Indiana Pacers: 25 Best Players To Play For The Pacers
By Phil Watson
100. <strong>How Acquired: </strong>Trade, Minnesota Muskies, May 23, 1968.. C. 1968-74. Mel Daniels. 1. player
The Indiana Pacers wanted a center and zeroed in on Minnesota Muskies big man Mel Daniels.
In May 1968, the Pacers got the deal they wanted, acquiring Daniels from Minnesota–soon to become the Miami Floridians–in exchange for Jimmy Dawson, Ronald Kozlicki, a future first-round pick and $75,000 cash.
And a dynasty was born soon after.
Daniels was named ABA MVP in 1968-69 and 1970-71, being named All-ABA four times for the Pacers and going to six ABA All-Star games–earning All-Star Game MVP honors in 1971.
He led the ABA in rebounding in 1968-69 and 1970-71, finishing second three times and fifth in 1973-74, and placing fifth in scoring in 1968-69 as well. He was second in field-goal percentage in 1970-71.
Daniels paced Indiana to four ABA Finals, averaging 19.0 points per game in a five-game loss to the Oakland Oaks in 1969.
In 1970, he put up 20.0 points per game in Indiana’s first title run, a six-game victory over the Los Angeles Stars.
Daniels averaged 15.2 points per game in a six-game triumph over the New York Nets in 1972 and 16.1 points a night in a seven-game victory over the Kentucky Colonels in 1973.
In july 1974, Daniels was traded with Freddie Lewis to the Memphis Sounds in exchange for Charles Edge and cash.
In six seasons in Indiana, Daniels averaged 19.4 points, 16.0 rebounds and 1.6 blocks in 37.1 minutes per game, shooting .483/.069/.679.
An All-American as a senior at New Mexico, Daniels averaged 21.5 points and 11.6 rebounds per game that season and was taken ninth overall by the Cincinnati Royals in the 1967 NBA Draft.
Also selected by the Muskies, Daniels opted to join the ABA. He was Rookie of the Year in 1967-68, earning All-ABA honors and an All-Star nod, leading the ABA in rebounding.
Daniels was with the Memphis franchise when it became the Baltimore Claws in the summer of 1975 and was not selected in the dispersal draft when the club folded days before the start of the 1975-76 season.
Instead, Daniels played in Italy. He returned to the U.S. and signed a free agent deal with the Nets in October 1976, getting his only NBA playing experience.
Waived by New York in December 1976, Daniels retired.
He posted an 0-2 record as interim coach of the Pacers in 1988-89, replacing Jack Ramsay after an 0-7 start before George Irvine and later Dick Versace took on the job.
Inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012, Daniels died Oct. 30, 2015, at the age of 71.
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He was the ABA’s all-time leader with 9,494 rebounds and was second in league history with an average of 15.1 rebounds per game, ninth with 628 games, fourth with 22,340 minutes, 10th with 351 blocked shots and fourth with 11,739 points.