On Friday, the Celtics confirmed that 12-time NBA champion as a player and a coach, two-time NCAA championship and Hall of Famer, K.C. Jones died. He was 88 years old.
According to The Associated Press, the franchise said Jones’ family confirmed that he died in an assisted living facility in Connecticut, where he had been for several years, receiving care for Alzheimer’s disease.
Jones’ legacy will always be linked to the Boston Celtics, with whom he won eleven championship titles. He won eight as a player from 1959-1966, one as an assistant coach in 1981 and two as a head coach in 1984 and 1986. Ironically, his trophy cabinet also includes one title with the Lakers as an assistant in 1972. He is the only Black coach other than Bill Russell to win numerous championships.
Jones was not much of a scorer. He was often overshadowed by flashier teammates. Instead, he was renowned for his defense – something that does not necessarily show up in box scores.
An All-American at the University of San Francisco, Jones teamed up with Bill Russell on teams that won 55 consecutive games and bagged two NCAA championships. The duo, along with another Boston legend Sam Jones, was one of the three Celtics players to be on all right of those consecutive championship squads. They were also a part of the first all-Black starting lineup in NBA history.
The Celtics retired Jones’ No. 25 jersey during his final season. He was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1989, in Springfield, Massachusetts. He averaged 7.4 points a game for nine pro seasons and ranked third in assists per game for the consecutive seasons.
The former Celtic remains one of the seven players in the league’s history to win an NBA title, NCAA title and an Olympic gold medal. Other names joining him in that list are Jerry Lucas, Magic Johnson, Russell Clyde Lovellette, Michael Jordan and Quinn Buckner.
