The late Darryl Dawkins knew how to entertain fans, primarily through his vicious dunks. Unfortunately, that overshadowed his actual performance on the basketball court despite his hulking 6-foot-11 frame. Regardless, it was his height that mattered during his prime. He was an offensive contributor during his stint with the New Jersey Nets from 1982 to 1987. However, what mattered most for any team was mileage in an NBA season back then.
Hence, the Nets ended up trading Chocolate Thunder to the Utah Jazz in 1987, part of a three-team deal that went down then. Dawkins' game was declining then, and he was missing games due to a back injury. Regardless, the 5th overall pick of the 1975 Draft was thankful that the Jazz still had some level of interest in him.
" The big thing is they wanted me in Utah and that's good for Darryl Dawkins," the veteran center said after the deal.
Saving one named-dunk for New Jersey
Any player dreads getting traded in the NBA. For his part, Dawkins was able to hide that ill feeling and instead turn it into something entertaining. Known for naming his dunks, the 6-foot-11 center mentioned that he would bring all of his dunks to Utah except for two.
" All my dunk shots are going with me," Dawkins said at the time via NYT . "Except for two. I'm leaving 'Dunk You Very Much' for the Nets' front office people and fans who are sad to see me go. And I'm leaving the 'I'll Be Back Shot' as a reminder to the fans of what will happen when I play the Nets."
It appeared Dawkins would get a new lease with the Jazz. However, his tenure was short-lived. It lasted only two months, with the Jazz dealing Double D to the Detroit Pistons for future picks.
When asked to explain the reason behind the sudden trade, then-coach Frank Layden clarified the move. He pointed out that Dawkins would not be getting the playing time with the team. Considering Sweet D's contract involved incentives based on playing time, limited minutes would prevent him from meeting those criteria, according to another report by the New York Times .
Dawkins later found success in coaching
Unfortunately for Dawkins, his career continued to tumble. He played 16 games with the Pistons in two seasons as his back injuries continued. Aside from that, there was the suicide of his wife in 1987, something that put him in a dark place .
After seeing a pastor, the veteran center was told to continue playing basketball to keep his mind occupied. With his NBA career spiraling, Double D took his act to Italy in 1989.
After failed comeback attempts, Dawkins would shift his attention to coaching. He coached in the International Basketball Association and the United States Basketball League. Dawkins succeeded in the USB, becoming a two-time champion coach, hailed as the 1999 USBL Coach of the Year.
Related: "Don't ever try that sh*t again" - Dominique tells the tale of how Darryl Dawkins put him in his place during his rookie year
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