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. 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) 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 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. The following season , on January 20, 1988, McDaniel scored 41 points and grabbed a career-high 19 rebounds in a win over the Knicks. On April 6, 1989, McDaniel scored 37 points, grabbed 8 rebounds, and recorded 6 assists in a 126-119 loss ro the Phoenix Suns. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. New Jersey Nets. In October 1996, McDaniel signed with the New Jersey Nets. 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. 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. She was the 2013 Atlantic Coast Conference Freshman of the Year for the North Carolina Tar Heels, where she played through 2016. 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.