Sam Jones played for the Eagles from 1951 to 1954, and returned for a final season in 1956-57. In those four seasons, the Eagles won 18 games and lost 10 in 1951-52, won 17 and lost 7 in 1952-53, won 24 and lost 7 in 1953-54, and posted a 23-6 record in 1956-57.
During his North Carolina College career, Jones scored 1,745 points, with 668 field goals and 409 free throws. He averaged 17.81 points per game over 98 games.
Jones went on to become one of the leading players of the Boston Celtics during their greatest years.
Additional Information...
SAM JONES
Enshrined into Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame: As a player on April 30, 1984
Born: June 24, 1933 in Laurinburg, NC
NCCU: Student-Athlete, 1951-54 / 1956-57
North Carolina College Playing Highlights:
Scored 1,745 points playing for Hall of Fame coach John McLendon; Three-time All-Conference; Enshrined in NAIA Hall of Fame (1962).
Pro Highlights (NBA Boston Celtics, 1957-69):
All-NBA Second Team (1965-67); Five-time NBA All-Star (1962, 1964-66, 1968); Member of 10 championship teams (1959-66 and 1968-69); Tallied 15,411 points (17.7 ppg) in his 12-year career; Scored 2,909 points in 154 playoff games (18.9 ppg), 15th best in history; NBA 25th Anniversary Team (1970); NBA 50th Anniversary Team (1996).
Hall of Fame Bio:
At six-foot-four, Sam Jones was the prototype of the tall guard who could run the floor, bang the boards and had a rangy offensive game that gave opponents fits. One of the “Jones Boys” in 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 10 NBA championships, including eight in a row (1958-66). As a collegian, Jones was an offensive firehouse scoring 1,745 points while playing for Hall of Fame coach John McLendon at all-black North Carolina College. Jones was not a collegiate All-America and was a relative unknown, but that didn’t sway Red Auerbach, who drafted Sam in the first round of the 1957 draft. Jones didn’t disappoint the Boston faithful. His 12-year NBA career included five All-Star Game appearances, 871 regular season games and 154 playoff games. Considered one of the NBA’s most prolific graceful shooters, Jones scored 15,411 points (17.7 ppg), plus 2,909 (18.9 ppg) more in the playoffs. Considered one of the fastest NBA guards with superb court vision and savvy, Jones led the Celtics in scoring three times, averaging a career-high 25.9 points in 1965. An extremely popular player, in 1970 Jones was selected to the NBA Silver Anniversary Team (1970), a composition of the greatest NBA stars of the league’s first 25 years. He later would be named one of the top 50 players in history when the NBA celebrated its 50th Anniversary in 1996.
Sam Jones: NBA 75th Anniversary Team
NCCU Mourns Passing of Basketball Legend Sam Jones
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