Famous basketball player KC Jones, an eight-team NBA championship defensive player as a Boston Celtics player and winner of two more titles as the team’s head coach, has died, the team confirmed. He was 88 years old.
Jones, who was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1989, played nine seasons in the NBA (all with the Celtics) between 1958 and ’67 and won championships in eight of them, the third most in history. the NBA, just behind former teammates Bill Russell (11) and Sam Jones (10).
Jones returned to Boston as an assistant coach in 1977 (winning one more championship ring) before taking Larry Bird and the Celtics to two more titles as head coach in 1983-84 and 1985-86.
“I just got a call to communicate to my roommate / teammate and especially the great friend of the great KC Jones that happened this morning,” Russell tweeted Friday. “Prayers to his family. We’ve been friends for almost 60 years, this is our last photo together. Friends for life. # 2020Suck! #REST IN PEACE”
Jones was also a teammate of Russell’s at the University of San Francisco, winning two NCAA titles. He is one of seven players to win college and NBA championships and an Olympic gold medal (1956), along with Russell, Jerry Lucas, Clyde Lovellette, Magic Johnson, Quinn Buckner and Michael Jordan.
“My father died today at 4:55 in the morning. Thank you all for your love for the Celtics and especially for your father, ”he tweeted to Jones’ daughter, Bryna.
The 6-foot-1 guard averaged just 7.4 points per game during his career, surpassing Bob Cousy’s initial job in 1963. But his defensive tenacity and playing skills made him a an important part of the Celtics’ 60s dynasty, and his No. 25 uniform retired at the end of his career as a player in 1967.
“I just didn’t see how a man who shot as bad as KC could stay in the NBA,” Cousy, 92, told ESPN. “‘I didn’t really think his other skills were enough to keep him close. But I was wrong. The man proved amazing on defense and finally learned to score enough so that rival teams couldn’t afford to not to protect it ”.
Jones coached for three seasons with Washington in the 1970s, including a loss to Golden State in the 1975 NBA Finals. He returned to the Celtics as Bill Fitch’s assistant coach in 1977 and was promoted to head coach in 1983. , defeating the Lakers for the championship in their first season with a team of Bird, Kevin McHale, Robert Parish and Dennis Johnson.
This group reached the NBA Finals in four consecutive years, adding another ring in 1986 before moving to the first office in 1988. The Texas native also coached Seattle and Detroit, finishing with 522 career wins. the NBA.
The other of his dozen NBA campaigns came as an assistant coach with the Lakers in 1972.
“Where KC Jones went, he’s sure to keep winning,” the Celtics said in a statement. “In NBA history, only teammates Bill Russell and Sam Jones have more championship rings during their careers. … KC’s coaching career was equally illustrious and one of the most outstanding coaching careers the NBA has ever seen.
“KC also showed that you could be a fierce competitor and a knight in every sense of the word. He improved his teammates and made the most of the players he coached. You should never seek credit, your glory was found in the most basic ideals: being part of a winning team. The Celtics family regrets his loss, as we celebrate his remarkable career and life.