Nov. 23, 2009

DID YOU KNOW? Boston Celtic great Sam Jones, one of the greatest NBA players of all-time, is North Carolina Central University's second-leading career scorer.

Jones played at NCCU from 1951-54 and 1956-57, netting 1,745 points in four seasons under head coaches John McLendon and Floyd Brown.

A native of Wilmington, N.C., Jones was chosen by the Boston Celtics with the eighth overall pick in the first round of the 1957 NBA Draft.

His 12-year career with the Celtics included 10 NBA Championships, five All-Star Game appearances and three selections to the All-NBA Second Team. Nicknamed "Mr. Clutch," Jones amassed 15,411 points, an average of 17.7 points per game, 4,305 rebounds and 2,209 assists in 871 contests.

Jones was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1984, and was named among the top 50 players in NBA history in 1996.

As part of North Carolina Central University's Centennial celebration, the NCCU Department of Athletics will post sports history facts from the institution's first 100 years to its official web site, www.NCCUEaglePride.com, every week during the year-long observance.