The Boston Celtics have released a statement on the passing of franchise icon K.C. Jones, who passed away on Christmas Day, 2020 at the age of 88.
The former Celtic champion player and coach won eight titles in the late 1950s and 1960s with the only team he ever played for professionally, which he would later return to as the head coach, winning two more titles with the team in that role in 1984 and 1986. Jones remained close to the team afterwards, an honored and beloved figure in the pantheon of fellow Celtic greats. Distributed to the media on the afternoon of his passing, the team related the following:
A life in photos: Celtic legend K.C. Jones dies https://t.co/rR6ZP6ZI40
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) December 25, 2020
“Where K.C. Jones went, winning was sure to follow. K.C. – his given name – was a twelve-time NBA champion as player and coach, a two-time NCAA champion, and a Gold medal-winning Olympian and Hall of Famer. In NBA history, only teammates Bill Russell and Sam Jones have more championship rings during their playing careers. K.C. along with Russell, Clyde Lovellette, Jerry Lucas, Quinn Buckner, Earvin “Magic “Johnson and Michael Jordan, are the only players in history to achieve basketball’s “Triple Crown” – winning an NCAA Championship, an NBA Championship and an Olympic Gold Medal. His number 25 has hung from the rafters since 1967.
“K.C.’s coaching career was similarly illustrious. He was named to lead the Celtics in 1983, beginning what is one of the most remarkable head coaching runs the NBA has seen. K.C. helmed the Celtics for two of the most memorable seasons in the team’s rich history, first leading the team to a championship in 1984 over the Lakers during a peak of that storied rivalry. Two seasons later, he led what many consider the greatest team in NBA history, the 1986 Champion Boston Celtics. These were the highlights of an astonishing four consecutive seasons in the NBA Finals, one of the most impressive and beloved Celtics eras.
“K.C. also demonstrated that one could be both a fierce competitor and a gentleman in every sense of the word. He made his teammates better, and he got the most out of the players he coached. Never one to seek credit, his glory was found in the most fundamental of basketball ideals – being part of a winning team. The Celtics family mourns his loss, as we celebrate his remarkable career and life.”
Our thoughts are with those countless lives Jones touched in his long and storied career.
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