In any case, McDaniels 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 25 years; the Cougars are reported to have first approached McDaniels during November 1970, while he was still playing for Western Kentucky.[citation needed] McDaniels averaged 26.8 points and 14 rebounds in 58 games with the Cougars during the 1971–72 season, and scored 24 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in the 1972 ABA All-Star Game.[1]
However, he parted ways with the Cougars after trying to renegotiate his contract; according to a lawsuit filed by the Cougars (as reported by The New York Times), McDaniels had asked that his salary be spread over 15 rather than 25 years, and that he be given "an additional $50,000 for aggravation".[7] In a report from Seattle, carried by the Associated Press (AP), it was announced that the SuperSonics had signed McDaniels on February 17 (1972),[7] that is, near the end of his rookie season;[citation needed] a Cougars' spokesman commented that "he 'wouldn't be too surprised if [the Cougars yet] remedied the situation'".[7]
McDaniels remained with Seattle for the next two full seasons.[8][better source needed] However, he struggled to maintain the same level of production he had achieved in the ABA,[citation needed] and by the 1973–74 NBA season, McDaniels was averaging just 5.5 points per game.[8] During that time, McDaniels was dogged by off-court troubles as the Cougars questioned the legality of his jump to the NBA. He later admitted in an interview, "I should have stayed in the ABA for a couple of years. I was just young and things started going bad for me there and I didn't know how to handle them."[4]
McDaniels was a native of Scottsville, Kentucky and attended Allen County High School.[3] At the time of his death, McDaniels was married to his wife Carolyn; he was survived by two sons from previous marriages, Eskias and Shannon.[11]
The 1971 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers basketball team was the first non-historically black, Kentucky collegiate basketball team to start five African-American players. Coach John Oldham started McDaniels, Jim Rose, Clarence Glover, Jerry Dunn and Rex Bailey. McDaniels had helped recruit Rose and the others after signing at WKU. Oldham was pressured not to start all five together, but said "they are my best five players."[13]