"In the years that I played with the Celtics...in terms of total basketball skills, Sam Jones was the most skillful player that I ever played with. At one point, we won a total of eight consecutive NBA championships, and six times during that run we asked Sam to take the shot that meant the season. If he didn’t hit the shot we were finished – we were going home empty-handed. He never missed.” -Bill Russell
“He was such an offensive threat that on any other team, he would have been the star.” -Bob Cousy
"He'll do anything you ask him. He's always in shape and ready to play, and nobody works any harder at basketball than he does."-Red Auerbach
It ALWAYS baffles me how people attempt to create valid rankings of the game's best ever 2-guards and Sam Jones is almost never mentioned.
It's even more confounding when people attempt to list the biggest clutch players ever and never mention Sam Jones' name.
And of course, we can talk about Russell's 11 rings, Jordan's 6, and Kobe's 5 but will NEVER mention Sam Jones' 10 rings.
Sam Jones was the 2nd-best player on the Celtics dynasty squad and definitely the most clutch player on that team.
Career averages: 18ppg, 5rpg, 3apg while shooting 46% from the field and 80% from the charity stripe. The 3-point shot had yet been introduced to basketball during his career.
Now his career stats aren't eyebrow-raising and there are 2 main reasons: 1. he initially started off the bench for at least his first 3 years (by 1960/61, he became an established starter and became known as Mr. Clutch), and 2. because of the depth of scoring on that Celtics dynasty squad, his stats (nor anyone else's) weren't as astronomical as they would've been had he played for another team. However, he led the Celtics in scoring in the '62-63 season (19.7 points per game), '64-65 season (25.9) and the '65-66 season (23.5).
He produced four consecutive seasons averaging 20 points or better (1965–68).
In the '64-65 season, Jones finished 4th in the NBA in scoring with 25.9 ppg. In the same season, the Cs finished with a league-leading 62-18 record. Jones then had his best postseason ever, averaging 28.6 ppg as the Cs rolled to its seventh straight NBA Championship.
He was a 5x All-star.
He was a 3x All-NBA Second Team Member.
He won 10 rings.
He was one of only 3 Celtics (along with Bill Russell and KC Jones) to be part of the Celtics 8 consecutive championships from 1959-1966.
He was inducted in 2006 (
) into the Basketball Hall of Fame.In 1996, he was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA history.
The Celtics retired his #24 jersey.
At 6'4, 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 (sounds like Tracy McGrady
). As one of the "Jones Boys" in Boston, Sam teamed with KC Jones in the Celtics' backcourt to create havoc in NBA arenas around the country.When it came to the Playoffs—the Celtics’ time—he became even more dangerous.
Jones hit so many big shots during post-season games that he earned the nickname “Mr. Clutch.” 
His speed and leaping ability made him a fabulous finisher on the break, and his ability to hit his specialty, the bank shot, helped him produce big in the halfcourt. Bob Cousy and then KC Jones padded their stats by feeding Jones all over the court.
Jones was able to walk the path between being a team player and having that nasty edge scorers need. He delighted in taunting Wilt Chamberlain from the wing, saying, “Come on, big fella, come on out and block this.” At the last second, as Wilt flailed helplessly, Jones would uncork a banker, and another two points settled into the Celtic ledger.
His biggest clutch moments:
*In Game 7 of the '61-62 Eastern Division Finals between the Philadelphia Warriors and the Celtics, and with the game tied at 107 each, he hit a game-winning show OVER WILT.
Wilt called Jones the Celtics' best player after the game.*In Game 7 of the '61-62 NBA Finals versus the Lakers, Jones scored 5 of the Celtics' 10 overtime points to clinch a 4th straight title.
*In Game 4 of the '69 NBA Finals versus the Lakers, the Celtics were down 0-2 in the series and down by 1 point in the game when Jones made the game-winning shot with 7 seconds left.
I'm not trying to argue that Sam Jones is the best ever shooting guard (although an argument can be made).
I just want the Coliseum to recognize yet ANOTHER example of #blackexcellence from the NBA and the Boston Celtics. A perennial all-star player with 10 rings deserves much more respect. A BLACK perennial all-star player with 10 rings during the 1950s and 60s deserves our utmost respect.
All he did was win.
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him for his accomplishments.
Repped!
