Sam Jones, Boston Celtics Great and HBCU Legend Died at 88

Sam Jones was an HBCU legend for NCCU and NBA great for the Boston Celtics.

Sam Jones was a graceful shooting guard known as "Mr. Clutch" and a master of the "bank shot" during his NBA days. The 6-4 player would lead the Boston Celtics to eight-straight NBA championships and ten overall in his twelve-season career. His number of titles was second only to former teammate Bill Russell who had eleven rings with the Celtics.

Sam Jones; Credit: NCCU Athletics

As an HBCU Legend

Before playing on the parquet-hardwood floors of Boston Garden, Jones was known for his basketball prowess with HBCU North Carolina Central from 1951-54 and returned in 1956-57. In his final season, the mild-mannered, but fiercely competitive guard, led the Eagles to a 23-6 record.

The Wilmington native played in 98 games, scored 1,745 points (668 field goals, 409 free throws), and averaged 17.81 points per game at NCCU. He played for the Eagles' Hall of Fame coach John McLendon and Floyd Brown. Jones became the Eagles' second-leading scorer in their program's history.

Jones earned three All-Conference honors and was enshrined into the NAIA Hall of Fame in 1962 and Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1984.

NBA coaching legend Red Auerbach noticed Jones' talent and drafted him as the eighth overall pick in the first round of the 1957 NBA Draft. Jones didn't immediately contribute in his rookie season. Jay King wrote of Auerbach, saying that Sam Jones would "do anything you ask him. He's always in shape and ready to play, and nobody works any harder at basketball than he does."

Jones played twelve seasons in the NBA in Boston before retiring from basketball.

As an NBA Legend

Jones's career with Boston comprised 871 regular-season games and 154 playoff games. He earned five NBA All-Star game selections. The tall guard was fast on the hardwood and a smooth shooter who scored 15,411 regular-season points for 17.7 points per game. During the playoffs, his totaled 2,909 points for 18.9 points per game.

Jones led the Celtics in scoring three times, averaging a career-high 25.9 points in 1965.

Boston Celtics guard Sam Jones (24) in action against the Detroit Pistons. Mandatory Credit: Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Sam Jones' Honors

• Inducted to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and NCCU Athletics Hall of Fame in 1984
• North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame (1969),
• NAIA Hall of Fame (1962),
• CIAA Hall of Fame (1981),
• NBA 25th Anniversary Team in 1970,
• Named among the Top 50 players in NBA history as a member of the 50th Anniversary All-Time Team in 1996,
• NBA 75th Anniversary Team in October,
• The Order of the Long Leaf Pine award, the highest honor bestowed upon a North Carolina citizen in 2015,
• 10-time NBA Champion,
• Considered one of the best CIAA players in the conference history.

NBA Commissioner's Statement on Sam Jones

“Sam Jones will be remembered as one of the most prolific champions in all of professional sports. His selfless style, clutch performances, and signature bank shot were hallmarks of an incredible career that featured 10 NBA championships in 12 seasons with the Boston Celtics. An HBCU legend at North Carolina Central University and a member of the NBA’s 25th, 50th, and 75th Anniversary Teams, Sam was a beloved teammate and respected competitor who played the game with dignity and class.”

The HBCU and NBA legend, Sam Jones, was born June 24, 1933 and passed on December 30, 2021.  He was 88.

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