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K. C. Jones
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Competitor for  United States |
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| 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 was 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 1996, guiding the New England Blizzard of the fledgling women's American Basketball League (1996-1998) through its 2-1/2 seasons of existence. The Blizzard made the playoffs in Year 2, but they were summarily dispatched by the San Jose Lasers.
K.C. Jones was enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1989. He is the last African-American head coach to lead 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.[1]
| 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 |
- Basketball Hall of Fame: K.C. Jones
- BasketballReference.com: K.C. Jones (as coach)
- BasketballReference.com: K.C. Jones (as player)
 1956 Olympic Champions Men's Basketball team - United States |
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Carl Cecil Cain | Bill Hougland | K. C. Jones | Bill Russell | Jim Walsh | William Best Evans | Burdette Eliele Haldorsson | Ronald Paul Tomsic | Richard James Boushka | Gilbert Ford | Robert Eugene Jeangerard | Charles Frick Darling | Coach: Gerald Tucker |
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| Stan Buchanan | K. C. Jones | Dick Lawless | Jerry Mullen | Hal Perry | Bill Russell | Bob Wiebusch | Rudy Zannini Coach Phil Woolpert |
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| Carl Boldt | Eugene Brown | Mike Farmer | K. C. Jones | Hal Perry | Mike Preaseau | Bill Russell Coach Phil Woolpert |
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| J. Russell • Julian • Auerbach • B. Russell • Heinsohn • Sanders • Cowens • Fitch • Jones • Rodgers • Ford • Carr • Pitino • O'Brien • Carroll • Rivers |
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| Leonard • Jeannette • Seymour • Farmer • Jeannette • Shue • Jones • Motta • Shue • Loughery • Unseld • Lynam • Staak • Bickerstaff • Brovelli • Heard • Walker • Hamilton • Collins • Jordan |
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| Bianchi • Wilkens • Nissalke • Buckwalter • Russell • Hopkins • Wilkens • Bickerstaff • Jones • Karl • Westphal • McMillan • Weiss • Hill • Carlesimo |
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This biographical article relating to a U.S. basketball player, coach, or other figure born in the 1930s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
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This biographical article relating to a U.S. basketball coach is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
Categories: United States basketball biography, 1930s birth stubs | United States basketball coach stubs | 1932 births | African American sportspeople | American basketball players | American basketball coaches | American Basketball League (1996-1998) coaches | Basketball Hall of Fame | Basketball players at the 1956 Summer Olympics | Boston Celtics coaches | Boston Celtics players | Capital Bullets coaches | Living people | Milwaukee Bucks coaches | 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