Wali Jones
Walter Jones (born February 14, 1942) is a retired American professional basketball player. He was a 6'2" (1.88 m) 180 lb (82 kg) guard.
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 14, 1942 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Nationality | American |
| Listed height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Listed weight | 180 lb (82 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Overbrook (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) |
| College | Villanova (1961–1964) |
| NBA draft | 1964 / Round: 3 / Pick: 18th overall |
| Selected by the Detroit Pistons | |
| Playing career | 1964–1976 |
| Position | Point guard / Shooting guard |
| Number | 24, 23, 12, 11, 9 |
| Career history | |
| 1964–1965 | Baltimore Bullets |
| 1965–1971 | Philadelphia 76ers |
| 1971–1973 | Milwaukee Bucks |
| 1974–1975 | Utah Stars |
| 1975–1976 | Detroit Pistons |
| 1976 | Philadelphia 76ers |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Career ABA and NBA statistics | |
| Points | 6,672 (9.8 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 1,471 (2.2 rpg) |
| Assists | 2,099 (3.1 apg) |
Stats  at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
Born in Philadelphia, Jones played at Overbrook High School, the same school that had produced Wilt Chamberlain a few years earlier. He played college ball for coach Jack Kraft at Villanova University where he would earn Philadelphia's BIG-5 Player of the Year honors 2x in a row for 1963 and 1964 and become a 3rd-Team All-American as a senior.
In his first NBA season, Jones played for the Baltimore Bullets and was named to the NBA All-Rookie Team. The next season, he was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers where he would play for the next six years.
Jones and Hal Greer were the starting guards on the title-winning 1966–67 76ers team that also featured Chamberlain, Chet Walker, Lucious Jackson, Billy Cunningham and included fellow Villanova alum - Bill Melchionni. Jones made the 76ers' starting lineup after Larry Costello tore his Achilles tendon on January 6, 1967.
During the 1968 playoffs, before the start of the Eastern Division finals series against the Boston Celtics, news broke of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. Several 76ers, including Jones and Chamberlain, were vocally opposed to playing the game; however, they were outvoted by the rest of the team.[1][2]
Later, Jones played for the Detroit Pistons and Milwaukee Bucks. In Milwaukee, Jones became involved in a contract dispute which saw him suspended, placed on waivers, and ultimately released. The Bucks alleged that Jones was involved in cocaine usage, even hiring private detectives to investigate, while Jones staunchly denied the accusations. Ultimately, Jones reached a contract settlement with the Bucks and was released.[3]
Jones then joined the Utah Stars before retiring after a final stint with the Sixers in 1976.
Jones' son Askia[4] is the third-leading scorer in Kansas State University basketball history and played briefly in the NBA himself, with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Notes
- Tinsley, Justin. "How Martin Luther King Jr.'s death affected the NBA". The Undefeated. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
- Jones, Gordie. "Sixers' Finest Fives: Wali Jones, QB Of The '66-67 Title Team, Has Spent His Life Doing Good". Forbes. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
- "The Wali Jones Case Is Closed, but Not Tightly". New York Times. 25 May 1973. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
- 40 Nuggets for 40-Team NIT, by Mike Douchant, College Sporting News, published March 11, 2002
External links
- Wali Jones NBA statistics, basketballreference.com