TO THE CHAPTER INVISIBLE
“He was a class act and consummate NUPE. R.I.P., my brother.”
—Reuben A. Shelton, III, Esq. Grand Polemarch
By Aaron Williams Samuel Jones 1933–2021 Retired Professional Basketball Player, Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Inductee, Educator, U.S. Army O ne of the NBA’s great- est champions, legendary shooter, and star for Boston Celtics Samuel “Sam” Jones
Jones and fondly remember the life and career of one of the greatest champions in American sports.” Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. released the official statement of condo- lences, “Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. mourns the loss of Life Member Sam Jones (Boston (MA) Alumni Chapter 1960). The Fraternity extends our deep- est condolences to the Jones family and pray for strength and comfort in the days and years to come.” Samuel Jones was born on June 24, 1933, in Laurinburg, NC to Louise Kelly and Samuel Jones II, who died when Jones was four. His mother, her husband James Davis, and his maternal grandpar- ents raised him. He attended Laurin- burg Institute, an African American preparatory school founded in 1904. After graduating from high school in 1951, Jones enrolled at North Carolina College for Negroes (now North Caro- lina Central University (NCCU)) in Durham, NC. At NCCU, Jones played for the legendary Hall of Fame basket- ball coach John McClendon and Floyd Brown. In four seasons with the NCCU Eagles, Jones scored 1,745 points and averaged 17.8 points per game in 98 games. The U.S. Army drafted Jones in 1954, which interrupted his collegiate career and education for two years. He completed basic training at Fort Jackson, SC, was stationed at White Sands Prov- ing Grounds in New Mexico. While in the military, Jones played basketball on some military teams and once played in an all-army tournament in Fort Leonard
Wood, MO, with numerous future NBA players. During this time, the NBA Minneapolis Lakers franchise drafted Jones with the 59 th pick of the 1956 NBA Draft. After his honorable discharge in 1956, Jones returned to NCCU to play his senior year and earned his B.A. degree rather than play for the Lakers. As a result, Jones’ was draft-eligible to NBA teams for the 1957 NBA Draft. Jones led the NCCU Eagles to a CIAA conference championship in his senior year, but his team lost in the conference post-tournament. Horace McKinney, Wake Forest University basketball coach at the time and a former Boston Celtics player, informed Hall of Fame Boston Celtics general manager and head coach Red Auerbach that “Sam Jones was the best player in the state of North Carolina.” Based on McKinney’s recommendation and without personally scouting Jones, Auerbach and the Celtics drafted Jones with the eighth overall pick in the 1957 NBA Draft. At the time, Jones had two job offers from two North Carolina high schools to teach physical education but chose professional basketball. The 6’ 4” Jones knew making the Celtics roster, the 1957 NBA champi- ons, was a challenge for the little-known basketball star from a small Division II program. His rookie year, he joined the champion Celtics with its budding star Bill Russell (Gamma Alpha 1955). Russell and Jones were the only African American Celtic players. Russell and Jones become lifelong close friends, the Russell and Jones families become very
(Boston (MA) Alumni 1960), a Life Member of the Fraternity, entered the Chapter Invisible on December 30, 2021, at age 88. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver on the passing of Jones, “Sam Jones will be remembered as one of the most prolific champions in all of professional sports. His selfless style, clutch performances and signature bank shot were hallmarks of an incredible career that featured 10 NBA champi- onships in 12 seasons with the Boston Celtics. “An HBCU legend at North Carolina Central University and a member of the NBA’s 25 th , 50 th , and 75 th Anniversary Teams, Sam was a beloved teammate and respected competitor who played the game with dignity and class. We mourn the passing of a basketball giant and send our deepest condolences to Sam’s family and the Celtics organiza- tion.” The Boston Celtics statement on social media, “The Jones family is in our thoughts as we mourn the loss of Sam Sam Jones was the first player from an HBCU school drafted in the first round of a U.S. major professional sports leagues (NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL).
THE JOURNAL ♦ SUMMER 2022 | 47
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