Lloyd Daniels

Lloyd Daniels (born September 4, 1967) is an American former professional basketball player who played parts of five seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

Lloyd Daniels

Personal information
Born	September 4, 1967 Brooklyn, New York
Nationality	American
Listed height	6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
Listed weight	205 lb (93 kg)
Career information
High school	Andrew Jackson (Queens, New York)
College	Mt. SAC (1986–1987)
NBA draft	1988 / Undrafted
Playing career	1987–2006
Position	Shooting guard
Number	24, 44, 25
Career history
1987–1988	Topeka Sizzlers
1988	Waitemata Dolphins
1989–1990	Quad City Thunder
1990–1991	Miami Tropics
1991–1992	Greensboro City Gaters
1991–1992	Long Island Surf
1992–1994	San Antonio Spurs
1994	Philadelphia 76ers
1995	Limoges CSP
1995	Los Angeles Lakers
1995	Fort Wayne Fury
1995–1996	Scavolini Pesaro
1996	Sacramento Kings
1996–1997	New Jersey Nets
1997	Fort Wayne Fury
1997–1999	Polluelos de Aibonito
1999	Toronto Raptors
1998	Galatasaray S.K.
1998	Idaho Stampede
1998–1999	AEK B.C.
1999	Sioux Falls Skyforce
1999–2000	Baltimore BayRunners
2000	Trenton Shooting Stars
2000–2001	Long Island Surf
2001	Tampa Bay ThunderDawgs
2001	Panteras de Miranda
2001–2002	Scafati Basket
2002	Shanghai Sharks
2002	Panteras de Miranda
2002–2003	Ovarense Basquetebol
2005–2006	Strong Island Sound
Career highlights and awards
First-team Parade All-American (1986)
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com

Early life

The 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) shooting guard was one of the most sought-after recruits in the nation during the 1986–87 recruiting cycle. At the time, he was considered the most talented player from New York City since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and was also compared to Connie Hawkins.[1][2] According to authors John Valenti and Ron Naclerio, Daniels, nicknamed "Sweet Pea," was reputed to combine the passing ability of Magic Johnson with the shooting ability of Larry Bird.[3]

Daniels had a somewhat troubled childhood. He grew up in a very poor area of Brooklyn, and was raised by relatives from the age of three after his mother died and his father all but abandoned him.[2] By his senior year of high school, he had attended four or five high schools (depending on the source) in three states, and could only read at a third-grade level.[1][4][2]

College career

Daniels attended UNLV and was slated to play on the basketball team under coach Jerry Tarkanian. One of Tarkanian's assistants, Mark Warkentien, became Daniels' legal guardian, and got him admitted to Mt. San Antonio College, a junior college near Los Angeles, to improve his academics. However, on February 9, 1987, Daniels was arrested for buying crack cocaine from an undercover policeman.[4][5] Although Tarkanian was known for taking in troubled players, this was too much even for him, and he announced days after the arrest that Daniels would never play for UNLV.[4] It later emerged that Daniels had first been led to UNLV by Richard Perry, who had been convicted twice for sports bribery.[6] Perry's involvement resulted in an NCAA investigation that ultimately forced Tarkanian to resign.[7][8][9]

Professional career

Daniels bounced around in the professional ranks for the next six years, and went through drug rehabilitation three times. In 1988, he was kicked off the Continental Basketball Association's Topeka Sizzlers for not staying in shape. He signed in New Zealand with Waitemata shortly after that,[10] only to be thrown off the team for heavy drinking. On May 11, 1989, Daniels was shot three times in the chest and survived.[11] He still has fragments of a bullet lodged in his right shoulder.[12] He also played in the GBA (where he was named MVP in his only season) and the USBL,[13] before playing in Greece with AEK Athens BC and in Turkey with Galatasaray. After Tarkanian was named head coach of the San Antonio Spurs for the 1992-93 season, Daniels signed with the Spurs as a free agent.

Before he signed with the Spurs, the New York Knicks were the first NBA team to express an interest in him, but declined to sign him after flying him in for a tryout during the off-season. Daniels worked hard to get himself into NBA playing shape during the summer league, and was named the Spurs starting point guard during the preseason. Indeed, Daniels had an inspired performance against the Knicks in the preseason, dominating his hometown team with 30 points in his first game on the Spurs home court, and electrifying the crowd. In a New York Times article the next day, Tarkanian noted that a Knick scout had told him after Daniels' tryout with the Knicks that he "can't play." Despite that, Daniels graciously told reporters after the game that he appreciated the opportunity that the Knicks gave him and sounded happy finally to have the opportunity to shine in the NBA. Daniels first few months in the NBA showed that he could play with the best in the world despite all of the hurdles he had overcome to get there. In only his second NBA game, he had 26 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals, and 3 block shots, demonstrating his skill and versatility. However, after Tarkanian was fired twenty games into the season, Daniels' playing time diminished, though he did score over 20 points six times during the course of the season. Daniels played one more season with the Spurs before he was let go.

Daniels managed to play intermittently over five seasons for six NBA teams: the San Antonio Spurs, Philadelphia 76ers, Los Angeles Lakers, Sacramento Kings, New Jersey Nets and Toronto Raptors. He had several shocking comebacks, including a stint with the Lakers for the 1994-95 season. Signed to a 10-day contract, he took over a tight game, scoring 20 points in the second half to lead the Lakers to victory. He ended up in the Lakers starting lineup for about 14 games that year after that outburst and finished the season with the team.

Later in his professional career, after dominating play in the CBA, the Raptors signed him to a ten-day contract and he scored 22 points in his first game with the team. Despite his obvious offensive skills, he was forever considered an off court risk and an undisciplined player, and could not find a permanent home in the NBA. Overall, Daniels played in 200 NBA games and scored 1,411 points. He played in Italy with Scavolini Pesaro in 1995/96 season with an average of 21.6 ppg.

Daniels continued to play exhibition games for charity, joining the Jayson Williams Foundation and its exhibition team which played games across the United States. In these games, he played alongside Jayson Williams, Walter Berry and Vladimir Cuk.

In October 2005, Daniels tried to revive his career by trying out with the Strong Island Sound of the American Basketball Association.[14]

His nickname, Swee'Pea, is a reference to the Popeye cartoon character of the same name. He lives in New Jersey where he coaches AAU basketball.[15][16]

NBA career statistics

Regular season

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
1992–93	San Antonio	77	10	20.4	.443	.333	.727	2.8	1.9	.5	.4	9.1
1993–94	San Antonio	65	5	15.1	.376	.352	.719	1.7	1.4	.4	.2	5.7
1994–95	Philadelphia	5	0	12.6	.333	.214	1.000	1.4	.8	.4	.0	4.6
1994–95	L.A. Lakers	25	15	21.6	.390	.267	.800	2.2	1.4	.8	.4	7.4
1996–97	Sacramento	5	0	5.6	.125	.182	—	.8	.2	.2	.0	1.2
1996–97	New Jersey	17	0	16.6	.330	.322	.833	2.3	1.5	.5	.2	5.4
1997–98	Toronto	6	0	13.7	.414	.222	.800	1.2	.7	.5	.3	5.7
Career		200	29	17.7	.403	.316	.743	2.2	1.6	.5	.3	7.1

Playoffs

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
1993	San Antonio	8	0	9.3	.367	.143	.833	1.9	.3	.4	.0	3.5
1994	San Antonio	4	0	16.5	.400	.500	1.000	2.3	.8	.0	.3	5.5
Career		12	0	11.7	.380	.333	.875	2.0	.4	.3	.1	4.2

References

1. McKinley Jr., James C. (May 13, 1989). "A Star Once, Felled First By Drugs, Now Bullets". The New York Times. Retrieved April 4, 2020.
2. {{cite news|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081007015207/http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1068403/index.htm%7Ctitle=The Sad Tale of Sweet Pea|publisher=[[Sports Illustrated|date=May 22, 1989}}
3. "Swee'Pea and Other Playground Legends: Tales of Drugs, Violence and Basketball". Amazon.com. Retrieved December 12, 2018.
4. "UNLV's Daniels Arrested on Drug Charges". Los Angeles Times. February 11, 1987. Retrieved April 4, 2020.
5. Wojnarowski, Adrian (December 13, 2000). "Bayno, Tark deserve same medicine". ESPN.com. Retrieved April 4, 2020.
6. "Times says UNLV players got gambler's cash". Deseret News. March 29, 1989. Retrieved April 4, 2020.
7. Robbins, Danny (June 8, 1991). "Tarkanian to quit UNLV after 1991-92 season". baltimoresun.com. Archived from the original on April 4, 2020. Retrieved April 4, 2020.
8. Rhoden, William C. (February 24, 1992). "COLLEGE BASKETBALL; Tarkanian Rescinds His Decision to Resign". The New York Times. Retrieved April 4, 2020.
9. Wojciechowski, Gene (February 24, 1992). "Tarkanian Changes His Mind : Basketball: UNLV coach rescinds resignation, but university president says he will not allow it". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 4, 2020.
10. "New Zealand Basketball Federation Ousts Lloyd Daniels". Los Angeles Times. May 20, 1988. Retrieved April 4, 2020.
11. "Daniels Critical After Shooting". The New York Times. May 12, 1989. Retrieved April 4, 2020.
12. "SPORTS PEOPLE: BASKETBALL; Daniels Is Trying For Another Comeback". The New York Times. July 11, 1989. Retrieved April 4, 2020.
13. "SPORTS PEOPLE: BASKETBALL; Lloyd Daniels's Next Stop: Long Island". The New York Times. April 30, 1992. Retrieved April 4, 2020.
15. Osborne, Ben (April 2, 2014). "Lloyd Daniels: Born Again". SLAM. Retrieved April 4, 2020.
16. Martinez, Kiko (July 18, 2016). "Documentary Examines the Downfall of Former Spurs Guard Lloyd Daniels". San Antonio Current. Retrieved April 4, 2020.

External links

• Career statistics and player information from NBA.com or Basketball-Reference.com