Mel Daniels facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Mel Daniels

Daniels, circa 1967
Personal information
Born	(1944-07-20)July 20, 1944 Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Died	October 30, 2015(2015-10-30) (aged 71) Sheridan, Indiana, U.S.
High school	John J. Pershing (Detroit, Michigan)
Listed height	6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
Listed weight	220 lb (100 kg)
Career information
College	Southeastern CC (1963–1964) New Mexico (1964–1967)
NBA Draft	1967 / Round: 1 / Pick: 9th overall
Selected by the Cincinnati Royals
Pro career	1967–1976
Coaching career	1977–1993
Career history
As player:
1967–1968	Minnesota Muskies
1968–1974	Indiana Pacers
1974–1975	Memphis Sounds
1976	New York Nets
As coach:
1977–1979	Indiana State (assistant)
1984–1988	Indiana Pacers (assistant)
1988	Indiana Pacers
1991–1993	Indiana Pacers
Career highlights and awards
3× ABA champion (1970, 1972, 1973) 2× ABA MVP (1969, 1971) 7× ABA All-Star (1968–1974) ABA All-Star Game MVP (1969) 4× All-ABA First Team (1968–1971) All-ABA Second Team (1973) ABA Rookie of the Year (1968) ABA All-Rookie First Team (1968) 3× ABA rebounding champion (1968, 1969, 1971) ABA All-Time Team No. 34 retired by Indiana Pacers Consensus second-team All-American (1967) 2× First-team All-WAC (1966, 1967)
Career ABA and NBA statistics
Points	11,778 (18.4 ppg)
Rebounds	9,528 (14.9 rpg)
Assists	1,140 (1.8 apg)

Melvin Joe Daniels (born July 20, 1944 – died October 30, 2015) was an American professional basketball player. He played for teams in the American Basketball Association (ABA) and the National Basketball Association (NBA). Daniels was a two-time ABA Most Valuable Player. He also won three ABA championships. Daniels was a seven-time ABA All-Star. He holds the record for the most rebounds in ABA history. In 1997, he was chosen for the ABA All-Time Team. Mel Daniels was honored in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012.

Early Life and Basketball Start

Mel Daniels was born in Detroit, Michigan. His family moved there from North Carolina when he was very young. Mel had two sisters. His father worked in a car parts factory.

Mel loved to write poems from a young age. He kept writing them throughout his life. He often wrote about athletes. He usually kept his poems private from his teammates.

Daniels went to Pershing High School in Detroit. Many other famous basketball players also went there. His physical education teacher and basketball coach was Will Robinson.

Coach Robinson noticed Mel was missing from class. He found Mel and told him to join the basketball team. Mel was a sophomore at the time. Coach Robinson was very firm with him.

Mel was slow at first in high school. He didn't play much in his first two years. He was also slow during running drills. But he had a strong desire to win. He kept trying hard.

A teammate, Ted Sizemore, remembered how hard Mel worked. Coach Robinson made him practice a lot. Mel kept getting better and better. He improved his footwork and ball handling.

Mel grew to be 6 feet 9 inches tall. By his senior year, he showed great potential. Coach Robinson helped him get a scholarship. He went to Burlington Community College in Iowa.

College Basketball Career (1963–1967)

Mel Daniels continued to improve a lot in college. He played his first season (1963–1964) at Burlington Community College. There, he averaged 25.2 points and 10.0 rebounds. He was named a Junior College All-American.

After Burlington, Daniels transferred to the University of New Mexico. He played for the New Mexico Lobos from 1964 to 1967. He averaged 20 points per game during his time there. He was also named an All-American.

In his sophomore year (1964–65), he averaged 17.0 points and 11.2 rebounds. The team finished with a good record of 19 wins and 8 losses.

In 1965–66, Daniels had a serious injury. He put his arm through a glass door. This needed 352 stitches. It almost ended his sports career. But he only missed one game! He still averaged 21.2 points and 10.3 rebounds.

The 1966–67 team started with 17 wins in a row. This was a school record. New Mexico became the third-ranked team in the country. Daniels led his conference in scoring with 21.5 points. He also had 11.6 rebounds.

Overall, Daniels averaged 20.0 points and 11.1 rebounds in 77 college games. He had 44 "double-doubles" (meaning he got double digits in two stats, like points and rebounds) in his college career. This is still the most in school history.

Professional Basketball Career

In 1967, Mel Daniels was a top pick in two basketball leagues. The Cincinnati Royals picked him ninth in the 1967 NBA draft. The Minnesota Muskies also drafted him for the new American Basketball Association (ABA). Daniels decided to play in the ABA.

He chose the ABA because they offered him more money. He was the first NBA first-round pick to join the ABA. This decision turned out to be great for him.

Daniels won three ABA championships. He was named the ABA Most Valuable Player twice. He was also an ABA All-Star seven times. He led the ABA in rebounding three times. Daniels is the ABA's all-time leader in total rebounds. He is second in career average rebounds.

Minnesota Muskies (1967–1968)

As a rookie in the 1967–68 season, Daniels played for the Minnesota Muskies. He was named the American Basketball Association Rookie of the Year. He averaged 22.2 points and led the league with 15.6 rebounds per game.

The Muskies finished with a strong record of 50 wins and 28 losses. They lost in the playoffs to the Pittsburgh Pipers. Daniels averaged 25.3 points and 16.1 rebounds in those playoff games. After this season, Daniels was traded to the Indiana Pacers. The Muskies were having money problems.

Indiana Pacers (1968–1974)

With the Indiana Pacers in 1968–69, Daniels was named the ABA Most Valuable Player. He averaged 24.0 points and led the ABA with 16.5 rebounds. The Pacers, led by Coach Slick Leonard, reached the ABA Finals. They eventually lost to the Oakland Oaks.

In 1969–70, Indiana won their first ABA championship. They beat the Los Angeles Stars in the ABA Finals. Daniels averaged 18.7 points and 17.6 rebounds in the regular season. The team had a great record of 59 wins and 25 losses. Daniels was a key player in their championship win.

In 1970–71, Daniels was again named the ABA Most Valuable Player. He averaged 21.0 points and led the league with 18.0 rebounds. The Pacers had another strong season. They lost in the Western Division Finals.

The Pacers won their second ABA Title in 1971–72. They defeated the New York Nets in the 1972 ABA Finals. Daniels averaged 19.2 points and 16.4 rebounds. The team had added Hall of Famer George McGinnis.

The Pacers won their third ABA championship in 1972–73. Daniels averaged 18.5 points and 15.4 rebounds. They beat the Kentucky Colonels in a tough seven-game series in the 1973 ABA Finals.

In his last season with Indiana (1973–74), Daniels averaged 15.4 points and 11.6 rebounds. The Pacers lost in the Western Conference finals. Coach Slick Leonard called Daniels the "leader on the ballclub." He said Mel expected his teammates to play hard every night.

In his 479 games with the Indiana Pacers, Daniels averaged 19.0 points and 16.4 rebounds. He was a huge part of their success.

Memphis Sounds and Retirement (1974–1976)

In 1974–75, Daniels was traded to the Memphis Sounds. He faced some challenges there. He suffered pulled stomach muscles and a back injury. This caused him to miss a lot of games. He averaged 9.8 points and 9.0 rebounds.

The Memphis Sounds team later moved and became the Baltimore Claws. However, the Baltimore team was quickly shut down due to money problems. Daniels was very disappointed. He said it felt like a part of their lives was taken away.

Daniels decided to retire from the ABA. He played in Italy for a season. After the ABA and NBA merged, Daniels briefly signed with the New York Nets in the NBA. He played 11 games before retiring for good.

Career Totals

Mel Daniels was known for his tough play. He loved to get rebounds and was a strong presence on the court. His teammate and friend, Bob Netolicky, said Daniels was the "anchor" of the Pacers team. He believed Mel was crucial to the team's success and to keeping basketball in Indianapolis.

Daniels is the ABA's all-time leader with 9,494 rebounds. He is also second in ABA history with an average of 15.1 rebounds per game. He is fourth in total points in the ABA, with 11,739.

Across his ABA and NBA career, Daniels averaged 18.4 points and 14.9 rebounds in 639 games. In 109 playoff games, he averaged 17.4 points and 14.9 rebounds.

Coaching and Front Office Career

After his playing career, Daniels became a coach. He joined the coaching staff at Indiana State University. There, he coached future Hall of Famer Larry Bird. He helped Indiana State reach the 1979 NCAA Final. They lost to Magic Johnson's Michigan State team.

Later, Daniels joined the Indiana Pacers coaching staff in 1986. He was an assistant coach for seven seasons. After that, he moved into scouting and then the front office. He became the team's Director of Player Personnel. He held this role until 2009.

Daniels also had a very short time as an interim head coach for the Pacers in 1988–89. He coached two games.

ABA and NBA Statistics

Regular season

Playoffs

College

Personal Life and Legacy

Mel Daniels passed away on October 30, 2015. He was 71 years old. He died from problems after heart surgery. He was survived by his wife, son, two granddaughters, and two sisters.

Daniels loved horses. He lived on a ranch in Sheridan, Indiana. He was also very close friends with his Pacers teammate, Bob Netolicky.

Mel Daniels was a poet throughout his life. He wrote more than 20,000 poems. His favorite poet was Edgar Allan Poe.

Honors and Awards

• In 1978, Daniels was added to the New Mexico Sports Hall of Fame.
• The Indiana Pacers retired his jersey number (34) in 1985. This means no other Pacers player will wear that number. He is one of only four players to have their jersey retired by the Pacers.
• In 1997, Daniels was chosen for the ABA All-Time Team. This team was picked by sports media and executives.
• Daniels was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012. This is one of the highest honors in basketball.

See also

In Spanish: Mel Daniels para niños

Images for kids

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  Daniels, circa 1967