Mel Daniels, Hall of Fame basketball center, dies at 71
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Version 0 of 1. Mel Daniels, the Hall of Fame center who helped the Indiana Pacers win three American Basketball Association titles, died Oct. 30 in Sheridan, Ind. He was 71. The Pacers announced his death but provided no further details. Mr. Daniels, who was the ABA’s Most Valuable Player in 1968-69 and 1970-71, was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012. The Pacers retired his No. 34 jersey in 1985. The 6-foot-9 former star at New Mexico was the ABA’s Rookie of the Year in 1967-68 with the Minnesota Muskies. He was traded to Indiana the following season and played on championship squads in 1970, 1972 and 1973, teaming with Roger Brown, Freddie Lewis, Darnell Hillman, George McGinnis and Bob Netolicky under Hall of Fame coach Bobby “Slick” Leonard. Mr. Daniels averaged 18.7 points and 15.1 rebounds in 628 regular-season games in eight seasons in the ABA with Minnesota, Indiana and Memphis. In 109 playoff games, he averaged 17.4 points and 14.9 rebounds. He spent a season in Italy and played 11 games in the NBA for the New York Nets in 1976-77. He was a four-time All-ABA selection and seven-time All Star. He led the league in rebounding three times and holds the league record with 9,494 career rebounds. Mr. Daniels later was an assistant coach, executive and scout with the Pacers and was an avid horseman. He rejoined former New Mexico coach Bob King at Indiana State University and was a coach of Larry Bird, who later had a Hall of Fame career with the Boston Celtics. Bird is now president of basketball operations for the Pacers. Mr. Daniels, who grew up in Detroit, averaged 20.0 points and 11.1 rebounds in three seasons at New Mexico. He was selected ninth overall by the NBA’s Cincinnati Royals in 1967, but went to the ABA with the Muskies. “Mel was one of the greatest Lobos of all time,” New Mexico coach Craig Neal said. “He played for Coach King and started the basketball tradition here.” In addition to his wife, Mr. Daniels’s survivors include a son, two sisters and two granddaughters. |