Quintin Dailey
Quintin Dailey | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date Baltimore, Maryland, United States |
| Died | November 8, 2010 (aged 49) Las Vegas, Nevada, United States |
| Occupation | Professional basketball player |
| Years active | 1982–1992 |
| Known for | NBA guard for Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Clippers, Seattle SuperSonics |
Quintin "Q" Dailey (January 22, 1961 – November 8, 2010) was a professional basketball athlete from the United States. Standing 6 feet 3 inches tall and playing as a guard, he competed at the collegiate level for the University of San Francisco before embarking on a decade-long NBA career with teams including the Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Clippers, and Seattle SuperSonics.
Early life and legal difficulties
Originating from Baltimore, Dailey excelled at Cardinal Gibbons School, completing his studies there in 1979. He attracted recruitment interest from more than 200 universities before ultimately committing to the University of San Francisco to join the Dons basketball squad. Over his college tenure, he amassed 1,841 points, maintaining an average of 20.5 points per game. In his senior season, he established a new team record by scoring 755 points (averaging 25.2 points per game), surpassing the previous mark held by Bill Cartwright.
In February 1982, Dailey faced legal issues when he was detained on charges related to the sexual assault of a female resident assistant. He entered a guilty plea for attempted assault and was sentenced to three years of probation. The investigation revealed that he had accepted $5,000 for a no-show position connected to a donor of USF. As a consequence, university president Rev. John Lo Schiavo decided to suspend the basketball program, which had recently been placed on NCAA probation twice; the program remained inactive until its reinstatement in 1985.
Despite these complications, Dailey was chosen seventh overall by the Chicago Bulls in the 1982 NBA draft, just four days following his guilty plea.
Professional career
Dailey's past controversies followed him to Chicago, where advocacy groups for women and media outlets voiced opposition to his presence, and landlords declined to rent to him. John Schulian of the Chicago Sun-Times criticized the leniency afforded to Dailey as a prominent athlete, stating that "if he were just another creep off the street, he would still be learning what a chamber of horrors the halls of justice can be." At his initial press conference post-draft, Dailey expressed no remorse for his offense nor empathy toward his victim, asserting that he had not been given an opportunity to present his perspective. The student involved filed a lawsuit against him in 1983; Dailey resolved it by paying $100,000 and issuing an apology.
Despite these off-court distractions, Dailey averaged 15.1 points per game during his rookie season with Chicago and earned a spot on the NBA All-Rookie Team. His peak performance came the following year when he averaged 18.2 points per contest.
In 1985, rookie Michael Jordan took over Dailey’s role as starting shooting guard for the Bulls. Expressing dissatisfaction with this change, Dailey described himself as "a player who likes to shine a little bit myself." Notably, on March 20, 1985, during a match in San Antonio, Dailey broke NBA norms by having a ballboy deliver food to him mid-game; he was observed consuming pizza, nachos, popcorn, and soda while seated on the bench.
Throughout his ten seasons in the NBA, Dailey maintained an average of 14.1 points per game but continued to attract negative attention off-court due to missed games and two violations of the league’s drug policy.
In the 1985 film To Live and Die in L.A., directed by Chicago native William Friedkin, Dailey’s performance with the Bulls is highlighted by the protagonist: “Quintin Dailey got 30 points... Say all you want about Michael Jordan... but Quintin Dailey's got a gun like a howitzer, man.”
Post-playing career
In 1996, Dailey began working with the Clark County Parks and Recreation Department, where he ultimately advanced to the position of recreation and cultural program supervisor, a role he held until his passing. His responsibilities encompassed gang intervention initiatives, organizing sports activities, and managing special events. Additionally, from 2000 through 2010, he served as a basketball official.
Dailey passed away peacefully in his sleep in Las Vegas at the age of 49 on November 8, 2010, due to hypertensive cardiovascular disease. He was survived by his daughter Quinci and son Quintin Jr., the latter of whom played collegiate basketball at Eastern Michigan University.