Chocolate Thunder Winnipeg – The Winnipeg Free Press made an unforgettable impression

Alex English, a basketball hall of famer and eight-time NBA All-Star, was the IBA commissioner at the time and immediately joined the recruiting effort.

Dawkins was not interested. English gave his number to Cyclone.

“I had a message on my phone saying 'Manitoba' called,” Dawkins recalled in his 2003 autobiography. He died of a heart attack in Pennsylvania in 2015 at the age of 58.

“WHO? I don't know Manitoba. Must be a wrong number,” he wrote.

After Dawkins urged the big man up north to show Manitoba who he was, not who he was, the Cyclone offered him a deal for less than $3,000 a month, plus transportation and lodging.

The first player to enter the NBA right out of high school, the Convention Center – the downtown home of the Cyclones – has captivated Winnipeg's restaurant scene and nightlife.

He put pen to paper and eventually guided the team for two seasons (1998-2000).

“He joked about the cold and the weather, but he really enjoyed his time in Canada,” says Janice Dawkins, who started dating him after his time in Winnipeg. “My husband loved to travel. He loved being in cities that embraced him, and he always felt embraced there.”

The hiring caused some buzz at first. ESPN the Magazine even sent a reporter to the Manitoba capital to write a feature on Dawkins for its January 1999 edition.

He was named Co-Coach of the Year in 1998-99 for leading the Cyclones to first place in the West Division.

“He wasn't great at Xs and Os. It was not his forte. He was the players' coach and he was one of the guys,” Barish recalls. “He behaved well because of what he had achieved, so he was highly regarded and respected by the players. He was as personable as could be.”

However, Dawkins was no pushover.

“One time when he was releasing players after training camp, a veteran player was very aggressive with him, which obviously wasn't a good idea because (Dawkins) was bigger than everybody,” said Rob Berkowitz, who served as director. Operations for Cyclone.

“(Dawkins) did nothing inappropriate. He simply told the player that he would be stepping down. The player came back, I guess, out of courage, and dressed down Darryl in front of all the players and made some reference to having a bat in his car. And Darryl said, “Go get the bat, because you're going to need it!” said.

“WHO? I don't know Manitoba. Must be a wrong number”– Darryl Dawkins

Dawkins wasn't content to guard the sideline. In his second season as a coach, he actually started 18 games for Winnipeg, making the 53 that he made famous in the NBA. He averaged 3.8 points and 3.9 rebounds, a list he shared with hometown athlete Dan Becker.

“I remember one time we were scrambling, so (Dawkins) made us run the lines. I was one of the older guys, and I rolled my eyes, so he said, “Oh, Dan Becker doesn't think he should run there.” He would call you and put you in line,” said Becker, who played professionally overseas and had a tryout with the NBA's Indiana Pacers in 1991.

“He was a strong presence and a lot of fun to play with. I loved it … he was just a character and a lovely guy.”

Ask anyone involved with the Cyclones at the time and they'll be sure to mention Dawkins' fashion sense. He would go out on game days wearing a flashy suit that would make NBA reporter Craig Sager and former NHL commentator Don Cherry proud.

“I mean, they were the boldest colors anyone could imagine,” Barish says. “I think he had a connection with Mr. Big and Tall, who worked in Winnipeg. “I don't know where this man went to get the suits.”

Janice has three closets for her husband's impressive collection.

“My son (Nicholas, Penn State football player) is not as tall as my husband, but he wants me to keep them all. There are all the colors of the rainbow. “To be honest, I think he had more than 200 suits,” he says.

Dawkins' arrival did not solve the Cyclone's problems. Although he was not short on community events and was great with fans, his time with the organization was far from perfect. Serious attendance problems forced the team to shut down in August 2001. IBA also closed its shop.

The city went more than two decades without a professional hoops team until the Winnipeg Sea Bears took over Canada's elite basketball league in 2023.

After leaving the Prairies, Dawkins coached the Pennsylvania Valley Dawgs to a pair of United States Basketball League titles. Barish and Berkowitz have been in touch with him over the years.

Dawkins' time with the Cyclones was just a brief chapter in a storied career, but Winnipeg basketball fans still talk about the big man who arrived in a Canadian city that never got on the map until he got here.

“Darryl had a talent and a unique ability that left a strong and lasting impression on anyone,” says Berkowitz. “People were naturally drawn to him and felt better when he was around them. He touched a lot of people in his short time in Winnipeg.”

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Taylor Allen
Reporter

Eighteen years old and still in high school, Taylor began working for the Free Press on June 1, 2011.

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