K.C. Jones

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Jones was born in Taylor, Texas, as the oldest of six children. The initials 'K.C.' were his given name; he inherited the same name as his father, a factory worker and cook, who himself was named after the fabled railroad engineer Casey Jones. When Jones was aged nine, his parents divorced and he moved to San Francisco, California, with his mother and two siblings. He learned to play basketball on a patch of gravel. Jones attended Commerce High School in San Francisco where he played basketball and football. He considered himself to be a better football player than a basketball player in high school. Jones played college basketball at the University of San Francisco and, along with Bill Russell, guided the Dons to NCAA championships in 1955 and 1956. During their time with the Dons, Russell and Jones led the team to a then-record 55-game win streak (including an undefeated 29–0 record during the 1955–56 season). Jones also played with Russell on the United States national team which won the gold medal at the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne, Australia, while defeating their opponents by an unsurpassed average margin of 53.5 points per game. Jones served two years in the United States Army from 1956 to 1958. In July 1958, Jones tried out for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL); the Rams had drafted him in the 30th round of the 1955 NFL draft. He decided to try for a football career because he did not know if he had the ability to make it as a professional basketball player. Jones had not played a full season of football since his senior year at Commerce High School and only played in one regulation game afterwards during his stint in the army. Jones planned to report to the Boston Celtics in September if he failed to make the Rams. Playing as a defensive halfback, he was considered a likely candidate to make the team after preseason performances against the Washington Redskins and New York Giants. On September 2, 1958, Jones decided that he wanted to play for the Celtics and left the Rams. 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, retiring after the Celtics' loss to the Philadelphia 76ers in the 1967 Eastern Division finals

In Their Own Story

In the NBA, Jones spent all nine of his seasons with the Boston Celtics from 1958 to 1967. Known as a tenacious defender, he was part of eight championship teams consecutively from 1959 to 1966. His playing career ended only after the Celtics lost to the Philadelphia 76ers in the 1967 Eastern Division finals. As a player, Jones achieved an unsurpassed 8–0 record in NBA Finals series, tying for third all-time in total championships (eight). After retiring, he transitioned to coaching, starting at Brandeis University (1967–1970) and Harvard (1970–1971). He reunited with former teammate Bill Sharman as an assistant coach for the 1971–72 Los Angeles Lakers, a team that won a record 33 straight games. His head coaching journey took him to the ABA's San Diego Conquistadors in 1972 before returning to the NBA with the Baltimore/Capital/Washington Bullets (1973–1976). There, he compiled a 155–91 record but was not renewed after losses to the Warriors and Cavaliers. In 1983, Jones returned to Boston as head coach, replacing Bill Fitch. He guided the Larry Bird-led Celtics to championships in 1984 and 1986, also coaching the Eastern squad to victory in the 1986 NBA All-Star Game.

Reader's Guide

K.C. Jones is best known for his 12 NBA championships (eight as a player, two as an assistant coach, and two as a head coach) with the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers. He is one of only eight players to achieve the basketball Triple Crown (NCAA, NBA, Olympic gold). As a player, he had an 8–0 record in NBA Finals series. As a head coach, he led the Celtics to championships in 1984 and 1986.

Did You Know?

• Jones is one of three NBA players with an unsurpassed 8–0 record in NBA Finals series.
• He is the only African-American coach other than Bill Russell to have won multiple NBA championships.
• Jones helped pioneer a play that later became known as the alley-oop while at the University of San Francisco.
• He tried out for the Los Angeles Rams of the NFL in 1958 before deciding to play for the Celtics.