K.C. Jones
(1932-2020)
Hall of Fame Induction: 1989
Card Shown:
2009-10 Panini Hall of Fame
Famed Signatures
Position: PG
Height: 6’1″
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K.C. Jones was a gritty team player whose contribution did not always show up on the stat sheet. He was a playmaker on offense and a rugged defender on defense who played an integral part in the Boston Celtics dynasty of the late 1950s and 1960s. Often matched up against the likes of Jerry West or Oscar Robertson, K.C.’s defense was an important factor in Boston’s success. One of the pillars of Celtic history, Jones went on to impact future Celtic successes as both an assistant and head coach for Boston.
Awards and Honors
- In college, K.C. teamed with Bill Russell at the University of San Francisco to win 57 of 58 games and NCAA championships in 1955 and 1956.
- Jones was named to the NCAA AP All-America Second Team in 1955-56.
- Jones and Russell led Team USA to the 1956 Olympic gold medal. In the final game the United States defeated the Soviet Union 89-55, giving them a perfect 8-0 record through the competition.
- K.C. won eight NBA championships with the Celtics between 1959 and 1966. All of the players who have won eight or more championships were part of that Celtics dynasty. They include Bill Russell (11 championships), Sam Jones (10), John Havlicek (8), Tom Heinsohn (8), and Tom “Satch” Sanders.
- The Celtics retired Jones’ number 25 jersey on February 12, 1967.
Points of Interest
- When K.C. arrived in Boston to begin his rookie season in 1958, he found that only a limited amount of playing time was available to him. That was due to the fact that the Celtics already had two perennial all-stars playing at the guard positions, Bob Cousy and Bill Sharman.
- Jones became an NBA assistant coach and head coach in the years after his playing career finished. He won four more championship rings as a coach, two as an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Lakers and the Celtics and two as the head coach for the Celtics. His final winning percentage as a head coach (0.674) defines K.C. as one of the most successful coaches in NBA history.
- K.C. spent his entire nine-year NBA career with Boston, winning a championship in every year except his final year in 1966-67.
- During his career, Jones averaged 7.4 points, 4.3 assists, and 3.5 rebounds per game during only 25.9 minutes per game on the floor.
- After being elected to the Hall of Fame, K.C. said, “This is the sort of thing that happens to superstars, not people who can’t shoot. I just did the blue-collar-type things.” Lenny Wilkens disagreed, saying, “K.C. was a fine player. When he played you on defense, it was like wearing a glove.” (Source: LA Times, February 11, 1989)
Statistics
K.C. Jones Statistics
provided by Basketball-Reference.com