Xavier McDaniel

College

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 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.

Seattle Supersonics

McDaniel was selected by the Seattle SuperSonics in the first round (4th overall) 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.

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 all the way to the Western Conference finals that season. He averaged over 20 points per game for the next three seasons as a Sonic, including the 1988–89 season when he was used primarily as a bench player.

Phoenix Suns

McDaniel was traded fifteen games into the 1990–91 season to the Phoenix Suns for Eddie Johnson and two draft picks. While the trade reunited him with teammate Tom Chambers, it didn't produce the results the Suns were looking for. At season's end, he was dealt to the New York Knicks.

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.

Retirement

McDaniel finished out his career with the Boston Celtics and New Jersey Nets before retiring after the 1997–98 season.

European basketball

In 1995, McDaniel moved to Europe to play for Iraklis Thessaloniki and he was Greek cup finalist in March 1996. He averaged 19.5 points and 9.4 rebounds per game that season.

Television and movie appearances

Xavier McDaniel made his motion picture debut in 1992 when he made a brief cameo in the film Singles. In that movie, McDaniel appears in a fantasy sequence in which Steve Dunne (Campbell Scott) begins thinking about the basketball pro while having sex in order to delay gratification. McDaniel comically tells him at the end of a locker room interview, "Steve, don't cum yet." A year later McDaniel was featured on the TV sitcom Married... with Children in the episode "A Tisket, a Tasket, Can Peg Make a Basket?" McDaniel played an NBA All-Star in that episode 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 MTV 2 game show "Pros vs Joes", airing in 2011. Two joes beat the "X-Man" in a basketball competition.

Personal life

His 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. She now plays for the North Carolina Tar Heels. His son, Xavier McDaniel Jr. won a state championship in 2015 for Hammond School, with current North Carolina guard Seventh Woods. Xavier is a forward at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.