Medal record
Competitor for United States
Men's Basketball
Olympic Games
Gold
1956 Melbourne
Team Competition
K.C. Jones (born May 25, 1932 in Taylor, Texas) is an American former professional basketball player and coach. He played college basketball at the University of San Francisco and, along with Bill Russell, led the Dons to two NCAA championships in 1955 and 1956. Jones also played with Russell on the 1956 United States men's Olympic basketball team, which won the gold medal at the Melbourne Summer Games. During his playing days, he was known as a tenacious defender. Jones spent all of his nine seasons in the NBA with the Boston Celtics, being part of eight championship teams from 1959 to 1966. In NBA history, only teammates Bill Russell and Sam Jones have won more championship rings during their playing careers. After Boston lost to the Philadelphia 76ers in the 1967 playoffs, Jones ended his playing career.
Jones began his coaching career at Brandeis University, serving as the head coach from 1967-1970. Jones then reunited with former teammate Bill Sharman as the assistant coach for the 1971-72 NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers during the season the team won a record 33 straight games. The following season, Jones became the first coach of the San Diego Conquistadors, an American Basketball Association franchise which would have a very short life. A year later, in 1973 he became head coach of the Capital Bullets (which became the Washington Bullets one year later), coaching them for three seasons and leading them to the NBA Finals in 1975. In 1983 he took over as head coach of the Boston Celtics, replacing Bill Fitch. Jones guided the Larry Bird-led Celtics to a championship in 1984 and 1986. The Celtics won the Atlantic Division in all five of Jones's seasons as head coach and reached the NBA Finals in 4 of his 5 years as coach. He briefly coached the Seattle SuperSonics in 1990 and 1991 as well.
Jones returned to the professional coaching ranks in 1997, guiding the New England Blizzard of the fledgling women's American Basketball League (1996-1998) through its last 1 1/2 seasons of existence. The Blizzard made the playoffs in Year 2, but they were summarily dispatched by the San Jose Lasers.
Today, Jones works for the University of Hartford Athletic Office and does the color commentary for the University of Hartford Men's Basketball.
K.C. Jones was enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1989. Prior to the Doc Rivers-coached Celtics championship of 2008, he was the last African-American head coach to have led a team to the NBA Championship (1986). Ironically, his 1986 Celtics are also the last NBA champion to have a majority of Caucasian players on their roster (and a majority in their starting lineup). Jones is the only African American coach to win multiple NBA championships as solely a head coach. (Bill Russell also won two titles as head coach, but he was also doubling as a player.)
K.C. Jones is his full name.
Preceded by
N/A - Initial coach
San Diego Conquistadors Head Coach
1972–1973
Succeeded by
Wilt Chamberlain
Preceded by
Gene Shue
Capital Bullets/Washington Bullets Head Coach
1973–1976
Succeeded by
Dick Motta
Preceded by
Bill Fitch
Boston Celtics Head Coach
1983–1988
Succeeded by
Jimmy Rodgers
Preceded by
Bernie Bickerstaff
Seattle SuperSonics Head Coach
1990–1992
Succeeded by
George Karl
Notes
^ NBA.com: K.C. Jones Summary
External links
Basketball Hall of Fame: K.C. Jones
BasketballReference.com: K.C. Jones (as coach)
BasketballReference.com: K.C. Jones (as player)
NBA.com K.C. Jones Bio
v • d • e
San Francisco Dons Basketball 1954-1955 NCAA Champions
Stan Buchanan | K.C. Jones | Dick Lawless | Jerry Mullen | Hal Perry | Bill Russell | Bob Wiebusch | Rudy Zannini
Coach Phil Woolpert
v • d • e
San Francisco Dons Basketball 1955-1956 NCAA Champions
Carl Boldt | Eugene Brown | Mike Farmer | K.C. Jones | Hal Perry | Mike Preaseau | Bill Russell
Coach Phil Woolpert
v • d • e
1956 Olympic Champions Men's Basketball team - United States
Carl Cain | Bill Hougland | K.C. Jones | Bill Russell | Jim Walsh | William Evans | Burdette Haldorsson | Ronald Tomsic | Richard Boushka | Gilbert Ford | Robert Jeangerard | Charles Darling | Coach: Gerald Tucker| Assistant Coach:: Bruce Drake
v • d • e
1956 NBA Draft
Territorial Picks
Tom Heinsohn
First Round
Sihugo Green • Bill Russell • Jim Paxson • Ronnie Shavlik • Joe Holup • Ron Sobieszczyk • Hal Lear
Second Round
Bob Burrow • Willie Naulls • Terry Rand • Gary Bergen • Paul Judson • K. C. Jones • Bob Kessler • Phil Rollins
NBA Drafts
47 • 48 • 49 • 50 • 51 • 52 • 53 • 54 • 55 • 56 • 57 • 58 • 59 • 60 • 61 • 62 • 63 • 64 • 65 • 66 • 67 • 68 • 69 • 70 • 71 • 72 • 73 • 74 • 75 • 76 • 77
78 • 79 • 80 • 81 • 82 • 83 • 84 • 85 • 86 • 87 • 88 • 89 • 90 • 91 • 92 • 93 • 94 • 95 • 96 • 97 • 98 • 99 • 00 • 01 • 02 • 03 • 04 • 05 • 06 • 07 • 08
v • d • e
Boston Celtics 1958–59 NBA Champions
6 Russell | 14 Cousy | 15 Heinsohn | 16 Swain | 17 Conley | 18 Loscutoff | 21 Sharman | 23 Ramsey | 24 S. Jones | 25 K.C. Jones | 29 Tsioropoulos | Coach Auerbach
v • d • e
Boston Celtics 1959–60 NBA Champions
6 Russell | 14 Cousy | 15 Heinsohn | 16 Richter | 17 Conley | 18 Loscutoff | 19 King | 20 Guarilia | 21 Sharman | 23 Ramsey | 24 S. Jones | 25 K.C. Jones | Coach Auerbach
v • d • e
Boston Celtics 1960–61 NBA Champions
6 Russell | 14 Cousy | 15 Heinsohn | 16 Sanders | 17 Conley | 18 Loscutoff | 20 Guarilia | 21 Sharman | 23 Ramsey | 24 S. Jones | 25 K.C. Jones | Coach Auerbach
v • d • e
Boston Celtics 1961–62 NBA Champions
4 Braun | 6 Russell | 14 Cousy | 15 Heinsohn | 16 Sanders | 18 Loscutoff | 20 Guarilia | 21 Phillips | 23 Ramsey | 24 S. Jones | 25 K.C. Jones | Coach Auerbach
v • d • e
Boston Celtics 1962–63 NBA Champions
4 Lovellette | 6 Russell | 12 Swartz | 14 Cousy | 15 Heinsohn | 16 Sanders | 17 Havlicek | 18 Loscutoff | 20 Guarilia | 23 Ramsey | 24 S. Jones | 25 K.C. Jones | Coach Auerbach
v • d • e
Boston Celtics 1963–64 NBA Champions
4 Lovellette | 6 Russell | 12 Naulls | 15 Heinsohn | 16 Sanders | 17 Havlicek | 18 Loscutoff | 20 Siegfried | 21 McCarthy | 23 Ramsey | 24 S. Jones | 25 K.C. Jones | Coach Auerbach
v • d • e
Boston Celtics 1964–65 NBA Champions
4 Ward | 5 Thompson | 6 Russell | 11 Counts | 12 Naulls | 15 Heinsohn | 16 Sanders | 17 Havlicek | 20 Siegfried | 21 Bonham | 24 S. Jones | 25 K.C. Jones | 34 Nordman | Coach Auerbach
v • d • e
Boston Celtics 1965–66 NBA Champions
5 Thompson | 6 Russell | 11 Counts | 12 Naulls | 12 Watts | 16 Sanders | 17 Havlicek | 18 Sauldsberry | 19 Nelson | 20 Siegfried | 21 Bonham | 24 S. Jones | 25 K.C. Jones | 28 Green | Coach Auerbach
v • d • e
Boston Celtics 1983–84 NBA Champions
00 Parish | 3 Johnson | 8 Wedman | 28 Buckner | 30 Carr | 31 Maxwell | 32 McHale | 33 Bird (Finals MVP) | 40 Clark | 43 Henderson | 44 Ainge | 50 Kite | Coach Jones
v • d • e
Boston Celtics 1985–86 NBA Champions
00 Parish | 3 Johnson | 5 Walton | 8 Wedman | 11 Vincent | 12 Sichting | 32 McHale | 33 Bird (Finals MVP) | 34 Carlisle | 44 Ainge | 45 Thirdkill | 50 Kite | Coach Jones
v • d • e
Boston Celtics
Boston, Massachusetts
The Franchise
Franchise • Team history • All-time roster • Seasons • Broadcasters • Accomplishments • Head coaches • Current season
Arenas
Boston Arena • Boston Garden • Hartford Civic Center • TD Banknorth Garden
Head Coaches
J. Russell • Julian • Auerbach • B. Russell • Heinsohn • Sanders • Cowens • Fitch • Jones • Rodgers • Ford • Carr • Pitino • O'Brien • Carroll • Rivers
Retired numbers
00 • 1 • 2 • 3 • 6 • 10 • 14 • 15 • 16 • 17 • 18 • LOSCY • 19 • 21 • 22 • 23 • 24 • 25 • 31 • 32 • 33 • 35 • MIC
NBDL Affiliates
Fayetteville Patriots • Florida Flame • Austin Toros • Utah Flash
Rivals
Detroit Pistons • Los Angeles Lakers • Philadelphia 76ers
Culture
Celtic Pride • Greatest Game Ever Played • Tommy Points
NBA Championships
1957 • 1959 • 1960 • 1961 • 1962 • 1963 • 1964 • 1965 • 1966 • 1968 • 1969 • 1974 • 1976 • 1981 • 1984 • 1986 • 2008
v • d • e
Chicago Packers/Zephyrs-Baltimore/Capital/Washington Bullets-Washington Wizards Head Coaches
Pollard • McMahon • Leonard • Jeannette • Seymour • Farmer • Jeannette • Shue • Jones • Motta • Shue • Loughery • Unseld • Lynam • Staak • Bickerstaff • Brovelli • Heard • Walker • Hamilton • Collins • Jordan
v • d • e
Seattle SuperSonics Head Coaches
Bianchi • Wilkens • Nissalke • Buckwalter • Russell • Hopkins • Wilkens • Bickerstaff • Jones • Karl • Westphal • McMillan • Weiss • Hill • Carlesimo
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Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K._C._Jones"
Categories: 1932 births | African American sportspeople | African American sports coaches | United States men's national basketball team members | American basketball coaches | American Basketball League (1996-1998) coaches | Basketball Hall of Fame | Basketball players at the 1956 Summer Olympics | Boston Celtics draft picks | Boston Celtics coaches | Boston Celtics players | Capital Bullets coaches | Living people | Milwaukee Bucks coaches | Minneapolis Lakers draft picks | Olympic basketball players of the United States | Olympic gold medalists for the United States | People from Texas | University of San Francisco alumni | San Diego Conquistadors coaches | San Francisco Dons men's basketball players | Seattle SuperSonics coaches | Washington Bullets coaches
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This page was last modified on 1 August 2008, at 12:33.
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