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130. Bobby Jones

Defense defense defense, if you hear your rec. league coaching chanting that during a time out, there is a reason why. If you’re not a great shooter, or a great passer or great at any of the statistical categories of basketball you can always try your hardest on the defensive end of the floor to make an impact for your team. Bobby Jones was a good shooter and a good passer but he was a much better defender.

Jones took a unique path to the NBA. He never was a big fan of the game growing up but his father was on the 1949 Oklahoma nation championship team and wanted his sons Bobby and Kirby to follow suit. In junior high he was such a terrible dribbler and shooter than he always passed the ball when he got it. But he worked on rebounding and playing defense which made him standout from the other kids.

By the time he reached college Jones had improved his dribbling and shooting and joined Dean Smith’s University of North Carolina Tar heels. Jones had a fantastic four years at North Carolina averaging 14 points and 9 rebounds. Jones, at the behest of Dean Smith, made the 1972 Men’s Olympic basketball team. Jones played very little as the team officially took Silver at the games but because of a controversial call the United States has never accepted the medal and likely never will.

Jones was drafted by both the Carolina Cougars and Houston Rockets in 1974. The Cougars moved to St Louis to become the Spirits of St Louis, and Jones did not feel he wanted to go to Missouri. But former North Carolina teammate Larry Brown had recently taken a job with the Denver Nuggets. He was able to facilitate a trade for Jones and the Nuggets outbid the Rockets for Jones.

Jones had a spectacular rookie season winning ABA rookie of the year honors and leading the Nuggets to a 65-19 record the second best record ever in ABA history. The following year he followed up his rookie season with another great year and was named an ABA All-star. The ABA folded after the 1976 campaign and the Nuggets along with the Nets, Pacers and Spurs joined the NBA.

Jones would play two more solid years with the Nuggets before being traded to the Philadelphia 76ers. Jones had been a four year starter with the Nuggets but because the Sixers had such depth in the front court Jones was to come off the bench. Jones teamed with greats like Julius Erving and solid players Daryl Dawkins and Caldwell Jones.

Jones made a mark for himself in Philadelphia, twice being named an all-star and making the all-defensive team three of his first four years with the Sixers. The Sixers also had made the NBA finals in 80 and 82 losing both time to Magic Johnson’s Lakers. In 1983 the Sixers added Moses Malone to the team and the 83 Sixers would go on to win the NBA title, and become one of the greatest teams in NBA history. That season Jones would win the inaugural Sixth man of the year award.

Despite adding Charles Barkley in 1984 the Sixers team began a steady decline after winning the title and was gradually broken up. Jones retired in 1986 and had his jersey retired shortly afterwards. Jones currently works as a middle school basketball coach in the Charlotte area.

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