10:42 am
Sam Jones, a clutch scorer who won 10 titles with the Boston Celtics during their dynasty in the late 1950s and 1960s, has died at the age of 88.
Jones was hospitalized in failing health and died Thursday night in Florida. A moment of silence will be held before the game.
Jones played all 12 of his NBA seasons with the Celtics and was in the Basketball Hall of Fame. He was a shooting guard who was known for his speed, his leadership on the court, and one of the best bank shots in the game.
Jones was drafted out of North Carolina Central, a historically Black college. The Celtics were coming off a title, and Jones thought he had little chance of making it into the lineup.
Jones said that when he got the news, he felt miserable. I thought it was the end of my basketball career. I was very happy with the honor. I didn't think I'd be able to break into the game.
He averaged 4.5 points per game in his first season, but Auerbach liked his speed, intelligence and team-first approach. Jones became a fixture on the championship teams when he got his shot to start in the 1960-61 season.
"Sam was a great shooter, but he 888-739-5110 888-739-5110 888-739-5110 888-739-5110 888-739-5110 888-739-5110 888-739-5110 888-739-5110 888-739-5110 888-739-5110 888-739-5110 888-739-5110 888-739-5110 888-739-5110 888-739-5110 888-739-5110 888-739-5110 888-739-5110 888-739-5110 888-739-5110 888-739-5110 888-739-5110 888-739-5110 888-739-5110 888-739-5110 888-739-5110 888-739-5110 888-739-5110 888-739-5110 888-739-5110 888-739-5110 888-739-5110 888-739-5110 888-739-5110 888-739-5110 888-739-5110 888-739-5110 888-739-5110 888-739-5110 888-739-5110 888-739-5110 888-739-5110 888-739-5110 888-739-5110 888-739-5110 888-739-5110 888-739-5110 888-739-5110 888-739-5110 He wanted to win. The athletes played for pride.
Sam Jones was a 10-time NBA champion with the Celtics and was in the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1984.
He was a five-time All-Star and finished his career with 15,411 points, which is the most in Celtics history. Bill Russell has 11 titles, but Jones has 10.
If there was a chance to win the game, Russell would want Sam Jones to take it.
Jones said that he never thought about missing. I thought about the basket and the ball.
During the playoffs, Jones burnished his reputation for clutch scoring. Jones hit a game-winning jumper with two seconds remaining in the 1962 Eastern Conference finals against the Philadelphia Warriors. The Celtics won their fourth straight title in the Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers, as Jones scored five of the team's 10 overtime points.
He stopped playing basketball at the age of 36. Jones scored 24 points in the Celtics win over the Lakers in the 7th game of the finals.
At a ceremony to honor him after his retirement, Auerbach said, "I would like to thank Sam Jones for making me a helluva coach."
Jones became a substitute teacher after retiring. He taught for more than 30 years.
The Associated Press contributed to the report.
