KJ McDaniels

Kevin Ornell Chapman “K. J.” McDaniels Jr. was born on February 9, 1993, in Mobile, Alabama. He attended Central Park Christian School in Birmingham, Alabama, where he was recognized as a three-star recruit by ESPN.com and ranked as the No. 35 small forward nationally in 2011. McDaniels then played college basketball at Clemson University. After limited playing time as a freshman in 2011–12, he emerged as a starter in his sophomore year, averaging 10.9 points and 5.0 rebounds, and finishing second in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) in blocked shots with 2.1 per game.

His junior year in 2013–14 marked a significant turning point in his college career, where he became one of the ACC’s top players. McDaniels averaged 17.1 points and 7.1 rebounds per game, and led the ACC in blocks per game at 2.8. His exceptional performance earned him first-team All-ACC honors and the ACC Defensive Player of the Year award. He also led the Tigers to the 2014 National Invitation Tournament semifinals held at Madison Square Garden. Following this successful season, McDaniels declared for the NBA draft, foregoing his final year of college eligibility.

McDaniels was drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers with the 32nd overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. He quickly made an impact, becoming a key player off the bench and gaining notoriety for his shot-blocking skills. In his rookie season, he recorded a career-high 21 points and 13 rebounds against the Dallas Mavericks. His NBA career saw stints with the Houston Rockets and Brooklyn Nets, before he moved on to various G-League and international teams, including the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, Grand Rapids Drive, Oklahoma City Blue, TNT KaTropa (Philippines), Greensboro Swarm, NLEX Road Warriors (Philippines), Killer 3’s (BIG3), Meralco Bolts (Philippines), and Pelita Jaya (Indonesia), where he continues to play professionally.