As the NBA playoffs are reaching their conclusion we take a moment to remember a prior playoff season that lasted late into June. The 1998-99 regular season got a late start due to the 3rd-ever lockout in league history, followed by a 50-game regular season that ran through early-May and a playoff run by the Spurs that culminated with a win over the Knicks in the Finals. That San Antonio team led by Gregg Popovich had an amazing roster full of Hall of Fame big men (Tim Duncan/David Robinson), a guy who has won 8 rings so far as a player/coach (Steve Kerr), and arguably the greatest Australian player ever (Andrew Gaze). Another member of the squad was Antonio Daniels: 1994 MAC ROY, 1997 MAC POY, and an NBA veteran who played in 3 different decades. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Antonio about being a lottery pick and winning a championship. Today is the 22nd anniversary of Antonio winning an NBA title on June 25, 1999.
What are your memories of the 1997 NIT (you had 38 PTS/8 AST/6 STL in a loss to West Virginia that was the final game at Bowling Green for Coach Jim Larranaga)? My only memory is that we lost: it was my final college game.
That season you averaged 24 PPG/6.8 APG and were named MAC POY/All-American: what did it mean to you to win such outstanding honors? To be named All-American while coming from a mid-major school was a big deal: mid-majors did not get a whole lot of credit back then.
In 1997 you were drafted 4th overall by Vancouver (1 spot behind Chauncey Billups): did you see that as a validation of your college career or the realization of a lifelong dream of reaching the NBA? Both: I feel like I deserved it, as I had worked very hard from my freshman year through my senior year to get there.
In 1998 you scored 14 PTS/7-11 FG in the Rookie Game during All-Star Weekend, which featured fellow rookies Billups/Tracy McGrady/Keith Van Horn: what is your favorite memory from that weekend? It was a fun weekend, period. Nothing stands out about the game itself but it was amazing in 1 year to go from playing at Bowling Green to playing at All-Star Weekend.
You won an NBA title as a member of the Spurs in your very 1st trip to the playoffs in 1999: what made that team so great? What made us so great were the leaders we had: David Robinson/Tim Duncan/Avery Johnson/etc. It was a professional team and a professional organization, both on and off the court.
In 2004 you led the NBA in AST/TO ratio: what is the secret to being a great PG? Just handling the ball and making the right decisions, which is easier said than done. You have to live on the edge a bit but ball security is very important when you are a backup PG.
Despite playing for 5 different teams from 1999-2009 you made the playoffs in 10 of those 11 seasons: did each new crop of teammates feel like you were their “lucky charm”? I am not sure about that but it was huge to make the playoffs. Helping my team get there was something that I focused on every year. There are lots of players who never get there so I was very blessed.
You later played in the D-League for the Texas Legends: what is the biggest between the NBA and the D-League? The biggest difference is the teaching aspect. In the D-League, you start from ground zero and work your way up. In the NBA, the coaches assume that you know a lot of stuff already.
You earned around $50 million during your career: how have you used your money to give back to the community? I always try to give back. I held a basketball camp every summer for almost 20 years and have enjoyed working with kids in each community that I lived in, be it San Antonio, DC, etc. Basketball is my passion and I try to share that passion with others.
You wore #33 to honor your brother Chris (a starting center at Dayton who passed away in 1996 after a heart attack): how did you cope with his death, and what impact has he had on your life? I coped with his death by just staying in the gym, which became my sanctuary. He passed away after my junior year: after spending my 1st summer without him in the gym every day it led to a big year during my senior year. He is my role model to this day as I wear a band on my arm that says, “I am my brother’s keeper”.