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25 Greatest Players in ABA History

By Maxwell Ogden

SPRINGFIELD, MA - AUGUST 12: Artis Gilmore shakes hands with Hall of Fame Player Julius Erving during the Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony at Symphony Hall on August 12, 2011 in Springfield, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)
SPRINGFIELD, MA - AUGUST 12: Artis Gilmore shakes hands with Hall of Fame Player Julius Erving during the Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony at Symphony Hall on August 12, 2011 in Springfield, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images) /
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3. Mel Daniels

Position: Center
Years Active: 1967-1975
Team(s): Minnesota Muskies, Indiana Pacers, Memphis Sounds
ABA Averages: 35.6 MPG, 18.7 PPG, 15.1 RPG, 1.8 APG, 1.5 BPG
Accolades: 3x ABA Champion, 2x ABA MVP, 4x All-ABA First Team, ABA Second Team, 7x ABA All-Star, ABA All-Star Game MVP, ABA Rookie of the Year, 3x Rebounds Leader

By most means and measures, Mel Daniels is the Godfather of the ABA. He played in all but one season of the league’s existence, won as many accolades as just about anyone to have graced the hardwood, and helped put the American Basketball Association on the map.

Daniels may not be the No. 1 player on this list, but he’s essentially the Bill Russell of ABA history.

Daniels led the Indiana Pacers to three different ABA championships, and won a pair of MVP awards. He led the league in rebounding in 1968, 1969, and 1971, and was a dominant shot-blocker before blocks were recorded as an official statistic.

A four-time All-ABA First Team honoree and seven-time All-Star, Daniels was the league’s first Rookie of the Year and its second ever MVP.

A point of contention is that his teammates and fellow Top 25 members Roger Brown, Freddie Lewis, and George McGinnis won the ABA Playoffs MVP awards during Daniels’ championship seasons. That can only be properly acknowledged if one were to address Daniels’ impact on every one of those teams.

Whether he was the go-to player, the defensive anchor, or the veteran leader, Daniels had the mentality of a champion, and the willingness to do whatever it takes to achieve victory.

Daniels was a member of the 2012 Hall of Fame induction class, and is one of four players to have his jersey retired by the Pacers. He’s a pioneer of ABA basketball and one of the best big men who no one seems to talk about.

If only one accolade can properly illustrate Daniels’ greatness, it’s this: he’s one of two players in ABA history with multiple MVP awards. The other is No. 1.

Next: No. 2