|
The Sonics expected big things
from its new forward, and McDaniel impressed almost from the start. He
worked hard all summer, and played well when training camp began later that
fall. Like his good friend Ewing, McDaniel’s preparation turned him into an
instant success. He averaged 17.1 points and 8.0 rebounds as a starter
during his rookie season. He was also named first-team All-Rookie and
Basketball Digest co-Rookie of the Year, sharing the latter honor Karl
Malone.
McDaniel quickly became a fan
favorite. With his shaved
head and intimidating scowl, McDaniel’s presence
helped remake the pushover Sonics into a much more physical team. And while
he rarely smiled during games, Xavier could hardly contain his joy when away
from the court. Who could blame him? The man who grew up idolizing Dr. J
was suddenly competing against him. The man who once fantasized about being
Dandridge, Hayes and Unseld was playing in some of the same venues.
The Sonics improved during
McDaniel's second season
in the league, shocking the heavily favored Dallas
Mavericks in the first round of the playoffs. He turned in a 29-point gem
in the deciding game. The
 once-downtrodden Sonics were now building on the
foundation of McDaniel, sharpshooter Dale Ellis, and the versatile Tom
Chambers. All three players would average more than 20 points-per-game
during that 1986-87 season, a feat that they would duplicate a year later.
He averaged 23.0 ppg and 8.6 rpg that second season, followed by 21.4 ppg
and 6.6 rpg a year later. But when he finished with averages of 20.5 ppg
and 5.4 rpg during the 1988-89 season, it became the opinion of some within
Sonic management that the team had slipped. There were trade rumors – X was
clearly one of Seattle’s most marketable players – followed by denials, as
the Sonics stayed pat. A year later McDaniel’s numbers were up modestly, to
21.3 ppg and 6.5 rpg. Still, the team as a whole was spinning its wheels,
unable to make major strides in the playoffs. Ownership demanded that
changes be made. Chambers was eventually moved, and Shawn Kemp was drafted
in the first round of the 1989 NBA Draft. McDaniel’s days in a Sonic
uniform were numbered.
McDaniel played fifteen games
for the Sonics during the 1990-91 season, before being traded to Phoenix. X
proved less than a perfect fit for a Suns team that boasted Kevin Johnson,
Chambers, Jeff Hornacek and Dan Majerle, and the following season found
himself paired with good pal Ewing in New York. With a formidable frontline
of Ewing, McDaniel and Charles Oakley, the Pat Riley-coached Knicks won 51
games before meeting Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in the Eastern
Conference Semifinals. The intense series went the distance, with Jordan &
Co. prevailing in the seventh game.
McDaniel: "There ain't very
many games that I said I couldn't get up and walk away from, but I was so
sore after that one. It was so physical. It was a brutal war out there –
the whole series was like that – but I felt like we should have won that
series. We lost Game 1 in Chicago, but came back and took Game 2. Patrick
had an unbelievable game. I just felt like we had championship potential,
but we didn't get the job done when it counted. The Bulls won the series,
and went on to win it all."
A contract dispute ended
McDaniel's stay in New York after one season, and the unrestricted free
agent was available to any team interested in his services. The Boston
Celtics wasted little time making contact with the one-time rebounding king
from Wichita State. The team liked his toughness, and desperately needed to
fill the void created by Larry Bird’s retirement. McDaniel played three
seasons for the Celtics, this at a time when the franchise was going through
significant transition and tragedy. In addition to Bird’s exit, the
remaining members of the Big Three – Kevin McHale and Robert Parish – were
in serious decline. Reggie Lewis, the team’s newly anointed captain, would
die of a heart attack following the 1992-93 season. It was a difficult
three years for both McDaniel and the Celtics. He played hard, but the team
was in constant flux. His skills were also on the downward slide, and in
1994-95 McDaniel registered career lows in games (68), points (11.3) and
rebounds (4.4). Still, McDaniel’s contributions to the team remain admired
by many. He was member of the last team to play in the fabled Boston
Garden, and one of the last to play on the original parquet floor. He was a
positive influence to the young players, both on and off of the court. He
helped his teammates deal with the tragic death of Lewis, one of the most
popular players in club history.
McDaniel played two more seasons
following his stint with Boston, both with the New Jersey Nets, before
retiring 20 games into the 1997-98 campaign. By then the league had become
a far different place than it had been during McDaniel’s 1985 rookie
season.. Dr. J was long gone, and both Bird and Magic were well into
retirement. Michael Jordan was putting the capstone on a remarkable career,
driving the Bulls toward a sixth NBA championship. Shorts were no longer
short, tattoos were everywhere, and the players looked as if they had been
transported from the NFL’s gridiron to the NBA’s hardwood. Hip-hop and
gangsta-rap dominated locker rooms league-wide. McDaniel, of course, could
be accused of starting any – or all – of these trends. He was tough,
gritty, and ultra-urban. He played hard. He intimidated. He personified
the street. But before you vilify McDaniel for any of this, remember that
he played the game the way his idols had years earlier. Like Unseld,
Dandridge and Hayes before him, X brought honor to his sport by busting his
butt and battling under the boards, something that has been going on since
the league was formed way back in 1946.
Celtic Nation is pleased to bring you this interview.
| 
