While Red Auerbach, Bob Cousy, and Bill Russell are usually mentioned first in any conversation about the greatness of the Boston Celtics franchise, K.C. Jones’ involvement and impact on the franchise cannot be denied. As a player under Auerbach in the late 1950s and 1960s, Jones played his role admirably, doing whatever it took to help the team win. The basketball Hall of Famer would also return to the franchise in the 1980s as a coach for the revival of the glory days with Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish. K.C. Jones’ body of work leaves him as one of the greatest winners in NBA history.
K.C. Jones – University of San Francisco
K.C. Jones’ story starts on May 25, 1932, in Taylor, Texas. He spent the first eight years of his life there but would move to San Francisco with his mother after that time. Jones would end up being a two-sport athlete at Commerce High School, but ended up focusing on basketball.
He would end up continuing his basketball career at the University of San Francisco. The Dons struggled to reach .500 in Jones’ first two years with the program. San Francisco figured to be much better in junior season, thanks to the arrival of a once-in-a-generation prospect named Bill Russell. Unfortunately for Jones, he would not be able to contribute to a team on the rise. Jones had appendicitis in the 1953-1954 campaign and was only able to suit up for one game. In a somewhat controversial issue, the conference allowed him to play an extra season since he basically missed his entire junior year.
San Francisco had a good year with Russell and without Jones in 1953-1954, but their presence together would lead the team to a historic run in the next two seasons. While Russell would dominate the post area, Jones’ athleticism on the perimeter would cause issues for the competition. They would win an NCAA championship in consecutive years in 1955 and 1956 and were nearly untouchable en route to the title. They only lost one game combined during that stretch, cementing their place in college basketball history.
K.C. Jones – Olympic Gold Medal
Although the illustrious run he was a part of in college came to an end, K.C. Jones took his talents to an even larger stage, representing the United States in the Olympics in 1956. He would once again join forces with Russell in Australia(where the Games were held), and the tandem demolished their opponents. They won every game in the tournament on the way to a gold medal and beat teams by an average of over 53 points per game.
K.C. Jones – Boston Celtics Playing Career
K.C. Jones was drafted by the Boston Celtics with the 14th overall pick in the 1956 NBA Draft, eleven picks behind his former Dons teammate Bill Russell. While the center would report to Boston right after being selected, Jones did not play for the Celtics until the 1958-1959 season. The Texas native would end up serving with the United States Army and trying to play professional football with the Los Angeles Rams.
Although it was belated, Jones’ arrival would coincide with one of the greatest runs in professional team sports history. He would end up playing nine seasons in the NBA, all for the Celtics, and the team won the title in the first eight of those years. Boston had a rim protector and paint enforcer in Russell, and an expert playmaker in the backcourt with Cousy, so Jones would fill in the rest of the blanks. He would be revered around the league as an intense defender.
The 6’1” guard would play a physical style, and made it very difficult for other playmakers to initiate their offense. While his scoring numbers were never going to jump off of the page, Jones made sure that his presence was felt as a ball-mover, rebounder and cutter. While it is difficult to compare players of different eras, it might be easiest to imagine Jones as a guard-version of what Draymond Green brings to the table currently with the Golden State Warriors.
K.C. Jones – Boston Celtics Coaching Career
His winning pedigree was valued all across the league, and Jones’ intangibles would be highly valued as a coach once his playing career was over. He received his first head coaching job in the NBA with the Washington Bullets and even guided them to an NBA Finals appearance in just his second season there. He would only spend three years there, but won an impressive 63 percent of his games for the franchise.
However, Jones would return to the Celtics as an assistant coach ahead of the 1977 season. He would remain on the bench in a supporting role until the 1983-1984 season when Bill Fitch left the team. Jones would be elevated to head coach, and Boston would go on to experience another historic stretch.
The Celtics were already amongst the best teams in the NBA, and were just looking for a different voice to lead them back to the promised land. In his first year, Jones would recapture the magic he had as a player, leading the franchise to the title.
Star player Larry Bird remembered how Jones would communicate with the team. Even though he was a tremendous competitor, Jones would go out of his way to make each member of the team and staff feel like they provided value.
That level of camaraderie would allow Boston to make the NBA Finals in each of the following three years as well. Jones’ run culminated with a legendary 1985-1986 campaign, where the team won a franchise record 67 regular season games en route to an NBA championship.
Jones would close out his head coaching career in the early 1990’s with the Seattle SuperSonics.
K.C. Jones – NBA Championships
Given his contributions to dynastic teams in different eras of the NBA, Jones’ ability to fit into a winning situation is nothing short of special. As a result, he is one of the few people in league history who was able to put a championship ring on each one of his ten fingers.
K.C. Jones was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1989.
K.C. Jones – Net Worth
K.C. Jones was a retired NBA player who had a long and successful career in the league. He is estimated to have a net worth of between $1-5 million, which he accumulated over his years of playing in the NBA and from various endorsements.
