Issel was drafted by the Detroit Pistons in 1971, but was traded to the Baltimore Bullets, where he played for two seasons. He then joined the ABA's Kentucky Colonels, where he was an All-Star in each of his six seasons with the team. He was also named the ABA MVP in 1975 and was a part of the 1975 ABA Championship team.
Issel then joined the NBA's Denver Nuggets in 1976, where he played for the next 11 seasons. He was an All-Star in each of his first four seasons with the team, and was named to the All-NBA Second Team in 1981. He also led the Nuggets to the Western Conference Finals in 1985.
Issel retired in 1985, but returned to the Nuggets in 1992 as the team's head coach. He coached the team for three seasons, leading them to the playoffs in each season. He then returned to the Nuggets as a broadcaster in 1999, and continued in that role until 2002.
Throughout his career, Issel was a prolific scorer, averaging 22.6 points per game over his career. He was also a great rebounder, averaging 9.1 rebounds per game. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993 and his jersey number (44) was retired by the Nuggets in 2005.
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