Late great Darryl Dawkins to be honored by Philadelphia 76ers

The Philadelphia 76ers will honor late great and NBA legend Darryl Dawkins with a special tribute night on Saturday when the Sixers host the Brooklyn Nets.

The 6-foot-11 Dawkins, known as "Chocolate Thunder" because of his powerful dunks, died of a heart attack on Aug. 27 at age 58.

"Darryl Dawkins Tribute Night" will be highlighted by a special halftime ceremony featuring live interviews with Dawkins' former Sixers teammates Bobby Jones and World B. Free.

"Those of us fortunate enough to have known Darryl remember his open heart, generous nature, and insatiable appetite for life and laughter," Scott O'Neil, the 76ers' chief executive officer, said in a statement. "For his larger than life personality, game-changing style of play, and thunderous dunks, he was the epitome of a Sixers player. We pay tribute to both the dominating player on the court, and the lighthearted spirit that created 'The Planet Lovetron' -- we are so proud to call him a Sixer."

The Sixers will honor Dawkins' life and career with additional homages throughout the evening. Sixers players will wear "Chocolate Thunder" shooting shirts during pregame warm-ups. Players also will wear custom-made Darryl Dawkins socks.

Dawkins was selected by the 76ers with the fifth overall pick of the 1975 NBA draft and became one of the first players to enter the league following his high school career. He went on to play the first seven seasons of his 14-year NBA career in Philadelphia.

Dawkins' legend swelled in 1979 when he twice shattered backboards with his rim-rattling dunks. Dawkins appeared in 726 games (232 starts) for Philadelphia, New Jersey, Detroit and Utah and held averages of 12 points and six rebounds per game. Dawkins' 57.2 career field-goal percentage ranks eighth all-time in NBA history.