Dan Issel
Dan Issel grew up in Batavia, Illinois, where his backyard bordered that of Ken Anderson. Anderson would later become a National Football League quarterback and the 1981 NFL Most Valuable Player. Another teammate from their high school days was Craig Sager, who became a famous sports announcer. Issel credited these three men with instilling a solid work ethic during their youth.
Don VanDersnick coached Issel at Batavia High School until he graduated in 1966. The coach taught him how to dunk by using a volleyball for training drills. VanDersnick made Issel jump up and grab the rim fifty times each day at practice. This routine helped build the strength needed for professional play.
Issel did not start on the varsity team until his junior year. He considered himself fortunate to have VanDersnick as his mentor. Issel once said if the coach told them diving off a water tower would make them better players, there would be a line waiting to do it. His senior season saw him average 25.8 points per game while leading Batavia to a 26, 3 record.
Adolph Rupp recruited Dan Issel to the University of Kentucky after other schools like Northwestern and Wisconsin showed interest. Issel played four seasons there from 1966 to 1970. He scored 2,138 points during that time, averaging 25.7 points per game.
His career total remains the highest among men's basketball players at the university. Issel also grabbed 1,078 rebounds throughout his collegiate career. He earned All-American honors in two of his three eligible seasons.
On the 7th of February 1970, Issel scored 53 points in a victory over Ole Miss. This broke Cliff Hagan's single-game record of 51 points. The mark held for almost four decades until Jodie Meeks scored 54 points against Tennessee on the 13th of January 2009. Issel also scored 51 points at Louisiana State University on the 21st of February 1970.
Rival Pete Maravich played at SEC rival LSU during Issel's college years. Maravich scored an NCAA-record 3,667 points. Both athletes finished first and second in Southeastern Conference Player of the Year voting each season they were eligible.
The Kentucky Colonels selected Dan Issel in the first round of the American Basketball Association draft after he graduated from college in 1970. He signed with the team and immediately led the league in scoring. His average was 29.9 points per game during that rookie season.
He pulled down 13.2 rebounds per game while playing in the 1971 ABA All-Star Game. Issel shared Rookie of the Year honors with Charlie Scott of the Virginia Squires. The Colonels reached the 1971 ABA Finals but lost to the Utah Stars in seven games.
In his second season, Issel raised his scoring average to 30.6 points per game. He won MVP honors for the 1972 ABA All-Star Game by scoring 21 points and grabbing nine rebounds. The team also featured dominant center Artis Gilmore and sharp-shooting guard Louie Dampier.
The 1974, 75 Kentucky Colonels won the 1975 ABA championship. Issel led all scorers with 26 points in Game 4 of the series. He finished as the second-leading scorer in ABA history behind Louie Dampier.
On the 31st of January 1980, Issel scored an NBA career-high 47 points against the New Jersey Nets. He made 19 of 23 free throw attempts during a 127, 126 win. Another standout performance came on the 21st of January 1981, when he grabbed 21 rebounds while scoring 32 points against San Antonio.
He earned the nickname "the Horse" because he missed only 24 games across 15 seasons. Issel helped the Nuggets make the postseason every year of his tenure alongside stars like David Thompson and Alex English. The team reached the Western Conference finals in 1985 before losing to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Issel received the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award during his final season for outstanding community service. He remains the second all-time leading scorer for the Denver Nuggets.
He resigned 34 games into the 1994, 95 season after facing criticism for his coaching style. Issel stated that the pressures had started to make him something he did not want to be. He returned to the organization in 1998 as president and general manager.
In December 1999,
Issel named himself head coach again while yielding the GM title to Kiki Vandeweghe. The team failed to post a winning season during this period due to unstable ownership situations. Two deals to sell the franchise collapsed at the last minute.
On the 11th of December 2001, Issel heard a fan taunting him after a loss to the Charlotte Hornets. He responded with an offensive remark about drinking beer. The incident was captured on camera by Denver's NBC affiliate KUSA-TV. The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce called for his firing unless immediate action was taken.
He received multiple other honors including induction into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1973. Issel also joined the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame in 1987. The University of Kentucky Athletics Hall of Fame honored him in 2005.
The College Basketball Hall of Fame inducted him in 2006. Batavia High School added him to their Hall of Honor in 2015. In 2018, he entered the Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame.
Issel served as executive director at the Bel Air Presbyterian Church in Los Angeles starting in 2011. As of 2014, he lived in Windsor, Colorado, working in the oil
and gas business. He became president of the Louisville Basketball Investment and Support Group in February 2018 to pursue an NBA franchise for the city.
Up Next
Continue Browsing
Common questions
Who coached Dan Issel at Batavia High School?
Don VanDersnick coached Dan Issel at Batavia High School until he graduated in 1966. The coach taught him how to dunk by using a volleyball for training drills and made him jump up and grab the rim fifty times each day.
When did Dan Issel score 53 points against Ole Miss?
On the 7th of February 1970, Dan Issel scored 53 points in a victory over Ole Miss. This performance broke Cliff Hagan's single-game record of 51 points at the University of Kentucky.
What team selected Dan Issel after college graduation in 1970?
The Kentucky Colonels selected Dan Issel in the first round of the American Basketball Association draft after he graduated from college in 1970. He signed with the team and immediately led the league in scoring during his rookie season.
Why did Dan Issel resign as head coach in 1994?
Dan Issel resigned 34 games into the 1994, 95 season after facing criticism for his coaching style. He stated that the pressures had started to make him something he did not want to be.
Which Hall of Fame inducted Dan Issel in 2006?
The College Basketball Hall of Fame inducted Dan Issel in 2006. He also joined the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame in 1987 and entered the Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame in 2018.