Selected in first place in the 1986 Draft, Brad Daugherty, this grandson of a Cherokee Indian chief, was among the best centers in the League. Unfortunately for him, injuries and a certain Michael Jordan will prevent him from having a better record and a longer career.
Deer hunting, stock car racing, pistol shooting, snake catching, Clint Eastwood, country singer Hank Williams Jr, western style clothes, chewing tobacco… These are some of Bradley’s passions Lee Daugherty. “I’m a cowboy, I love simple things. »
Michael Jordan’s teammate at North Carolina
A bit paradoxical for the grandson of an Indian chief of the Cherokee tribe… What can stop an Indian dressed as a cowboy? An arrow through the heart? No. The only thing that stopped the Cavalier in 1992 was his arch. Inflammation forced him to miss six matches in January. Even the best NBA pivots couldn’t dominate him. The first clash of the season with David Robinson passed without comment: 31 points for Brad, 14 for “the Admiral” with a mediocre 3/9 on shots. Excellence spanned from December 27, 1991 to January 3, 1992, a period during which he successively faced Patrick Ewing, Hakeem Olajuwon, David Robinson and Robert Parish.
Result of the races: an average of 23 points, 10.2 rebounds and 61.7% shooting compared to 16.8 points, 11.2 rebounds and 47.1% shooting for his four direct opponents. Are you tired of numbers? Here is the opinion of Michael Jordan, his ex-teammate at North Carolina.
“Brad is perhaps the best center in the League. He doesn’t have the reputation of Pat, Hakeem or David but he has the stats of the best pivot. »
Brief return to the figures. At mid-season, Daugherty was averaging 22.2 points, 10.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.5 blocks and 57.4% shooting. Effective, right? But the most striking fact remains the course of the Cavaliers, the only ones to keep pace with the Bulls in the Central division.
“Brad has reached his true dimension”comments Lenny Wilkens, the Cleveland coach. “I haven’t seen a center as strong as him this year. »
An impartial opinion to close the judgment? That of Pete Newell, former coach, who then organized very famous training camps for pivots. One of the rare American basketball gurus whose opinion is authoritative.
“Brad has improved his low post game. That’s all he was missing. He has become a father, he is more mature. Today, he is able to concentrate on his profession. He is not yet part of the elite group but at the end of this season, the experts will have to review their rankings. He is one of the three best players in the world. »
And he was only 26 years old, which is still young for a center (2m16, 120 kg). Coming from a wealthy family in Black Mountain, North Carolina, Brad Daugherty was drafted number 1 by Cleveland in 1986.
It took him this long to mature physically and mentally. In college (with the Tar Heels, therefore), he was the pivot of a team practicing a moving attack. As a result, he masters several positions on the field. He was eagerly awaited in the NBA. His lack of consistency led to him being quickly described as a “soft player”.
“Brad just realized how important basketball was to him. Now he’s really enjoying the field.”specifies Lenny Wilkens.
Brad Daugherty sees things differently.
“I was a big kid, I just became an adult. I work hard and I want to win. I don’t care if I’m the hero or the villain. I was a young player for a long time. My experience now makes the difference. »
He hides from his future wife that he is a basketball star
It is said that a dominant pivot must be proud. That’s not Daugherty’s style. Life is too short for that. Brad wasted no time trying to hog the spotlight. At North Carolina, he played with Michael Jordan, James Worthy and Sam Perkins, all happy to remain in the shadows. In the NBA, after a game, he prefers to go out through a back door, dressed relaxed – jeans and cowboy boots –, get in his 4×4 and listen to country melodies.
The first time he went on a date with his future wife, Heidi, he showed up in a dirty tracksuit and barefoot… It was in Florida, where he was tinkering with a stock car. He went straight from the garage to the meeting. The two lovebirds walk to the beach and stay in the car to talk. From time to time, Brad rolls down the window to spit out his tobacco juice. Heidi asks him what he does for a living. He replies that he does a little mechanics. When she asks him, intrigued by his height, if he plays basketball, he says that it happens to him sometimes. As for what his parents do…
“They raise cows and pigs. »
Heidi doesn’t learn the truth until much later, when she goes to visit Brad’s mother in North Carolina. His first surprise was to receive a first class ticket. The second, the cry uttered by her neighbor on the plane when she admitted the purpose of her trip.
” What ? Are you going to see Brad Daugherty?! »
She replied that “her” Daugherty was in racing cars. Heidi remembers.
“As we left the airport, my neighbor ran up to Brad to get him to sign an autograph. Brad came towards me, a little embarrassed. “I was going to tell you everything…” he said to me. »
“Big Dukie” (“Big Duck”, his nickname) explains.
“I never considered basketball as a passport. Being known as an NBA player is not one of my priorities. »
However, Brad Daugherty is leaving a gigantic imprint. Calmly. Nonchalantly. Personally, it’s a real rebirth. He eliminated red meat from his eating habits and adopted his wife’s diet menus. This diet made him lighter, faster, more powerful. His game has evolved. Now, he does not hesitate to make contact. As evidenced by a titanic duel against Pat “The Beast” Ewing.
“What a match of men!” »exclaims his teammate Mark Price. “In a match, many pivots can be better than me”comments n°43. “I don’t care who I play against, I respect my opponents. I don’t have the reputation of some of them but I know what I’m capable of: running, playing all day, every day. »
Only eight years of career…
Brad Daugherty could have been nicknamed “Marathon man” if injuries had spared him. Fate stubbornly refused to smile on him. Cleveland obtains the first pick of the 1986 draft by selling Roy Hinson and cash to the Sixers. It’s an understatement to say that the Cavs had a lucky hand that year… The arrival of Brad Daugherty was joined by those of winger Ron Harper (8th choice) and leader Mark Price (25th). The late John “Hot Rod” Williams, drafted a year earlier (45th), obtained the right to join the team after his troubles with the law.
In 1987, the Harper-Williams-Daugherty trio was selected for the All-Rookie Team (at the time, there was only one compared to two today). Brad will spend his entire career in Ohio, eight years. When he retired, he finished as the best scorer (10,389 points) and rebounder (5,227 rebounds) in franchise history. LeBron James dethroned him on March 21, 2008 against Toronto by scoring his 10,390th point. On December 9 of the same year, Zydrunas Ilgauskas captured his 5,228th rebound for the Cavs, still against the Raptors. Brad Daugherty “disappears” from the record books but leaves an indelible mark.
Flashing more than 20 points and 10 rebounds for three seasons, he was an All-Star five times. Between 1986 and 94, Cleveland qualified for the playoffs six times. To its misfortune, the Ohio franchise crossed paths with neighboring Chicago five times. Best result: a Conference final in 1992 (2-4) behind the Mark Price-Larry Nance-Brad Daugherty trio. A herniated disc limited the Cavs pivot to 50 games during the 1993-94 season. He was away from the field in February and did not have to endure the “sweep” inflicted by the Bulls in the first round of the playoffs. A “trifle” compared to the premature termination of his professional career, at the age of 29.
Victim of recurring back pain, “Big Dukie” can no longer play basketball at the highest level. For two years, he remained completely inactive. On the floors, at least, since he appears in Whoopi Goldberg’s film “Eddie” with some of his accomplices (“Hot Rod” Williams, Terrell Brandon, Bobby Phills…). In the spring of 1996, he retired from basketball life for good. His No. 43 jersey was retired by Cleveland in March of the following year. A number he chose in homage to Richard Petty, legendary NASCAR driver.
Brad Daugherty has also remained addicted to car racing. Owner of a stable, he regularly appears on cable channels as a consultant. He also comments on NCAA matches.
Stats
8 years
548 matches (546 times starter)
19 points, 9.5 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 0.8 steals, 0.7 blocks
53.2% on shots, 14.3% on 3-pointers, 74.7% on free throws
Prize list
All-Star: 1988, 89, 91, 92, 93
All-NBA Third Team: 1992
All-Rookie First Team: 1987
| Brad Daugherty | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 1986-87 | KEY | 80 | 34 | 53.8 | 0.0 | 69.6 | 1.9 | 6.2 | 8.1 | 3.8 | 3.1 | 0.6 | 3.1 | 0.8 | 15.7 |
| 1987-88 | KEY | 79 | 37 | 51.0 | 0.0 | 71.6 | 1.9 | 6.5 | 8.4 | 4.2 | 3.0 | 0.6 | 3.4 | 0.7 | 18.7 |
| 1988-89 | KEY | 78 | 36 | 53.8 | 33.3 | 73.7 | 2.1 | 7.1 | 9.2 | 3.7 | 2.2 | 0.8 | 3.0 | 0.5 | 18.9 |
| 1989-90 | KEY | 41 | 35 | 47.9 | 0.0 | 70.4 | 1.9 | 7.2 | 9.1 | 3.2 | 2.6 | 0.7 | 2.7 | 0.5 | 16.8 |
| 1990-91 | KEY | 76 | 39 | 52.4 | 0.0 | 75.1 | 2.3 | 8.6 | 10.9 | 3.3 | 2.5 | 1.0 | 2.8 | 0.6 | 21.6 |
| 1991-92 | KEY | 73 | 36 | 57.0 | 0.0 | 77.7 | 2.6 | 7.8 | 10.4 | 3.6 | 2.6 | 0.9 | 2.5 | 1.1 | 21.5 |
| 1992-93 | KEY | 71 | 38 | 57.1 | 50.0 | 79.5 | 2.3 | 7.9 | 10.2 | 4.4 | 2.5 | 0.8 | 2.1 | 0.8 | 20.2 |
| 1993-94 | KEY | 50 | 37 | 48.8 | 0.0 | 78.5 | 2.6 | 7.6 | 10.2 | 3.0 | 2.9 | 0.8 | 2.2 | 0.7 | 17.0 |
| Total | 548 | 37 | 53.2 | 14.3 | 74.7 | 2.2 | 7.3 | 9.5 | 3.7 | 2.7 | 0.8 | 2.8 | 0.7 | 19.0 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
