Why some former Kings were well-versed in ‘Chocolate Thunder’
The Philadelphia 76ers on Friday are playing their preseason finale in Kansas City, serving as the host team against the Miami Heat.
The city hasn’t been the home of an NBA franchise since the Kings moved to Sacramento for the 1985-86 season, but a former 76ers player once made some big-time noise there that likely hasn’t been forgotten.
In a game against the Kings on Nov. 13, 1979, Darryl Dawkins broke the backboard with a dunk that sent forward Bill Robinzine looking for cover.
The @Sixers pre-season finale is tonight in Kansas City.
— Sixers History (@SixersHistory) October 13, 2017
Back in 1979, Darryl Dawkins shattered his first backboard there vs. the Kings. pic.twitter.com/98jRZ96y12
It was the first of two broken backboards that season for Dawkins, who would later be given the nickname “Chocolate Thunder” by superstar musician Stevie Wonder due to his assault on NBA backboards. The league later began using breakaway rims to help against the shattering of the glass backboards, and also said players who broke them would be fined and suspended.
Dawkins died in Allentown, Pa., on Aug. 27, 2015, at the age of 58. However, it’s safe to say that the legacy he left with his shattered backboards will live forever.
This story was originally published October 13, 2017 at 6:26 PM with the headline "Why some former Kings were well-versed in ‘Chocolate Thunder’."