Xavier McDaniel

The X-Man — the most physically intimidating small forward of the 1980s, one of the first NBA players to use intimidation as a systematic tactic.

Xavier Maurice McDaniel was born in Columbia, South Carolina in 1963. Seattle SuperSonics selected him fourth overall in the 1985 NBA Draft after four years at Wichita State. His 11-season career produced 15.0 points and 6.3 rebounds per game and one All-Star appearance. He was the most physically intimidating small forward of the late 1980s — known for staring down opponents, trash talking and backing up his words with exceptional athleticism and strength. His head-shaving began what became an NBA trend. He and Larry Bird had one of the most heated individual rivalries of the 1980s — a confrontation in Game 7 of the 1988 Eastern Conference Semifinals in which the two exchanged shoves and stares became one of basketball's most replayed moments. He scored 36 points in a playoff game against Denver. He was traded from Seattle to Phoenix in 1990 and then to the Knicks in 1991 where he continued as an effective scorer and physical presence. His combination of scoring ability, athleticism and psychological intimidation made him genuinely difficult to match up against during his peak years at Seattle.

Physical, aggressive power forward with strong rebounding and scoring ability

One of the most intimidating power forwards of the late 1980s

• All-Star 1x