miller) wants to own every car dealership, he wants to own every theater and he wants to own every sports franchise in Utah — but he's not going to own this one.""

So, you can accuse Checketts of making things up, but not me on this one. But please continue your crusade of personal hate and attacks against me. Hate is not the opposite of love: indifference is. So your attacks mean a great deal to me. Obviously something I have said rings true and you just can't stand it.

 

[Joe Bagadonuts]

Did you even read the link? Sorry, TPP (and I don't know whose alt you are). I'm not making up the feud between Larry H. and Checketts. Larry H. got to be where he is (was) by being pretty ruthless at times. Does that make him "bad?" In specific cases, yes (IMO). Was he a bad person overall? No, I never said that. You haters are so funny - and predictable. Accuse me of making things up. I find an article by Brad Rock where he quotes Checketts directly and you still accuse me of making things up. Since you apparently don't know how to click on a link, here you go:


""I don't regret the comments," said Checketts. "What I find fascinating is that he could deny this. I have it on perfect authority that he lobbied legislators against the passage of (a stadium support bill) on the hill during the session. I know he lobbied a couple of important local mayors and leaders, always with the same thing in mind. He did not want me to get a better deal than he did at the Delta Center."

Checketts added that he made calls to Miller but "I could not get a return call from him."

Asked if he was labeling Miller a liar, Checketts said, "I've just been crystal clear on what reality is, and I stand by it."

Checketts said he agrees with one civic leader who noted, "(Miller) wants to own every car dealership, he wants to own every theater and he wants to own every sports franchise in Utah — but he's not going to own this one.""

So, you can accuse Checketts of making things up, but not me on this one. But please continue your crusade of personal hate and attacks against me. Hate is not the opposite of love: indifference is. So your attacks mean a great deal to me. Obviously something I have said rings true and you just can't stand it.

I can hardly believe I'm agreeing with Phunk, but dude, enough with the drama. Yes, in this particular case you are not simply making it up, but how is it relevant to the conversation? A spat years ago between Checketts and Miller over RSL issues has nothing whatsoever to do with Dawkins death.

 

[candrew]

His backboard shattering days were just a year or two before I started watching bball; but I can remember him being a solid starting Center on a couple of decent NJ Nets teams in the mid-80's. And he wasn't all about dunks - he had a decent 8-12 foot game.

By the time he got to Utah he was pretty much done though.

RIP Chocolate Thunder.