12-26-2020, 12:28 AM
K.C. Jones, basketball star:
K.C. Jones
A hard-nosed, playmaking guard and defensive specialist, it would be hard to find a basketball personality who achieved more as a player and a coach than K.C. Jones. What he gave his teams on the court did not always show up on the stat sheet, but certainly translated into championships. Jones enjoyed a phenomenal collegiate career playing with fellow Hall of Famer Bill Russell under Hall of Fame coach Phil Woolpert at the University of San Francisco. With the ball-hawking guard, the Dons won 57 of 58 games and captured back-to-back NCAA titles in 1955 and 1956. In 1956 Jones played on the U.S. Olympic gold medal team and then, soon after, joined the Boston Celtics where he was reunited with Russell. Dressed in green and white, Jones played admirably on eight consecutive NBA championship teams, making a huge impact as a scrapping, hustling player. Jones coached Boston to the 1984 and 1986 NBA championships, and earned 12 NBA championship rings in his distinguished career.
https://www.hoophall.com/hall-of-famers/kc-jones
K. C. Jones (May 25, 1932 – December 25, 2020) was an American professional basketball player and coach. He is best known for his association with the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA), with whom he won 11 of his 12 NBA championships (eight as a player, one as an assistant coach, and two as a head coach).[1] As a player, he is tied for third for most NBA championships in a career, and is one of three NBA players with an 8–0 record in NBA Finals series.[2] He is the only African-American coach other than Bill Russell to win multiple NBA championships.[3][4] Jones was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1989.
Jones attended Commerce High School in San Francisco, California, where he played basketball and football.[5] He played college basketball at the University of San Francisco and, along with Bill Russell, led the Dons to NCAA championships in 1955 and 1956. Jones also played with Russell on the United States team which won the gold medal at the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne, Australia.
After completing college and joining the NBA, Jones considered a career as an NFL player, even trying out for a team. However, he failed to make the cut.[citation needed] During his playing days, he was known as a tenacious defender. Jones spent all of his nine seasons in the NBA with the Boston Celtics, being part of eight championship teams from 1959 to 1966, retiring after the Celtics' loss to the Philadelphia 76ers in the 1967 playoffs. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1989.[6]
Jones is one of only eight players in basketball history to win an NCAA championship, an NBA championship, and an Olympic gold medal,[7] joining Bill Russell, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Jerry Lucas, Clyde Lovellette, Quinn Buckner, and Anthony Davis. In NBA history, only his former teammates Russell (11 championships) and Sam Jones (10 championships) have won more championship rings during their playing careers.
Coaching career[edit]
Jones began his coaching career at Brandeis University, serving as its head coach from 1967 to 1970. He served as an assistant coach at Harvard University from 1970 to 1971.[8] Jones then reunited with former teammate Bill Sharman as the assistant coach for the 1971–72 NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers. During the said season, the team won a record 33 straight games. He became the first-ever head coach of the ABA's San Diego Conquistadors on August 8, 1972.[9]
One week after Jones' only season with the Conquistadors ended with his resignation, he signed a three‐year contract to succeed Gene Shue in a similar capacity with the Capital Bullets (name changed to Washington Bullets beginning in 1974–75) on June 18, 1973.[10] During his three years in Washington, the Bullets had a 155–91 won‐lost record and arguably the most talented team in the league. Being swept by the Golden State Warriors in the 1975 NBA Finals and a seven-game loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Semifinals the following year resulted in Jones' contract not being renewed on May 7, 1976.[11] He was replaced by Dick Motta three weeks later on May 28, 1976.[12]
In 1983, Jones took over as head coach of the Boston Celtics, replacing Bill Fitch. Jones guided the Larry Bird-led Celtics to championships in 1984 and 1986.[13] Also in 1986, Jones led the Eastern squad in the 1986 NBA All-Star Game in Dallas at the Reunion Arena, beating the Western squad 139–132. The Celtics won the Atlantic Division in all five of Jones's seasons as head coach and reached the NBA Finals in four of his five years as coach. In a surprise announcement, he retired after the 1987–88 season and was succeeded by assistant coach Jimmy Rodgers.[14] Jones spent one season in the Celtics' front office in 1988–89, then resigned to join the Seattle SuperSonics as an assistant coach and basketball consultant for the 1989–90 season.[15] He served as head coach of the Sonics in 1990–91 and 1991–92.
In 1994, Jones joined the Detroit Pistons as an assistant coach for one season. The Pistons' head coach at that time, Don Chaney, had previously played for Jones with the Celtics.[16] Jones was also considered to once again coach the Celtics during the off-season in 1995.[17] In 1996, Jones returned to the Boston Celtics, this time as an assistant coach for one season.[18]
Jones returned to the professional coaching ranks in 1997, guiding the New England Blizzard of the fledgling women's American Basketball League (1996–1998) through its last 1½ seasons of existence. The Blizzard made the playoffs in his second year as head coach, but they were summarily dispatched by the San Jose Lasers.[citation needed]
Jones died on December 25, 2020 at an assisted living center in Connecticut.[19]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K._C._Jones
K.C. Jones
A hard-nosed, playmaking guard and defensive specialist, it would be hard to find a basketball personality who achieved more as a player and a coach than K.C. Jones. What he gave his teams on the court did not always show up on the stat sheet, but certainly translated into championships. Jones enjoyed a phenomenal collegiate career playing with fellow Hall of Famer Bill Russell under Hall of Fame coach Phil Woolpert at the University of San Francisco. With the ball-hawking guard, the Dons won 57 of 58 games and captured back-to-back NCAA titles in 1955 and 1956. In 1956 Jones played on the U.S. Olympic gold medal team and then, soon after, joined the Boston Celtics where he was reunited with Russell. Dressed in green and white, Jones played admirably on eight consecutive NBA championship teams, making a huge impact as a scrapping, hustling player. Jones coached Boston to the 1984 and 1986 NBA championships, and earned 12 NBA championship rings in his distinguished career.
https://www.hoophall.com/hall-of-famers/kc-jones
K. C. Jones (May 25, 1932 – December 25, 2020) was an American professional basketball player and coach. He is best known for his association with the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA), with whom he won 11 of his 12 NBA championships (eight as a player, one as an assistant coach, and two as a head coach).[1] As a player, he is tied for third for most NBA championships in a career, and is one of three NBA players with an 8–0 record in NBA Finals series.[2] He is the only African-American coach other than Bill Russell to win multiple NBA championships.[3][4] Jones was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1989.
Jones attended Commerce High School in San Francisco, California, where he played basketball and football.[5] He played college basketball at the University of San Francisco and, along with Bill Russell, led the Dons to NCAA championships in 1955 and 1956. Jones also played with Russell on the United States team which won the gold medal at the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne, Australia.
After completing college and joining the NBA, Jones considered a career as an NFL player, even trying out for a team. However, he failed to make the cut.[citation needed] During his playing days, he was known as a tenacious defender. Jones spent all of his nine seasons in the NBA with the Boston Celtics, being part of eight championship teams from 1959 to 1966, retiring after the Celtics' loss to the Philadelphia 76ers in the 1967 playoffs. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1989.[6]
Jones is one of only eight players in basketball history to win an NCAA championship, an NBA championship, and an Olympic gold medal,[7] joining Bill Russell, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Jerry Lucas, Clyde Lovellette, Quinn Buckner, and Anthony Davis. In NBA history, only his former teammates Russell (11 championships) and Sam Jones (10 championships) have won more championship rings during their playing careers.
Coaching career[edit]
Jones began his coaching career at Brandeis University, serving as its head coach from 1967 to 1970. He served as an assistant coach at Harvard University from 1970 to 1971.[8] Jones then reunited with former teammate Bill Sharman as the assistant coach for the 1971–72 NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers. During the said season, the team won a record 33 straight games. He became the first-ever head coach of the ABA's San Diego Conquistadors on August 8, 1972.[9]
One week after Jones' only season with the Conquistadors ended with his resignation, he signed a three‐year contract to succeed Gene Shue in a similar capacity with the Capital Bullets (name changed to Washington Bullets beginning in 1974–75) on June 18, 1973.[10] During his three years in Washington, the Bullets had a 155–91 won‐lost record and arguably the most talented team in the league. Being swept by the Golden State Warriors in the 1975 NBA Finals and a seven-game loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Semifinals the following year resulted in Jones' contract not being renewed on May 7, 1976.[11] He was replaced by Dick Motta three weeks later on May 28, 1976.[12]
In 1983, Jones took over as head coach of the Boston Celtics, replacing Bill Fitch. Jones guided the Larry Bird-led Celtics to championships in 1984 and 1986.[13] Also in 1986, Jones led the Eastern squad in the 1986 NBA All-Star Game in Dallas at the Reunion Arena, beating the Western squad 139–132. The Celtics won the Atlantic Division in all five of Jones's seasons as head coach and reached the NBA Finals in four of his five years as coach. In a surprise announcement, he retired after the 1987–88 season and was succeeded by assistant coach Jimmy Rodgers.[14] Jones spent one season in the Celtics' front office in 1988–89, then resigned to join the Seattle SuperSonics as an assistant coach and basketball consultant for the 1989–90 season.[15] He served as head coach of the Sonics in 1990–91 and 1991–92.
In 1994, Jones joined the Detroit Pistons as an assistant coach for one season. The Pistons' head coach at that time, Don Chaney, had previously played for Jones with the Celtics.[16] Jones was also considered to once again coach the Celtics during the off-season in 1995.[17] In 1996, Jones returned to the Boston Celtics, this time as an assistant coach for one season.[18]
Jones returned to the professional coaching ranks in 1997, guiding the New England Blizzard of the fledgling women's American Basketball League (1996–1998) through its last 1½ seasons of existence. The Blizzard made the playoffs in his second year as head coach, but they were summarily dispatched by the San Jose Lasers.[citation needed]
Jones died on December 25, 2020 at an assisted living center in Connecticut.[19]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K._C._Jones
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