Samuel "Sam" Jones

Enshrined 1984
Born: June 24, 1933
Laurinburg, NC

At 6-foot-4, Sam Jones was the prototype of the tall guard. He could run the floor, bang the boards and his rangy offensive game caused fits in his opponents. As a collegian, Jones was an offensive firehouse scoring 1,770 points while playing for Hall of Fame coach John McLendon at all-black North Carolina Central College. His scoring aptitude continued and as a pro he averaged over seventeen points a game. One of the "Jones Boys" of Boston, Sam teamed with K.C. in the Celtics backcourt to create havoc in NBA arenas around the country. Jones favored an unorthodox but highly effective bank shot that became the muscle behind his and Boston's ten NBA championships, including eight in a row from1959 to 1966.