Mel Daniels inducted into Hall of Fame

[lobohowl]

I didn't see this posted anywhere.

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/77...call-hall-fame

[datildame]

One of my classmates was married to Claude Williams who a teammate of Mel's at UNM. She knows what all the older players are doing now and where they live and what they did with their lives after UNM. Told her about the Lair. Hope she joins and she seemed interested. She was excited and proud that Mel was being inducted to the Hall of Fame. Me too.

[JulieG]

That's nice to hear, Claude was very solid player, a lot like AJ and a great guy!

[lobohowl]

I'm still learning my Lobo history since I moved out here six years ago. Are there any other former Lobos in the Basketball Hall of Fame? I know Michael Cooper isn't in there, which is a surprise.

[datildame]

I don't know of any others, but Cooper should make it some day. By the way don't do away with your clip, it makes my day every time I see it.

[loborick]

I can't believe there is not more interest in this. This has got to be the first Lobo in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. This is the ultimate. Way to go, Mel!

[jjgriego]

Yea when I saw that jumped up right away! Congratulations!

[jjgriego]

MEL DANIELS [Player] – Daniels is one of the most dominating big men in the history of the American Basketball Association (ABA) as the league’s all-time leading rebounder (9,494) and fourth all-time leading scorer (11,739). A two-time league MVP in 1969 and 1971, he was a seven-time ABA All-Star and a member of three ABA championship teams with the Indiana Pacers, now of the NBA. He was selected as a member of the ABA 30-Man All-Time team. In college, Daniels starred for the University of New Mexico, leading the Lobos in scoring for three straight seasons and was the Western Athletic Conference Most Valuable Player in 1967. He was drafted ninth in the 1967 NBA Draft, but chose to go play in the ABA instead. Following his ABA Rookie of the Year award in 1968, he went on to earn All-ABA First Team four times and Second Team once. After his professional career, which concluded as a member of the NBA’s New Jersey Nets, Daniels joined the coaching staff at Indiana State, where he coached future Hall of Famer Larry Bird. He was also a member of the Indiana Pacers front office for over 20 years.

[loboray]

Well deserved award. Congratulations Mel. Played high school ball at Pershing in Detroit.

[altakaia]

Glad to see this. This is much deserved for Mel Daniels!

[COLOLOBO]

UNM athletics needs to step up for Mel he was outstanding in both the collegiate and professional levels of basketball. UNM needs to really get on this right away at the very least he needs to be recognized by the University at one of the big games next year. It would also be very special for Mel's jersey to be the first ever retired!

[Oregon Lobo]

Wow. I just did a news search and there are lots of articles about Mel Daniels making the Hall of Fame. But only one--ONE--mentions that he played at UNM and that article was in the New Mexican.

[Digital Lobo]

A well deserved honor and an overdue one. If he hadn't punched that glass window at Johnson Gym, what might have been?

[JulieG]

I saw him go through the door and I wouldn't say he punched it, but it certainly broke and it did end the season for him and pretty much for the Lobos.

[RENOLOBO]

A coworker came and bragged about his ucla bruins having two more members of in the hall of fame....well, I was able to tell him about Mel Daniels and he was shocked that a lobo made the hall....a priceless moment.

[catherine]

I saw him go through the door and I wouldn't say he punched it, but it certainly broke and it did end the season for him and pretty much for the Lobos.

Story??

[LoboColo]

For Lobo newbies:
http://www.golobos.com/genrel/081511abb.html

This doesn't go into all the details, but I've heard Daniels was upset with a poor half and put his hand through a glass door at halftime. I think against BYU, maybe Texas Western (UTEP). Could some of you old timers clear it up.
I've heard Daniels played the second half in a sling, if you can believe that. Don't know if it is true.

[LoboColo]

Here we go it was against Utah.
Thanks to datildame for her previous posts from SI vault. Great source:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vau...9338/index.htm

[Lobo_for_life]

I saw him play. He was the greatest Lobo EVER. Michael Cooper notwithstanding, Danny Granger was next.

[datildame]

Ira Harge got the interest in Lobo basketball going and Mel came afterwards. I wish we could honor both of those players some day on the court.

[Bullchuter]

Julie and Datildame...I too, was at the game (against Utah) when Mel supposedly ran through the glass door or that was what was reported at the time. It was a shock to all of us at the time. He was an awesome player. Coach Bob King and Harv Schmidt often stated that he was one of the three best players in the nation at the time he was recruited. It's nice to see him get honored in the NBA Hall of Fame.

[loborick]

Julie and Datildame...I too, was at the game (against Utah) when Mel supposedly ran through the glass door or that was what was reported at the time. It was a shock to all of us at the time. He was an awesome player. Coach Bob King and Harv Schmidt often stated that he was one of the three best players in the nation at the time he was recruited. It's nice to see him get honored in the NBA Hall of Fame.

It's the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, not the NBA HOF. Mel only played a portion of one season in the NBA. He played the majority of his career in the ABA.

[ThreadKiller]

The NBA doesn't have its own separate HOF. In fact neither does the NFL or major league baseball. The Naismith HOF is recognized as the highest honor for a professional basketball player regardless of what league they played in.

[Doublealum]

Thanks for posting. I think we had an earlier thread when it was announced that he would be inducted but never enough good can be said about Mel's career. As I mentioned in that earlier thread, based on Mel's perception of how Bob King was treated by UNM, some fences need mending before we can expect too much from Mel - however, all things mellow with time.

BTW, for those that are trying to differentiate between the NBA & ABA in so far as competition, please review the inter-league all star games - I think you will find that Mel more than held his own against Kareem, Unseld, et. al. & during t he regular season far outdid Bellamy, Beatty (after they jumped from the NBA to the ABA) + Gilmore & Issel (before they jumped to the NBA)

[Doublealum]

I saw him play. He was the greatest Lobo EVER. Michael Cooper notwithstanding, Danny Granger was next.

You are correct about "Dugan" aka Mel Daniels. After him there are a lot tied for 2nd in my mind.

[JulieG]

Story??

I was watching him go through the door, as I was to his back I could not see his hand clearly, but it looked like it was open and he pushed it too hard. The glass I think actually had wire embedded in it but the glass shattered anyway. I certainly knew it was bad, but was not sure how bad until later and I don't remember him playing in that game and for while. But it was quite a while ago....

[Burro lobo]

I too was there and it really stopped the season! He was called the mummy by the press and everyone else, and some referred to him as the Mummy dummy, for pushing the glass and breaking it causing the long bad cut. He was all of those thinks people call great players today, Sick, bad a$$, sky-walker, awesome, but most of all he was the very best center in our history and he owned the low post!

[wolf1960]

i saw ALL of Mel Daniel's home games. BEST ATTITUDE when he was playing monster hook slam dunks and he RIPPED rebound down... he loved playing basketball MY FAVORITE LOBO OF ALL TIME. I was also at the Utha game in johnson gym..

[datildame]

I never missed a game either. Back in those days we had our student ID and we just had to show it and we got a seat. We paid for a student activity fee, but it got us into almost everything.

We got to go dance to Louie Louie by the Kingsmen every Wednesday night in the student union. Eat your heart out, Mark.

[datildame]

Oh and I worked for Bub Henry downstairs along with Red Torres. Anyone remember those names?

I did study also. lol