The Xavier McDaniel Interview
By:
Michael D. McClellan
|
Thursday, May 5th, 2005
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.