Boston Celtics Hall of Famer Sam Jones, “Mr. Clutch,'' who won 10 championships in the team’s most dominant era, died Thursday night of natural causes. He was 88 years old.
Jones was a standout at North Carolina Central University and was originally drafted by the Minneapolis Lakers in 1956, but he went back to school after a stint in the military, which negated the selection. He was then drafted by Red Auerbach, sight unseen, in 1957.
Jones joined a stacked Celtics franchise and had to bide his time before becoming the superstar he was. When Jones broke through, he did it in a big way. His career scoring average is 17.7, but he didn’t score much in his early overlapping years with Bill Sharman. In fact, he averaged 11 points per game in his four seasons with Sharman on the team and 20.8 points once he took over the lead shooting guard spot.
In his first season without Sharman, Jones averaged 18.4 points per game, and his peak run of 25.9, 23.5, 22.1, and 21.3 points per game averages from 1965-68 was more dominant than Sharman had ever been. Even in an era where shooting percentages were low, Jones shot 45.6 percent for his career, a number Sharman only reached once. Even factoring in free throws, where Sharman has Jones beat by eight percentage points, Jones has a better career true shooting percentage.
In his third year with the Celtics, Auerbach bestowed a special honor on Jones.
He gave him the green light to shoot the basketball, which was not given to just anyone. A player had to earn Auerbach’s trust with his scoring ability. He had to prove to Auerbach that he was worthy of freelancing outside a set offense, and Jones had done that.
“I said, ‘Coach, what did you say?’” Jones told author Michael McClellan. “He said, ‘You’ve got the green light, and that gives you a lot of responsibility.’ So I felt kind of special then”
Jones is one of only three Celtics (along with Bill Russell and K.C. Jones), to play on all eight of Boston’s consecutive championships in the 1960’s. Jones won championships in all but two years of his NBA career.
He’s one of only six Boston Celtics to ever score 50 points in a game. His 51 points on October 29, 1965 is the sixth-highest single-game scoring output in Boston Celtics history. He’s Boston’s seventh All-Time leading scorer. Jones’ best single scoring season produced 2,070 points.
“In the years that I played with the Celtics,” Bill Russel once said, “in terms of total basketball skills, Sam Jones was the most skillful player that I ever played with.”
More than the amount of points Sharman scored, it’s when he scored them that was most important.
Six times during Boston’s run of eight straight championships the Celtics threw Jones the ball and asked him to take a season-saving shot. All six times, Jones came through, preserving perhaps the greatest championship streak in all of sports.
Jones saved his best for last, nailing a buzzer beater off the wrong foot to win game 4 of the 1969 NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers. It was the 35-year-old Jones’ final season, and one final chance to send the Lakers home crying.
The Laker led the series two games to one. A loss would send the series back to Los Angeles with Boston down 3-1, a nearly impossible hill to climb.
With seven seconds to go and the Celtics down one, Russell, then player-coach, called a timeout and drew up one more play for Jones.
“Later, he told me he almost didn’t call it because it was my last season and he said that people always remember the one you missed,” Jones said. “But I made it, and I knew it was good from the time it left my hand. It rolled right over the cylinder. We won the game and went on to win the championship.”
He finished the final three games of that series shooting 25-for-45, including a 24 point, 10-for-16 performance in Game 7, his final game a Celtic.
Jones’ number 24 was retired during his final season, a testament to his greatness. He finished his 12-year career with 15,411 points, 4,305 rebounds and 2,209 assists. He was named to both the NBA’s 50th and 75th anniversary teams, and he is certainly a lock to make the upcoming Boston Celtics 75th anniversary team, to be announced in a few weeks. He was a five-time All-Star and three-time All-NBA selection.
The Celtics will honor Jones with a moment of silence during their matinee with the Phoenix Suns.
(This article contains excerpts from 'The Boston Celtics All-Time All-Stars')
12:58 PM: The Celtics have released the following statement on Sam Jones' passing:
Sam Jones was one of the most talented, versatile, and clutch shooters for the most successful and dominant teams in NBA history. His scoring ability was so prolific, and his form so pure, that he earned the simple nickname, “The Shooter.” He was also known as “Mr. Clutch.” One of the many testaments to his clutch performances is the fact that his playoff scoring average (18.9) exceeded his regular season output (17.7). His number 24 was retired in 1969, the final year of his Celtics career, which of course resulted in an NBA Championship – his tenth. Only Bill Russell won more championships in his NBA career. The Jones family is in our thoughts as we mourn his loss and fondly remember the life and career of one of the greatest champions in American sports.