Indiana Pacers: 50 greatest Pacers players [2023 update]

Indiana Pacers (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
Indiana Pacers (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
49 of 51
Indiana Pacers
Indiana Pacers (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)

3. Mel Daniels

  • 6 seasons, 479 games
  • 19.4 points per game
  • 16 rebounds per game

You read that right, Mel Daniels averaged almost 20 points per game and just over 16 rebounds per game over six seasons. 3 times he was the ABA league leader in rebounds with his best season coming at 18 rebounds per game in 70-71. He is a hall-of-famer and a 7 time ABA All-Star. And just to save you the effort, we here list his accomplishments in bullet form:

  • 7x all-star
  • 3x ABA champ
  • 5x All-ABA
  • 67-68 Rookie of the Year (ABA)
  • 2x ABA MVP
  • 70-71 All-Star MVP
  • ABA All-time team

He never quite worked out well in the NBA after the merger, but for a time in the ABA the Pacers had the best basketball player on the planet and his name was Mel Daniels. Remember that.

Loading recommendations... Please wait while we load personalized content recommendations