Issel is the first head on our Mt Rushmore of players. His UK career was before my time, but, I saw his last 6-7 years as a pro. He’s a HOFer & made the all-time ABA team. He averaged 23/9/2/1/1 over 15 seasons in the ABA & NBA. He was top 15 on the all-time scoring list, combining both leagues, IIRC.
He made his living in the paint, but, was very crafty & could shoot it pretty well out to 18-20 ft. He could hit 3s, but, not at a great percentage. But, he had a nice repertoire of moves & could score in a variety of ways. Incredibly smart player who could really run the floor & somehow held his own at 6-8, 6-9 against some legendary big men. Probably bc he worked as hard as anyone in his era. Very good passer for a big, too. I saw the tail end of his career, when he was getting old, but, he was still effective.
I can still remember my dad telling me about “The Horse” & his legendary battles with Pistol Pete & his overall dominance at UK. Really wish I could’ve seen him at UK. On a side note, dad was friends with Benny Spears, of Ashland, who was in the same FR class as Issel at UK & he’s told me a few stories of going out drinking with Spears & Issel during their time in college. Sounded like big Dan was an elite drinker, as well. 🤣
