Melvin Joe Daniels (July 20, 1944 – October 30, 2015) was an American professional
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
player. He played in the
American Basketball Association
The American Basketball Association (ABA) was a major men's professional basketball league from 1967 to 1976. The ABA ceased to exist with the ABA–NBA merger, American Basketball Association–National Basketball Association merger in 1976, ...
(ABA) for the
Minnesota Muskies
The Minnesota Muskies were a member of the American Basketball Association, born with the league's creation on February 2, 1967. L.P. Shields and Fred Jefferson were the owners after paying a franchise fee of $30,000. The team then played one seaso ...
,
Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The Pacers were first esta ...
, and
Memphis Sounds
The Memphis Sounds were an American professional sports franchise that played in Memphis, Tennessee from 1970 until 1975 as a member of the American Basketball Association. The team was founded as the New Orleans Buccaneers in 1967.
Known durin ...
, and in the
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United S ...
for the
New York Nets
New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created.
New or NEW may refer to:
Music
* New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz
Albums and EPs
* ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013
* ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...
. Daniels was a two-time
ABA Most Valuable Player
The American Basketball Association (ABA) was a professional basketball league that operated from the until it ceased to exist with the ABA–NBA merger in 1976. The ABA presented a variety of annual awards and honors to recognize its players and ...
, three-time ABA Champion and a seven-time ABA All-Star. Daniels was the All-time ABA rebounding leader, and in 1997 was named a unanimous selection to the
ABA All-Time Team. Daniels was enshrined into the
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 1000 Hall of Fame Avenue in Springfield, Massachusetts. It serves as basketball's most complete library, in addition to promoting and pres ...
in 2012.
Early life
The son of Maceo and Bernice Daniels, Mel Daniels moved with his family back to his birthplace of
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at ...
from
Lincoln, North Carolina when Mel was a toddler. Mel had two sisters. Back in Detroit, the family first lived with Mel's grandfather, then in a tenement on 8 Mile Road and finally in a house on McDougall Street. Maceo Daniels worked in an automobile parts factory.
Bernice read poetry to Mel. He began writing poems by age eight and continued to write them throughout the rest of his life, generally focusing on the lives of athletes, but wrote poems about non-sports topics as well. Daniels mostly did not share his poems with his teammates, “This is the side I’ve kept quiet,” he said of his poems.
Daniels attended
Pershing High School John J. Pershing High School is a four-year public high school in Detroit, Michigan. It is in Conant Gardens in proximity to the residential areas[Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...]
,
Michigan
Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...
. Pershing also produced
Spencer Haywood
Spencer Haywood (born April 22, 1949) is an American former professional basketball player and Olympic gold medalist. Haywood is a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, being inducted in 2015.
High school career
In 1964, Hayw ...
,
Ralph Simpson,
Kevin Willis
Kevin Alvin Willis (born September 6, 1962) is an American former professional basketball player mostly known for playing with the Atlanta Hawks in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was a 7-foot power forward/center. Excluding player ...
,
Ted Sizemore
Ted Crawford Sizemore (born April 15, 1945) is a former Major League Baseball second baseman. He was named the National League's Rookie of the Year in .
Early life
Sizemore was born in Gadsden, Alabama, but moved to Detroit, at the age of two y ...
and
Steve Smith Stephen, Steve, Stevie, or Steven Smith may refer to:
Academics
* Steve Smith (political scientist) (born 1952), British international relations theorist and senior university manager
* Stephen Smith (journalist) (born 1956), American journalist, ...
.
Will Robinson, physical education teacher and basketball coach at Pershing High School, recalled Daniels being absent from PE class for a few weeks. So Mr. Robinson went looking for the truant Daniels and finally found him in the hallway and ordered him to the gym. A few days later, Daniels still had not appeared in class, so Robinson went looking for him again. The way Mel Daniels, then a sophomore, remembered it, he was ordered by Coach Robinson to report to the gymnasium at 3:30 to join the basketball team.
"Chief, I want you in the gym today," Daniels recalled Coach Robinson telling him. "If you're not in the gym, I'm going to come get you and beat your a—."
Will Robinson would win two state championships at Pershing, become the first black NCAA Division I coach at
Illinois State
Illinois State University (ISU) is a Public university, public university in Normal, Illinois. Founded in 1857 as Illinois State Normal University, it is the oldest public university in Illinois. The university emphasizes teaching and is reco ...
in 1970 and later scout for the NFL
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at Ford ...
and NBA
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division and play their home games at Li ...
.
Daniels was slow to earn playing time in high school, playing sparingly in junior varsity games his first two seasons. He was also slow in running fitness laps under Coach Robinson's direction. "Jesus Christ, he would always be a bad last," Robinson recalled. "Not just last, but a bad last. The guys would lap him. He had a winning spirit. He tried all the time after he found out the swing of things."
Ted Sizemore, later a major league baseball player, was a high school basketball teammate of Daniels and recalled, "Will (Robinson) worked him. One thing Mel never did was give up. He kept coming back and Will made him work, work, work. He just kept developing and developing. He just did a lot of work. A lot of drills, footwork, handling the ball. He just got coordinated all of a sudden."
After growing to 6'9", Daniels showed his potential as a senior and Robinson helped him secure a scholarship at Burlington Community College in Iowa.
College career (1963–1967)
Daniels continued to improve in college. Playing the 1963–1964 season at
Burlington Community College in
Burlington, Iowa
Burlington is a city in, and the county seat of, Des Moines County, Iowa, United States. The population was 23,982 in the 2020 census, a decline from the 26,839 population in 2000. Burlington is the center of a micropolitan area, which includes ...
, Daniels averaged 25.2 points and 10.0 rebounds and was named a Junior College All-American. While at Burlington, Dainiels was recruited to play for the
New Mexico Lobos
The New Mexico Lobos are the athletic teams that represent the University of New Mexico, located in Albuquerque. The university participates in the NCAA Division I in the Mountain West Conference (MW) since 1999, after leaving the Western Athle ...
by coach Bob King. Daniels transferred, played for New Mexico from 1964 to 1967, averaged 20 points per game in his New Mexico Lobo career and was named an All-American.
Starting as a sophomore in 1964–65, the 6–9 power forward played in 27 games and averaged 17.0 points and 11.2 rebounds as New Mexico finished 19–8.
During the 1965–66 season, Daniels suffered a severe injury when he put his arm through a glass door at
Johnson Gymnasium
Johnson Gymnasium is a 4,000-seat multi-purpose arena in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on the campus of the University of New Mexico. It opened in 1957 and was the home venue of the New Mexico Lobos basketball team until The Pit opened in 1966. Tod ...
, requiring 352 stitches and almost ending his athletic career.
The sutures notwithstanding, Daniels missed one game and averaged 21.2 points and 10.3 rebounds as the Lobos finished 16–8.
The 1966–67 team won a school-record 17 straight games to start the season as New Mexico climbed to No. 3 in the national rankings. Daniels led the Western Athletic Conference in scoring at 21.5 points, along with 11.6 rebounds as New Mexico finished 19–8.
For his career, Daniels averaged 20.0 points and 11.1 rebounds in 77 games at New Mexico. He had 44 career double-doubles, still the most in school history.
ABA/NBA career
Daniels was the ninth pick of the
1967 NBA draft
The 1967 NBA draft was the 21st annual draft of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The draft was held on May 3 and 4, 1967 before the 1967–68 season. In this draft, 12 NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball play ...
, selected by the
Cincinnati Royals
The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference Pacific Division. The Kings are the oldest ...
, and was also drafted by the
Minnesota Muskies
The Minnesota Muskies were a member of the American Basketball Association, born with the league's creation on February 2, 1967. L.P. Shields and Fred Jefferson were the owners after paying a franchise fee of $30,000. The team then played one seaso ...
of the
American Basketball Association
The American Basketball Association (ABA) was a major men's professional basketball league from 1967 to 1976. The ABA ceased to exist with the ABA–NBA merger, American Basketball Association–National Basketball Association merger in 1976, ...
(ABA). He chose to play in the fledgling ABA.
After rejecting Cincinnati (with
Oscar Robertson
Oscar Palmer Robertson (born November 24, 1938), nicknamed "the Big O", is an American former professional basketball player who played for the Cincinnati Royals and Milwaukee Bucks in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Robertson played ...
), Daniels became the first NBA first-round pick to snub the established league and go to the ABA. "At that time, it wasn't about money for me. But y'know, 2 + 2 is still 4," Daniels said of his decision to go to the ABA. "I was offered $15,000 by Cincinnati as a bonus and $17,500 as a salary. I was offered $15,000 as a bonus in Minnesota and $30,000 as a salary. So the higher number somehow won out."
Daniels' decision to play in the ABA led to great success for him. Daniels won three ABA championships, was a two-time ABA Most Valuable Player, a seven time ABA All-star and led the ABA in rebounding average in three different seasons. Daniels is the ABA's all-time leader in total rebounds and second in ABA career average rebounds (15.12) behind only fellow
Hall of Famer
A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actual halls or muse ...
Artis Gilmore
Artis Gilmore (born September 21, 1949) is an American former professional basketball player who played in the American Basketball Association (ABA) and National Basketball Association (NBA). Gilmore was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basket ...
of the
Kentucky Colonels
The Kentucky Colonels were a member of the American Basketball Association for all of the league's nine years. The name is derived from the historic Kentucky colonels. The Colonels won the most games and had the highest winning percentage of ...
(17.07).
Daniels had 1,608 career postseason rebounds in the ABA.
Minnesota Muskies (1967–1968)
As a rookie in 1967–68 with the Minnesota Muskies, Daniels was named the
American Basketball Association Rookie of the Year. He averaged 22.2 points and a league leading 15.6 rebounds in 78 games, as Minnesota finished 50–28 under coach
Jim Pollard
James Clifford Pollard (July 9, 1922 – January 22, 1993) was an American professional basketball player and coach. As a player in the National Basketball Association (NBA), Pollard was considered one of the best forwards in the 1950s and was k ...
. Minnesota lost to the eventual ABA champion
Pittsburgh Pipers
Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Western Pennsylvania, the second-most populous city in Pennsylv ...
with
Connie Hawkins
Cornelius Lance "Connie" Hawkins (July 17, 1942 – October 6, 2017) was an American professional basketball player. A New York City playground legend, "the Hawk"
was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1992.
Early ye ...
in the
1968 ABA Playoffs, as Daniels averaged 25.3 points and 16.1 rebounds in 10 playoff games. After the 1967–68 season, Daniels was traded to the
Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The Pacers were first esta ...
for cash (reportedly, $75,000),
Jimmy Dawson and
Ron Kozlicki, as Minnesota was experiencing financial difficulty. Minnesota moved to become the
Miami Floridians
The Miami Floridians, later in their history known simply as The Floridians, were a professional basketball franchise in the original, now-defunct American Basketball Association. The Miami Floridians played in the ABA from 1968 through 1970 when ...
after the one season in Minnesota.
Indiana Pacers (1968–1974)
With Indiana in 1968–69, Daniels was named the
ABA Most Valuable Player
The American Basketball Association (ABA) was a professional basketball league that operated from the until it ceased to exist with the ABA–NBA merger in 1976. The ABA presented a variety of annual awards and honors to recognize its players and ...
as he averaged 24.0 points and an ABA leading 16.5 rebounds. With
Hall of Fame
A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or Wiktionary:fame, fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actu ...
Coach
Slick Leonard
William Robert "Slick" Leonard (July 17, 1932April 13, 2021) was an American professional basketball player, coach and color commentator. He played college basketball for the Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball, Indiana Hoosiers, where he was a t ...
taking over from
Larry Staverman
Lawrence Joseph Staverman (October 11, 1936 – July 12, 2007) was an American professional basketball player and coach. A 6' 7" forward from Villa Madonna College (now known as Thomas More College), Staverman was drafted in the 9th round of the ...
as the Pacers coach early in the season, in the
1969 ABA Playoffs
The 1969 ABA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the American Basketball Association's 1968–69 ABA season, 1968–69 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Division (ABA), Western Division champion Oakland Oaks (ABA), Oakland Oak ...
, Indiana defeated the Kentucky Colonels 4–3, Daniels' former team, the Miami Floridians 4–1 before losing to the
Oakland Oaks with
Rick Barry
Richard Francis Dennis Barry III (born March 28, 1944) is an American retired professional basketball player who starred at the NCAA, American Basketball Association (ABA) and National Basketball Association (NBA) levels. Barry ranks among the ...
4–1 in the 1969 ABA Finals.
"Slick was one of the most creative, innovative coaches ever," Daniels said of his longtime Pacers coach. "He would change our offense at halftime. He'd create six new plays and we executed them the way he drew them up on the board."
In 1969–70, Indiana won the
1970 ABA championship with a 4–2 series win over the
Los Angeles Stars
LOS, or Los, or LoS may refer to:
Science and technology
* Length of stay, the duration of a single episode of hospitalisation
* Level of service, a measure used by traffic engineers
* Level of significance, a measure of statistical significance ...
in the
ABA Finals. Daniels averaged 18.7 points and 17.6 rebounds in the regular season, as Indiana finished 59–25.
Hall of Famer
A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actual halls or muse ...
Roger Brown,
Bob Netolicky
Robert Netolicky (born August 2, 1942) is a retired American basketball player. A 6'9" power forward/center, he played professionally in the now–defunct American Basketball Association (ABA) from 1967 to 1976. Netolicky was a four–time ABA Al ...
,
John Barnhill and
Freddie Lewis
Frederick L. Lewis (born July 1, 1943) is a retired American basketball player. He played professionally in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and American Basketball Association (ABA). He is the only player to start his career in the NBA ...
helped lead the Pacers to the ABA Title. Daniels averaged 19.3 points and 17.7 rebounds in the playoffs.
In 1970–71, the Pacers finished 58–26, as Daniels was again named the
ABA Most Valuable Player
The American Basketball Association (ABA) was a professional basketball league that operated from the until it ceased to exist with the ABA–NBA merger in 1976. The ABA presented a variety of annual awards and honors to recognize its players and ...
. He averaged 21.0 points, a league leading 18.0 rebounds and 2.2 assists. The Pacers were defeated by the
Utah Stars
The Utah Stars were an American Basketball Association (ABA) team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. Under head coach Bill Sharman the Stars were the first major professional basketball team to use a pre-game shootaround.
History prior to moving to ...
4–3 in the Western Division Finals in the
1971 ABA Playoffs The 1971 ABA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the American Basketball Association's 1970-71 ABA season, 1970-1971 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Division (ABA), Western Division champion Utah Stars defeating the Eastern D ...
. Daniels averaged 21.4 points and 19.2 rebounds in the playoffs.
In 1971–72 the Pacers added
Hall of Famer
A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actual halls or muse ...
George McGinnis
George F. McGinnis (born August 10, 1950) is an American former professional basketball player who played 11 seasons in the American Basketball Association (ABA) and National Basketball Association (NBA). He was drafted into the ABA from Indiana ...
. They then won their second ABA Title, as they defeated the
Denver Rockets
Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the United ...
4–3, the Utah Stars 4–3 and the
New York Nets
New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created.
New or NEW may refer to:
Music
* New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz
Albums and EPs
* ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013
* ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...
with Rick Barry 4–2 in the
1972 ABA Finals. Daniels averaged 19.2 points, 16.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists as Indiana finished the regular season 47–37. Daniels averaged 15.3 points and 15.1 rebounds in the playoffs.
The Pacers won their third ABA championship in 1972–73. Daniels averaged 18.5 points and 15.4 rebounds alongside McGinnis (27.6 points and 12.5 rebounds), as Indiana finished 51–33. In the
1973 ABA Playoffs The 1973 ABA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the American Basketball Association's 1972-1973 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Division champion Indiana Pacers defeating the Eastern Division champion Kentucky Colonels, fo ...
, Indiana defeated the Denver Rockets 4–1 and the Utah Stars 4–2. In the
1973 ABA Finals The 1973 ABA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the American Basketball Association's 1972-1973 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Division champion Indiana Pacers defeating the Eastern Division champion Kentucky Colonels, ...
the Pacers defeated the
Kentucky Colonels
The Kentucky Colonels were a member of the American Basketball Association for all of the league's nine years. The name is derived from the historic Kentucky colonels. The Colonels won the most games and had the highest winning percentage of ...
with
Hall of Famers Artis Gilmore,
Dan Issel
Daniel Paul Issel (born October 25, 1948) is an American former professional basketball player and coach. An outstanding collegian at the University of Kentucky, Issel was twice named an All-American en route to a school-record 25.7 points per ...
,
Louis Dampier
Louis Dampier (born November 20, 1944) is an American retired professional basketball player.
A 6-foot-tall guard (basketball), guard, Dampier is one of only a handful of men to play all nine seasons in the American Basketball Association (ABA) ...
and former Pacer teammate
Rick Mount
Richard Carl Mount (born January 5, 1947) is a former American basketball player in the American Basketball Association (ABA). He was the first high school athlete to be featured on the cover of ''Sports Illustrated''.
Early life
Rick Mount's fath ...
4–3 to capture the ABA championship. Daniels averaged 15.9 points and 13.8 rebounds in the playoffs.
In his last season in Indiana, Daniels averaged a
double-double
In basketball, a double-double is a single-game performance in which a player accumulates ten or more in two of the following five statistical categories: points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocked shots. The first "double" in the term ...
15.4 points and 11.6 rebounds in 1973–74. The Pacers finished 46–38 and lost to the Utah Stars in the Western Conference finals in the
1974 ABA Playoffs The 1974 ABA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the American Basketball Association's 1973-1974 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Division champion New York Nets defeating the Western Division champion Utah Stars, four game ...
, with Daniels averaging 12.2 points and 11.4 rebounds in the playoffs.
"He was the leader on the ballclub," said Coach Slick Leonard of Daniels. "He expected his teammates to bring it every night and he would get on 'em. But off the floor, he was like a big bear."
In 479 career games with the Indiana Pacers, Daniels averaged 19.0 points and 16.4 rebounds.
Memphis Sounds (1974–1975)
In 1974–75, Daniels (along with Freddie Lewis) was traded to the
Memphis Sounds
The Memphis Sounds were an American professional sports franchise that played in Memphis, Tennessee from 1970 until 1975 as a member of the American Basketball Association. The team was founded as the New Orleans Buccaneers in 1967.
Known durin ...
for
Charles Edge. Roger Brown joined them in Memphis as well. Early in the season, Daniels suffered pulled stomach muscles and missed a month. Then, he fell in a bathtub and injured his back, ending up back on injured list. His back problems were chronic .Daniels averaged 9.8 points and 9.0 rebounds.
"I was traded (to Memphis) with the understanding that we'd play together," Daniels recalled of his Memphis experience. "But Roger was traded to Utah and Freddie went to St. Louis. We were lied to. Then I hurt my back. Everything kind of fell apart. I never got my passion for the game back. Once you're lied to, you lose respect for the people who did it to you. You start doubting yourself a little bit. And your boys are gone."
In 1975–76, the Memphis Sounds relocated and became the
Baltimore Claws
The Baltimore Claws were an American basketball team which was supposed to appear in the 1975–76 season in the American Basketball Association. The team collapsed before the season started, playing only three exhibition games, all losses, in it ...
. The Baltimore franchise was suddenly disbanded after three exhibition games due to financial difficulties. Daniels said at the time: "It just seems unbelievable. I've been around the ABA for nine years and felt this would be the most solid year and now this happens. We worked hard and wanted something good to happen with this team. The guys feel it is part of our lives that has been swooped away. We tried hard to keep it together by working real hard in practice even when we weren't getting paid. But now it's all over and we're all down in the dumps."
The Baltimore Claws players were then available to other ABA teams in a special draft. The 31-year-old Daniels was passed over in the resulting dispersal draft, as other teams were likely wary of assuming the contract he had with Baltimore. Daniels decided to retire from the league rather than play for another ABA team.
He then played in Italy during the 1975–76 season.
After the 1976
ABA–NBA merger
The ABA-NBA merger was a major pro sports business maneuver in 1976 when the American Basketball Association (ABA) combined with the National Basketball Association (NBA), after multiple attempts over several years. The NBA and ABA had entered ...
, the San Antonio Spurs, Denver Nuggets, New York Nets and Indiana Pacers merged with the NBA. The remaining ABA teams were disbanded. On October 19, 1976, Daniels signed as a free agent with the New York Nets and on December 13, 1976 he was waived by the Nets and retired. Daniels had played with the Nets for 11 games during the 1976–77 season.
Career totals
"I loved to knock guys down," Daniels said in "
Loose Balls
''Loose Balls: The Short Wild Life of the American Basketball Association'' is a sports book originally published in 1990 by Simon & Schuster. The book, a history of the original American Basketball Association, was written by sportswriter Terr ...
" (1990). "When you went to the boards, you did it with your elbows out. If there was a fight, it wasn't just one-on-one, it was 12-on-12. The fine for fighting was $25. That wasn't going to stop any fights."
"Mel was the anchor," Pacers teammate and best friend
Bob Netolicky
Robert Netolicky (born August 2, 1942) is a retired American basketball player. A 6'9" power forward/center, he played professionally in the now–defunct American Basketball Association (ABA) from 1967 to 1976. Netolicky was a four–time ABA Al ...
said of Daniels. "Had Mel not came to this team, I can guarantee you 100 percent we wouldn't be sitting down at (Bankers Life Fieldhouse). Had we not had the success we had, they would’ve folded the team. The thing I hope people understand, they have no idea how important this guy was to the city (of Indianapolis)."
Daniels is the ABA's all-time leader with 9,494 rebounds and is second in ABA history with an average of 15.1 rebounds per game. He is fourth in ABA total points, with 11,739, ninth with 628 games, fourth with 22,340 minutes and 10th with 351 ABA blocked shots.
Overall, in his ABA and NBA career, Daniels averaged a double-double of 18.4 points and 14.9 rebounds in 639 career games. In 109 playoff games, he averaged 17.4 points and 14.9 rebounds.
Coaching and front office career
After retiring as a player, Daniels joined the coaching staff of his college coach,
Bob King, at
Indiana State University
Indiana State University (ISU) is a public university in Terre Haute, Indiana. It was founded in 1865 and offers over 100 undergraduate majors and more than 75 graduate and professional programs. Indiana State is classified among "D/PU: Doctor ...
. There he coached future
Hall of Famer
A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actual halls or muse ...
Larry Bird
Larry Joe Bird (born December 7, 1956) is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "the Hick from French Lick" and "Larry Legend", Bird is widely regarded a ...
and helped the Sycamores reach the 1979 NCAA Final, where they were defeated by
Magic Johnson
Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. (born August 14, 1959) is an American former professional basketball player. He is often regarded as the greatest point guard of all-time and has been compared with Stephen Curry. Johnson played 13 seasons in the ...
and
Michigan State
Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the United States. It i ...
ending an undefeated season.
After his tenure at Indiana State, Daniels joined the
Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The Pacers were first esta ...
coaching staff in 1986. After seven seasons an assistant coach, he moved to scouting and eventually the front office and was the team's Director of Player Personnel until October 2009.
Daniels had a 0–2 record as interim coach of the Pacers in 1988–89. He replaced
Jack Ramsay, who was fired after an 0–7 start.
George Irvine George Irvine may refer to:
*George Irvine (politician) (1826–1897), Canadian politician
*George Irvine (basketball) (1948–2017), American basketball player and coach
*George Irvine (diver), see William Hogarth Main
See also
*George Irving ...
and later
Dick Versace
Richard Patrick Versace (April 16, 1940 – February 25, 2022) was an American basketball coach and executive. He was also the first American of Puerto Rican descent to have coached a National Basketball Association (NBA) team.
Early life
Versace ...
were the head coaches who followed.
ABA and NBA statistics
Regular season
, -
, style="text-align:left; ,
, style="text-align:left;",
Minnesota (ABA)
, 78 , , – , , 37.7 , , .408 , , .200 , , .575 , , style="background:#CFECEC", 15.6* , , 1.4 , , – , , – , , 22.2
, -
, style="text-align:left" ,
, style="text-align:left;",
Indiana (ABA)
, 76 , , – , , 38.6 , , .476 , , .000 , , .604 , , style="background:#CFECEC", 16.5* , , 1.5 , , – , , – , , 24.0
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;",
Indiana (ABA)
, 83 , , – , , 36.6 , , .473 , , .000 , , .675 , , 17.6 , , 1.6 , , – , , – , , 18.7
, -
, style="text-align:left;background:#afe6fa;", †
, style="text-align:left;",
Indiana (ABA)
, 82 , , – , , 38.7 , , .514 , , .077 , , .679 , , style="background:#CFECEC", 18.0* , , 2.2 , , – , , – , , 21.0
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;",
Indiana (ABA)
, 79 , , – , , 37.6 , , .505 , , .000 , , .703 , , 16.4 , , 2.2 , , – , , – , , 19.2
, -
, style="text-align:left;background:#afe6fa;", †
, style="text-align:left;",
Indiana (ABA)
, 81 , , – , , 38.3 , , .482 , , .250 , , .722 , , 15.4 , , 2.2 , , – , , 1.9 , , 18.5
, -
, style="text-align:left;background:#afe6fa;", †
, style="text-align:left;",
Indiana (ABA)
, 78 , , – , , 32.6 , , .440 , , – , , .756 , , 11.6 , , 1.6 , , 0.7 , , 1.2 , , 15.4
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;",
Memphis (ABA)
, 71 , , – , , 23.2 , , .450 , , – , , .634 , , 9.0 , , 1.8 , , 0.6 , , 1.4 , , 9.8
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;",
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
, 11 , , – , , 11.5 , , .371 , , – , , .565 , , 3.1 , , 0.5 , , 0.3 , , 1.0 , , 3.5
, -
, - class="sortbottom"
, style="text-align:center;" colspan=2, Career
, 639 , , – , , 35.2 , , .468 , , .088 , , .657 , , 14.9 , , 1.8 , , 0.6 , , 1.5 , , 18.4
Playoffs
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
1968
, style="text-align:left;",
Minnesota (ABA)
, 10 , , – , , 40.9 , , .434 , , – , , .606 , , 16.1 , , 1.9 , , – , , – , , 25.3
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
1969
, style="text-align:left;",
Indiana (ABA)
, 17 , , – , , 33.5 , , .422 , , .000 , , .608 , , 13.9 , , 1.3 , , – , , – , , 19.6
, -
, style="text-align:left;background:#afe6fa;",
1970
Events
January
* January 1 – Unix time epoch reached at 00:00:00 UTC.
* January 5 – The 7.1 Tonghai earthquake shakes Tonghai County, Yunnan province, China, with a maximum Mercalli intensity scale, Mercalli intensity of X (''Extrem ...
†
, style="text-align:left;",
Indiana (ABA)
, 15 , , – , , 35.5 , , .444 , , .000 , , .667 , , 17.7 , , 1.0 , , – , , – , , 19.3
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
1971 *
The year 1971 had three partial solar eclipses ( February 25, July 22 and August 20) and two total lunar eclipses (February 10, and August 6).
The world population increased by 2.1% this year, the highest increase in history.
Events
Ja ...
, style="text-align:left;",
Indiana (ABA)
, 11 , , – , , 41.5 , , .485 , , – , , .746 , , 19.2 , , 1.5 , , – , , – , , 21.4
, -
, style="text-align:left;background:#afe6fa;",
1972
Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using Solar time, me ...
†
, style="text-align:left;",
Indiana (ABA)
, 20 , , – , , 37.2 , , .480 , , .000 , , .753 , , 15.1 , , 1.4 , , – , , – , , 15.3
, -
, style="text-align:left;background:#afe6fa;",
1973
Events January
* January 1 - The United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark enter the European Economic Community, which later becomes the European Union.
* January 15 – Vietnam War: Citing progress in peace negotiations, U.S. ...
†
, style="text-align:left;",
Indiana (ABA)
, 18 , , – , , 35.3 , , .471 , , – , , .765 , , 13.8 , , 2.2 , , – , , – , , 15.9
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
1974
Major events in 1974 include the aftermath of the 1973 oil crisis and the resignation of United States President Richard Nixon following the Watergate scandal. In the Middle East, the aftermath of the 1973 Yom Kippur War determined politics; f ...
, style="text-align:left;",
Indiana (ABA)
, 14 , , – , , 35.6 , , .401 , , – , , .767 , , 11.4 , , 1.9 , , 0.8 , , 1.0 , , 12.2
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
1975
It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe.
Events
January
* January 1 - Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...
, style="text-align:left;",
Memphis (ABA)
, 4 , , – , , 13.5 , , .500 , , – , , .556 , , 6.0 , , 0.3 , , 0.3 , , 1.5 , , 6.8
, -
, - class="sortbottom"
, style="text-align:center;" colspan=2, Career
, 109 , , – , , 35.8 , , .449 , , .000 , , .683 , , 14.8 , , 1.5 , , 0.7 , , 1.1 , , 17.4
College
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
1964–65
, style="text-align:left;",
New Mexico
)
, population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano)
, seat = Santa Fe
, LargestCity = Albuquerque
, LargestMetro = Tiguex
, OfficialLang = None
, Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...
, 27 , , – , , – , , .486 , , – , , .610 , , 11.2 , , – , , – , , – , , 17.3
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
1965–66
, style="text-align:left;",
New Mexico
)
, population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano)
, seat = Santa Fe
, LargestCity = Albuquerque
, LargestMetro = Tiguex
, OfficialLang = None
, Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...
, 23 , , – , , – , , .485 , , – , , .738 , , 10.3 , , – , , – , , – , , 21.3
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
1966–67
, style="text-align:left;",
New Mexico
)
, population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano)
, seat = Santa Fe
, LargestCity = Albuquerque
, LargestMetro = Tiguex
, OfficialLang = None
, Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...
, 27 , , – , , – , , .481 , , – , , .686 , , 11.6 , , – , , – , , – , , 21.5
, -
Personal life
Daniels died on October 30, 2015, at the age of 71, from complications after heart surgery. He was survived by his wife, CeCe Daniels, son Mel Daniels Jr., two granddaughters, and two sisters.
A lover of horses, Daniels lived on a ranch in
Sheridan, Indiana
Sheridan is a town in Adams Township, Hamilton County, Indiana, United States. The population was 2,665 at the 2010 census. The center of population of Indiana is located just northwest of Sheridan.
Geography
Sheridan is located at (40.1338 ...
at the time of his death.
Daniels was longtime friends with
Ira Harge
Ira Lee Harge (born March 14, 1941) is a retired American professional basketball player. Born in Anguilla, Mississippi, Harge played high school basketball in Detroit, Michigan before starring in college at the University of New Mexico. He playe ...
, a teammate at New Mexico and was very close with
Bob Netolicky
Robert Netolicky (born August 2, 1942) is a retired American basketball player. A 6'9" power forward/center, he played professionally in the now–defunct American Basketball Association (ABA) from 1967 to 1976. Netolicky was a four–time ABA Al ...
, his Pacers teammate.
Daniels appeared in ''
30 for 30
''30 for 30'' is the title for a series of documentary films airing on ESPN, its sister networks, and online highlighting interesting people and events in sports history. This includes three "volumes" of 30 episodes each, a 13-episode series un ...
'' ''Winning Time: Reggie Miller vs. The New York Knicks'' (documentary, 2010), ''Magic vs. Bird: The 1979 NCAA Championship Game'' (TV special, 1979) and ''Undefeated: The Roger Brown Story'' (TV Movie, 2013).
A poet, Mel Daniels wrote more than 20,000 poems in his lifetime. His favorite poet was
Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe (; Edgar Poe; January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic. Poe is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales of mystery and the macabre. He is wide ...
.
Honors
* In 1978, Daniels was inducted into the New Mexico Sports Hall of Fame.
* Daniels' jersey (#34) was retired by the Indiana Pacers in 1985. He is one of four players (the others are teammate
Roger Brown,
Reggie Miller
Reginald Wayne Miller (born August 24, 1965) is an American former professional basketball player who played his entire 18-year National Basketball Association (NBA) career with the Indiana Pacers. Miller was known for his precision three-p ...
and teammate George McGinnis) to have his jersey retired by the Pacers.
* In 1997, Daniels was selected as a member of the
ABA All-Time Team by a panel of ABA sports media, referees and executives.
* Daniels was inducted into the
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 1000 Hall of Fame Avenue in Springfield, Massachusetts. It serves as basketball's most complete library, in addition to promoting and pres ...
in
Springfield, Massachusetts
Springfield is a city in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States, and the seat of Hampden County. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers: the western Westfield River, the ...
in 2012.
He formally joined former ABA players
Connie Hawkins
Cornelius Lance "Connie" Hawkins (July 17, 1942 – October 6, 2017) was an American professional basketball player. A New York City playground legend, "the Hawk"
was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1992.
Early ye ...
(1992),
Dan Issel
Daniel Paul Issel (born October 25, 1948) is an American former professional basketball player and coach. An outstanding collegian at the University of Kentucky, Issel was twice named an All-American en route to a school-record 25.7 points per ...
(1993),
David Thompson (1996) and
Artis Gilmore
Artis Gilmore (born September 21, 1949) is an American former professional basketball player who played in the American Basketball Association (ABA) and National Basketball Association (NBA). Gilmore was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basket ...
(2011) in the Hall on September 7, 2012.
References
External links
ABA Records
{{DEFAULTSORT:Daniels, Mel
1944 births
2015 deaths
African-American basketball players
All-American college men's basketball players
American men's basketball coaches
American men's basketball players
Basketball coaches from Michigan
Basketball players from Detroit
Centers (basketball)
Cincinnati Royals draft picks
Indiana Pacers head coaches
Indiana Pacers players
Indiana State Sycamores men's basketball coaches
Memphis Sounds players
Minnesota Muskies players
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductees
National Basketball Association players with retired numbers
New Mexico Lobos men's basketball players
New York Nets players
Pershing High School alumni
Southeastern Blackhawks men's basketball players
20th-century African-American sportspeople
21st-century African-American people