Timeout with Sam Jones

By: Jeff Twiss

He arrived in Boston in 1957 as a little-known number-one draft choice from a small southern school, North Carolina College. He spent the first four years with the Green and White watching and gaining valuable knowledge from Bill Sharman and Bob Cousy. When Sharman retired as a player, Sam Jones jumped at the opportunity and went on to become one of the best shooting guards in professional basketball history.

In the decade of the 1960's, Sam teamed first with Cousy and then with K. C. Jones to form two of the most memorable backcourt tandems to ever play. Somehow along the way during this brilliant 12-year Celtics career, he helped lead the franchise to 10 world championships while being named to the NBA's ten-player Silver Anniversary and, eventually, have his well-deserved place in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

The five-time NBA All-Star was 6'4" and 200 pounds - the prototype of the big guard that would become the standard in the NBA. He possessed lightning quickness, a cool demeanor and an uncanny knack for accuracy shooting the difficult bank shot. It's easy to understand why Sam Jones was called, "Mr. Clutch". Or, as Bill Russell often remarked, "In the seventh game of a championship series, I'll take Sam Jones over anyone who stepped onto a basketball court. When the pressure was greatest, he was eager for the ball."

Sam Jones played 871 games for the Celtics, scoring 15, 411 career points (17.7 points per game) and shot 80.3% from the free throw line.

Celtics.com's Jeff Twiss recently had an opportunity to spend a few moments with Celtics Legend Sam Jones.

Sam, it's great to see you. Would you please bring our fans up to date with what you have been doing recently?

Jones: "Well, Jeff, I am trying to build a home down in Florida and I'm trying to break 80 in golf. Now that's something I have never done before on a golf course and when I do that , it will feel just like the Celtics winning another championship."

You mentioned the Celtics, have you kept in touch with the game? If so, how or what has changed about the game over the years?

Jones: "I think its changed a lot and I think you are getting better athletes. They are coming out now after high school. We didn't have that opportunity, and these guys are really good. Because I could name quite a few that are playing in the NBA that came out of high school and play just as well as those who went to college. But, truthfully, I think where the change is now more toward the individual ball player more than when we were playing, as we were more of a team game. When these players play together as a team, they will be much better."

Was there any particular lesson you took away with you from your playing days with the Celtics?

Jones: "I think the greatest thing is patience. No matter how good you are, there are people who have the experience, that have been playing in the league for a while and, certainly, they are the ones who should be teaching you no matter how good you are. I like to say this because I played behind two great backcourt people, Bill Sharman and Bob Cousy. I think I learned a lot from them. They taught me a lot about who to play and how to play them. So, if you have patience, your time will come - but be ready."

Sam, any favorite or fond memory from your days spent on the parquet floor?

Jones: "Winning... those are my special memories! When you play 12 years and you get 10 championships that's just - awesome!"