Mel Daniels
Mel Daniels | ||
Player information | ||
---|---|---|
Full name | Melvin Joe Daniels | |
birthday | July 20, 1944 | |
place of birth | Detroit , Michigan , United States | |
date of death | October 30, 2015 at the age of 71 | |
Place of death | Sheridan , Indiana , United States | |
size | 206 cm | |
position | center | |
college | New Mexico | |
NBA draft | 1967 , 9th pick, Cincinnati Royals | |
Clubs as active | ||
1967–1968 Minnesota Muskies 1968–1974 Indiana Pacers 1974–1975 Memphis Sounds 1976 New York Nets |
||
Clubs as coaches | ||
1978–1982 Indiana State Sycamores (assistant coach) 1984–1988 Indiana Pacers (assistant coach) 1988 Indiana Pacers (interim) 1988–1989 Indiana Pacers (assistant coach) 1991–1993 Indiana Pacers (assistant coach)
|
||
1 As of December 13, 2010 |
Melvin Joe Daniels (born July 20, 1944 in Detroit , Michigan , † October 30, 2015 in Sheridan , Indiana ) was an American basketball player . During his most successful period, he won three ABA championships with the Indiana Pacers . His jersey with the number 34 is no longer awarded by the Pacers.
career
college
From 1964 to 1967 Daniels played for his college basketball team , the New Mexico Lobos . With the team he reached the second round of the NIT tournament twice, was elected twice to the All-WAC team, and was the WAC's top scorer as a senior . He was also appointed to the NCAA All-American team as a senior . In 1989 he was inducted into his college's Hall of Honor.
ABA
After leaving college, he was drafted by the Minnesota Muskies in both the ABA and the Cincinnati Royals in the NBA . He decided to play in the ABA. At the Muskies he was the team's best scorer in his first season, reached the Eastern Division Final and was voted Rookie of the Year . After a very successful first season, he was traded to the Indiana Pacers . In his six years with the Pacers, he won three ABA championships and was voted MVP twice . Then he played another season for the Memphis Sounds . In the ABA he took part in a total of 7 All-Star Games and was voted All-Star Game MVP once. He was also appointed to the ABA First Team four times and got the most rebounds (9,494) in ABA history. After his successful time in the ABA, he was under contract with the New York Nets in the NBA for half a year , but played only 11 games for the club. In 2012, Mel Daniels was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame .
Coaching career
Two years after he finished his professional career, Daniels became an assistant coach with the college team Indiana State Sycamores . For four years he looked after Larry Bird , who later became the superstar of the Boston Celtics . Two years later he moved to his old club, the Pacers, back, where he also took over the position of assistant coach. During this time he was also head coach for two games , but from 1986 mainly worked as "Director of Player Personnel" in the Pacers' front office. In October 2009 he was released from the Pacers.
See also
Web links
- Mel Daniels - player profile on basketball-reference.com
- Remember the ABA
- Mel Daniels in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame On: Hoophall website; Springfield, MA, 2017. Retrieved November 8, 2017 (in English).
Individual evidence
- ↑ Mel Daniels, Hall of Famer and former Indiana Pacers star, dies at 71
- ^ The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame :: Mel Daniels. Retrieved April 17, 2020 .
personal data | |
---|---|
SURNAME | Daniels, Mel |
ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Daniels, Melvin Joe |
BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American basketball player |
DATE OF BIRTH | July 20, 1944 |
PLACE OF BIRTH | Detroit , Michigan, USA |
DATE OF DEATH | October 30, 2015 |
Place of death | Sheridan , Indiana, USA |