Dan Issel

Daniel Paul Issel (born October 25, 1948) is an American former professional basketball player and coach. He is best known for his prolific scoring ability and his time playing in both the American Basketball Association (ABA) and the National Basketball Association (NBA).

Issel played college basketball at the University of Kentucky, where he was a consensus All-American and led the Wildcats to three Southeastern Conference (SEC) titles.

He began his professional career in the ABA with the Kentucky Colonels in 1970. He was named ABA Rookie of the Year and led the Colonels to the ABA Championship in 1975. During his ABA career, he was a six-time All-Star and five-time All-ABA selection.

Following the ABA-NBA merger in 1976, Issel joined the Denver Nuggets. He played for the Nuggets until his retirement in 1985. In the NBA, he was named an All-Star once.

After his playing career, Issel served as the head coach of the Denver Nuggets for several seasons. He also held various management positions within the organization.

Issel's career scoring totals rank among the highest in professional basketball history, exceeding 27,000 points. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993.