Mel Daniels

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.
Listed height	6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
Listed weight	220 lb (100 kg)
Career information
High school	John J. Pershing (Detroit, Michigan)
College	Southeastern CC (1963–1964) New Mexico (1964–1967)
NBA draft	1967: 1st round, 9th overall pick
Selected by the Cincinnati Royals
Playing career	1967–1976
Position	Center
Number	34, 9
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 (interim)
1989–1993	Indiana Pacers (assistant)
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)
Stats at NBA.com
Stats at Basketball Reference
Basketball Hall of Fame

Melvin Joe Daniels (July 20, 1944 – October 30, 2015) was an American professional basketball player. He played in the American Basketball Association (ABA) for the Minnesota Muskies, Indiana Pacers, and Memphis Sounds, and in the National Basketball Association for the New York Nets. Daniels was a two-time ABA Most Valuable Player, 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 in 2012.