The fruit of the Detroit Public School League's rich sports training ground is on display this week with the induction of Mel Daniels into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Daniels, who learned the fundamentals of basketball under legendary coach Will Robinson at Detroit Pershing High School and went on to star in the old American Basketball Association, is one of 12 people being honored in enshrinement ceremonies at the Naismith Hall in Springfield, Mass.
For Daniels, it's a long jump from his uncertain beginnings at Pershing to the ultimate honor in his sport.
It's believed that Daniels is the first PSL basketball player to be inducted into the Naismith Hall.
Daniels, who turned 68 in July, became a dominating player at Pershing at a time when the PSL was a top feeder league for major college programs looking to recruit the country's best talent.
Daniels -- nicknamed "Slim" by high school teammates and friends for his stringy, 6-foot-9 frame -- was one of the PSL's stars of his era and part of a nucleus of talented athletes who led Pershing to prominence when Robinson took over the basketball program in 1960.
The Pershing Doughboys made it to the State Class A semifinals in 1962, losing to eventual state champion Saginaw, led by Ernie Thompson. Pershing won state championships in 1967 and '70, Robinson's last season as a high school coach.
Robinson, who died in 2008, was a legend in his own right as a high school coach and pro scout for basketball and football, and as a member of the Pistons' front office.
The team's locker room at the Palace is named after Robinson.
Robinson was a commanding figure on Detroit's high school hardwood, with an ability to mold young black and white athletes into cohesive units that played with passion and precision.
Daniels was one of his prize projects.
Daniels had to be encouraged -- or ordered, according to basketball historians -- by Robinson to go out for the varsity when Robinson saw the shy, gangly teenager walking in the halls of Pershing on Detroit's east side.
With the push and support of Robinson, coupled with his immense natural ability and desire, Daniels became one of the most dominant centers in ABA history during a career spent mostly with the Indianapolis Pacers. Daniels played 10 seasons, seven of them with the Pacers, from 1968-74.
He began his career with the Minnesota Muskies and spent one season (1967-68) with a team that played in front of miniscule home crowds.
Daniels was dealt to the Pacers the next year. His last two stops were one season with the Memphis Sounds (1974-75) and a season with the Nets.
After his playing career, Daniels went into coaching. His stops included a stint as an assistant at Indiana State, where his Sycamores and lost to Michigan State in the NCAA championship game in 1979.
The game featured the most ballyhooed one-on-one matchup in college history: Larry Bird of Indiana State vs. Earvin "Magic" Johnson of the Spartans.
Daniels later returned to the Pacers as a front-office executive for 20 years.
Daniels' induction into the Hall of Fame is long overdue.
He dominated the ABA in a way few big men have ever dominated any league.
Led by Daniels, the Pacers won three ABA championships (1970, '72 and '73). He was a seven-time All-Star, MVP of the 1969 All-Star Game and was the league's MVP in 1979 and '71.
Daniels is the ABA's all-time career leader in rebounds (9,494) and fourth in scoring (11,739 points).
He graduated from Pershing in January 1963, then attended Burlington Junior College in Iowa. Daniels eventually transferred to New Mexico, where he led the Lobos in scoring three straight years.
In the interest of full disclosure, this writer is a proud 1963 graduate of Pershing High School.
In the interest of fuller disclosure, I had the privilege of participating in Coach Robinson's basketball training program in summer school of 1962.
At the end of the summer semester, Coach Robinson offered me encouragement to continue to improve on my skills -- as a writer.
CLICK HERE to see the entire Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2012.
