(July 20, 1944-Oct. 30, 2015). Melvin Joe Daniels was one of the Indiana Pacers’ early stars and a Hall of Fame basketball player. He was born in Lincolnton, North Carolina, and grew up in Detroit, Michigan, where he played basketball at John J. Pershing High School.
Following graduation, Daniels attended Burlington Junior College (now known as Southeastern Community College) in Burlington, Iowa. He played for the school’s basketball team during the 1963-1964 season, where he averaged 25.2 points and 10.0 rebounds. His performance led to him being named a Junior College All-American.
While at Burlington, Daniels was recruited by the University of New Mexico. During his career with the Lobos (1964-1967), he averaged 20.0 points and became a second-team All-American center his senior year. In 1967, Daniels was drafted by both the Cincinnati Royals of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the Minnesota Muskies of the American Basketball Association (ABA). He chose to play for the latter team due to its higher salary offer ($27,500).
While playing for the Muskies, Daniels was named the 1968 ABA Rookie of the Year. Shortly after receiving this title, the team traded him to the ABA . Daniels played with the Pacers for six seasons (1968-1974), where he averaged 19.4 points and 16.0 rebounds. He also led the team to three ABA championships in four years (1970, 1972, and 1973).
During the 1974-1975 season, Daniels played for the ABA Memphis Sounds. The following year (1976), the ABA merged with the NBA and Daniels signed with the NBA New York Nets (now the Brooklyn Nets). He played with the team for one season (1976-1977) before being released. Shortly after this event, Daniels retired from the league at the age of 32.
After his playing career ended, Daniels transitioned to coaching. In the late 1970s, he served as an assistant coach at Indiana State University, where future basketball Hall of Famer Larry Bird was playing.
In 1984, Daniels’ jersey number (34) was retired by the Indiana Pacers. Two years later, he returned to the team as director of player personnel, a position he held until 2009. His time in the front office also included a brief role as interim coach during the 1988-1989 season.
In 2012, Daniels was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts. He was the first Pacers player to receive this honor.
Mel Daniels died on October 30, 2015, at the age of 71. A public memorial service at recounted his numerous awards, including ABA Rookie of the Year (1968), ABA MVP (1969, 1971), ABA champion (with the Pacers in 1970, 1972, and 1973), ABA All-Star (1968-1974), 4th ranked ABA all-time scoring leader, and Basketball Hall of Fame inductee (2012).
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