Xavier McDaniel

Xavier Maurice McDaniel (born June 4, 1963), nicknamed the X-Man, is an American retired professional basketball player who, at 6 ft 7 in, played both small forward and power forward. He played in college at Wichita State University.

Xavier McDaniel
Personal information
Born (1963-06-04) June 4, 1963
Columbia, South Carolina
NationalityAmerican
Listed height6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
Listed weight218 lb (99 kg)
Career information
High schoolA.C. Flora (Columbia, South Carolina)
CollegeWichita State (1981–1985)
NBA draft1985 / Round: 1 / Pick: 4th overall
Selected by the Seattle SuperSonics
Playing career1985–1998
PositionSmall forward / Power forward
Number34, 35, 32, 31
Career history
1985–1990Seattle SuperSonics
1990–1991Phoenix Suns
1991–1992New York Knicks
1992–1995Boston Celtics
1995–1996Iraklis Thessaloniki
1996–1998New Jersey Nets
Career highlights and awards
Career NBA statistics
Points13,606 (15.6 ppg)
Rebounds5,313 (6.1 rpg)
Assists1,775 (2.0 apg)
Stats  at NBA.com
Stats  at Basketball-Reference.com
College Basketball Hall of Fame
Inducted in 2013

College career

While at Wichita State, McDaniel was the first person to lead the nation in both rebounding and scoring in the same season. In college, McDaniel began to shave both his head and his eyebrows to look more intimidating. He continued this all throughout his pro career.

For his first two seasons at Wichita State, the Shockers were on NCAA probation. He was a teammate his freshman year of future NBA players Antoine Carr and Cliff Levingston. When Levingston left for the NBA, McDaniel became a starter and averaged 18.8 points and 14.4 rebounds as a power forward opposite Carr. The following season, Carr left, and McDaniel raised his scoring average to 20.6 points per game and was the Missouri Valley Conference MVP. He then led the nation in scoring (27.4) and rebounding (15.0) his senior season becoming the first player to do so.

Professional career

Seattle Supersonics

McDaniel was selected by the Seattle SuperSonics in the first round (4th overall)[1] of the 1985 NBA draft and became an instant starter. He averaged 17.1 points per game and finished second in the NBA Rookie of the Year balloting to Patrick Ewing.[2]

His second season, he was one of a trio of 20 ppg scorers with the SuperSonics along with Dale Ellis and Tom Chambers. The SuperSonics made it to the Western Conference finals that season, before losing to the Los Angeles Lakers. In that series, on May 23, 1987, McDaniel scored a career-high 42 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in a 122-121 loss.[3] The following season, on January 20, 1988, McDaniel scored 41 points and grabbed a career-high 19 rebounds in a win over the Knicks.[4] On April 6, 1989, McDaniel scored 37 points, grabbed 8 rebounds, and recorded 6 assists in a 126-119 loss ro the Phoenix Suns.[5] He averaged over 20 points per game for his final three seasons as a Sonic, including the 1988–89 season when he was used primarily as a bench player.

Despite regular season success, the SuperSonics ultimately came up short in the postseason in each of McDaniel’s seasons. This, paired with tension among the team’s starters, such as McDaniel getting into a lengthy fist-fight with Dale Ellis, ultimately led to the SuperSonics opting for youth, and they traded McDaniel for two 1st round draft picks as well as Eddie Johnson.[6][7]

Phoenix Suns

McDaniel was traded fifteen games into the 1990–91 season to the Phoenix Suns for Eddie Johnson and two draft picks. On December 21, 1990, McDaniel scored 18 points, recorded 5 steals, and recorded 5 assists, in a 132-128 overtime loss to the San Antonio Spurs.[8]

The trade reunited him with teammate Tom Chambers, but it didn't produce the results the Suns were looking for. In October 1991, he was dealt to the New York Knicks for Trent Tucker, Jerrod Mustaf, and two 2nd round picks.[8]

New York Knicks

In the Knicks he was a perfect fit in coach Pat Riley's physical style. He gained some notoriety for playing the Chicago Bulls' Scottie Pippen tough in a grueling seven-game playoff series that the Bulls won on their way to their second NBA title.

Boston Celtics

Dismayed with Knicks' subpar contract offer in the offseason, McDaniel signed with the Boston Celtics prior to the 1992–93 season.[9]

Iraklis Thessaloniki

In 1995, McDaniel signed with Greek club Iraklis Thessaloniki. With Iraklis, he was a Greek Cup finalist, in March 1996. During the FIBA EuroLeague 1995–96 season, he averaged 18.4 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game.[10] In the Greek Basketball League, he averaged 18.5 points, 9 rebounds and 38 minutes a game, playing in 24 of 26 games, being suspended for two.[11]

New Jersey Nets

In October 1996, McDaniel signed with the New Jersey Nets.[11] On March 15, 1997, McDaniel led the Nets to a win, making 4 free-throws in the final 16 seconds of a 99-98 victory over the Chicago Bulls.[12] He played two seasons for the Nets, retiring after the 1997–98 season.

Television and film appearances

McDaniel had a brief cameo in the 1992 film Singles. One of the film's main characters, Steve Dunne (Campbell Scott), is having sex and begins fantasizing about a locker room interview with McDaniel in order to delay orgasm. At the end of the otherwise normal interview McDaniel says "Steve, don't cum yet." A year later McDaniel was featured on the sitcom Married... with Children in the episode "A Tisket, a Tasket, Can Peg Make a Basket?" McDaniel played an NBA All-Star who roughs up lead character Al Bundy after his wife pesters the All-Star during a basketball match.

After retiring McDaniel appeared on Spike TV's televised slamball games where he coached the Riders squad in 2003. Afterwards he made a few appearances on the reality TV game show Pros vs. Joes in 2006. Xavier McDaniel played on the Orange "All-Star" Team with fellow NBA star Clyde Drexler on an episode of Pros vs. Joes, who coincidentally also appeared with McDaniel on the same Married... with Children episode 13 years earlier.

McDaniel also appeared on the MTV2 game show Pros vs. Joes airing in 2011. Two joes beat McDaniel in a basketball competition.

Personal life

McDaniel's daughter, Xylina, a 6'2" forward, was one of 36 girls that were invited in June 2010 to participate in the United States Under-17 basketball team trials.[13] She was the 2013 Atlantic Coast Conference Freshman of the Year for the North Carolina Tar Heels, where she played through 2016.[14] His son, Xavier McDaniel Jr. won a state championship in 2015 for Hammond School, with former North Carolina guard Seventh Woods. Xavier Jr. played college basketball at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.[15]

NBA career statistics
Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high

Regular season
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
1985–86 Seattle 828033.0.490.200.6878.02.41.2.517.1
1986–87 Seattle 828237.0.509.214.6968.62.51.4.623.0
1987–88 Seattle 787734.7.488.280.7156.63.41.2.721.4
1988–89 Seattle 821029.1.489.306.7325.31.61.0.520.5
1989–90 Seattle 696735.2.496.294.7336.52.51.1.521.3
1990–91 Seattle-Phoenix 817935.3.490.000.7106.32.41.2.518.8
1991–92 New York 828228.6.478.308.7145.61.8.7.313.7
1992–93 Boston 822727.0.495.273.7936.02.0.9.613.5
1993–94 Boston 82524.0.461.244.6764.91.5.6.511.3
1994–95 Boston 681521.0.451.286.7124.41.6.4.38.6
1996–97 New Jersey 62518.9.389.200.7305.11.0.6.35.6
1997–98 New Jersey 2009.0.333–.6251.6.5.2.11.3
Career 87052929.0.485.261.7186.12.0.9.515.6
All-Star 1013.0.111––2.0.0.0.02.0

Playoffs
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
1987 Seattle 141437.7.488.200.6078.43.01.5.620.3
1988 Seattle 5536.0.556.500.5009.65.0.6.221.2
1989 Seattle 8835.1.403.333.7568.42.8.3.618.8
1991 Phoenix 4425.3.415.000.6673.81.3.0.59.5
1992 New York 121238.2.477.250.7357.21.9.8.218.8
1993 Boston 4031.5.415.000.6674.52.3.3.812.5
1995 Boston 4014.8.294.000.7501.51.3.0.03.3
Career 514334.0.464.282.6677.02.6.7.417.0

See also

References
  1. "1985 NBA Draft". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
  2. "1985-86 NBA Awards Voting". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
  3. "Los Angeles Lakers at Seattle SuperSonics Box Score, May 23, 1987". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
  4. "New York Knicks at Seattle SuperSonics Box Score, January 20, 1988". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
  5. "Phoenix Suns at Seattle SuperSonics Box Score, April 6, 1989". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
  6. "Xavier McDaniel Stats". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
  7. "THE NBA : Ellis Has Gone From a Sonic Boom to Bust". Los Angeles Times. November 25, 1990. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
  8. "San Antonio Spurs at Phoenix Suns Box Score, December 21, 1990". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
  9. Clifton Brown (December 10, 1992). "The Business of McDaniel Is McDaniel". The New York Times. Retrieved September 1, 2021.
  10. "XAVIER-MAURICE MCDANIEL IRAKLIS BC SA THESSALONIKI". fibaeurope.com. Retrieved January 3, 2022.
  11. Selena Roberts (October 19, 1996). "Nets Become Tougher As McDaniel Signs On". The New York Times. Retrieved September 1, 2021.
  12. "Jordan Shoots an Air Ball, and Nets Win". Los Angeles Times. March 15, 1997. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
  13. Sports Illustrated, August 2, 2010, Where are they Now?, p.82, Published by Time Inc.
  14. "Xylina McDaniel - Women's Basketball - University of North Carolina Athletics". Goheels.com. Retrieved January 3, 2022.
  15. "Xavier Mcdaniel Jr". Espn.com. Retrieved January 3, 2022.
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