15 stars you forgot played for the Detroit Pistons

6. Darryl Dawkins

The late Darryl Dawkins drew up the blueprint for Shaquille O’Neal.

While Dawkins wasn’t nearly as dominant as Shaq on the court, the ways in which Dawkins became famous — and remains one of the game’s most memorable figures from his era of the 1970s and ’80s — is very similar to how Shaq became (and is still) a celebrity whose popularity transcends basketball.

Dawkins’ backboard-breaking dunks made him a must-see special attraction almost 15 years before Shaq destroyed his first piece of NBA property. Dawkins never made an All-Star team and he isn’t in the Hall of Fame, but those clips of him shattering the glass will forever be part of NBA highlight reels.

Off the court, and particularly with the media, Dawkins was a constantly entertaining personality who was always good for an interesting quote. He also, like Shaq, had a long list of marketable nicknames; most of which he gave to himself.

“Chocolate Thunder” (one of the many monikers) peaked during his time with the Philadelphia 76ers, helping the team win three Eastern Conference titles.

The Pistons acquired Dawkins in 1987 in a trade with the Utah Jazz. He only played 16 games in two seasons with Detroit. Even though he was just in his early 30s, Dawkins was limited by injuries and was not the explosive athlete and powerful force at center he had once been.

Dawkins was waived by the Pistons during the 1988-89 season, a few months before Detroit would win its first NBA championship.