Jim McDaniels

Who is Jim McDaniels?

James Ronald McDaniels is an American former professional basketball player.

A 6'11" power forward/center, McDaniels averaged nearly 40 points per game as a senior at Allen County Scottsville High School in Kentucky. From 1968 to 1971, he played at Western Kentucky University, leading his team to a third place finish in the 1971 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament. He also set WKU school records with 2,238 career points and 1,118 career rebounds.

McDaniels was drafted by the Seattle SuperSonics in the second round of the 1971 NBA Draft and by the Utah Stars in the ABA Draft, but he began his professional career with the Carolina Cougars of the American Basketball Association, who offered him a $1.35 million contract to be paid over twenty-five years. Reportedly, the Cougars first approached McDaniels during November 1970, while he was still playing for Western Kentucky. McDaniels averaged 26.8 points and 14 rebounds in 58 games with the Cougars during the 1971-72 season and appeared in the 1972 ABA All-Star Game.