Mel Daniels Is Dead. Long Live Mel Daniels

Less than 24 hours before I started writing this, I saw Mel Daniels. In a scene so familiar, I can’t remember whether it happened before or after the game, the most important big man in Indiana Pacers history stood in the media room chatting with local reporter Conrad Brunner.

Over the past four years, I witnessed that tableau dozens of times. Mel’s regular presence in the media room had allowed me to largely suppress — but not erase — the “HOLY SHIT, that’s Mel Daniels” hindbrain reaction that arose whenever I saw him. The element of surprise was gone, and Mel Daniels sightings were largely expected.

I didn’t know Daniels. He didn’t know me. We had said, “Hi,” in passing, but we had never…