Damon Jones facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Damon Jones

Jones with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2006
Personal information
Born	(1976-08-25) August 25, 1976 (age 49) Galveston, Texas, U.S.
High school	Ball (Galveston, Texas)
Listed height	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Listed weight	195 lb (88 kg)
Career information
College	Houston (1994–1997)
NBA Draft	1997 / Undrafted
Pro career	1997–2012
Coaching career	2015–2018
Career history
As player:
1997–1998	Black Hills Posse
1998	Jacksonville Barracudas
1998–1999	Idaho Stampede
1999	New Jersey Nets
1999	Boston Celtics
1999	Golden State Warriors
1999–2000	Dallas Mavericks
2000	Gulf Coast Sun Dogs
2000–2001	Vancouver Grizzlies
2001–2002	Detroit Pistons
2002–2003	Sacramento Kings
2003–2004	Milwaukee Bucks
2004–2005	Miami Heat
2005–2008	Cleveland Cavaliers
2008–2009	Milwaukee Bucks
2009	NSB Napoli
2010	Piratas de Quebradillas
2011	Bucaneros de La Guaira
2012	Reno Bighorns
As coach:
2015–2016	Canton Charge (assistant)
2016–2018	Cleveland Cavaliers (assistant)
Career highlights and awards
As player: All-CBA First Team (1999) CBA Newcomer of the Year (1999) CBA scoring champion (1999) IBA Sixth Man of the Year (1998) As assistant coach: NBA champion (2016)
Career NBA statistics
Points	4,326 (6.6 ppg)
Rebounds	1,074 (1.6 rpg)
Assists	1,806 (2.7 apg)

Damon Darron Jones, born on August 25, 1976, is an American who used to play professional basketball. He is most famous for his time with the Cleveland Cavaliers in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 2005 to 2008. Damon was a versatile player, known as a combo guard, meaning he could play both point guard and shooting guard. Before turning pro, he played college basketball for three years with the Houston Cougars. Even though he entered the 1997 NBA draft early, he was not chosen by any team at that time. After his playing days were over, Jones became a coach, joining the Cavaliers' coaching team.

Damon Jones's Early Life and School Years

Damon Jones played basketball for the Golden Tornadoes team at Ball High School. After finishing high school in 1994, he continued his education and basketball career at the University of Houston.

Damon Jones's Professional Basketball Journey

Damon Jones was known as a "journeyman" in basketball. This means he played for many different teams during his career. He never stayed with one team for more than a year, except for his time with the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2005 to 2008. Overall, he played for ten different teams!

Jones was especially good at making three-point field goals. These are shots taken from far away that are worth three points. Most of his shots were three-pointers. His job was often to wait on the court's edge. This allowed star teammates like Shaquille O'Neal, Dwyane Wade, or LeBron James to draw attention from two defenders (a double team). Then, Jones would get open for his shot. He was very confident in his shooting, once saying he was "the best shooter in the world."

Starting His Career: Early Achievements

In the 1998–99 season, Jones played for the Idaho Stampede. This team was part of the Continental Basketball Association (CBA). During this time, he was recognized as the best new player in the CBA. He was also chosen for the All-CBA First Team, which means he was one of the top players in the league.

A Great Season with the Miami Heat (2004–2005)

Before the 2004–2005 season, Damon Jones joined the Miami Heat. He had an amazing year, which was his best season ever for statistics. He started 66 games and played over 2,500 minutes.

Jones made 225 three-point shots that season. This was the third-highest number in the entire NBA! His accuracy from three-point range was also excellent, ranking fifth in the league.

He scored a personal best of 31 points in one game against the Los Angeles Clippers. In 48 different games, he scored ten points or more. He also grabbed a career-high eight rebounds twice during this season.

During the playoffs, Jones continued to play well. He averaged 12.1 points and 4.0 assists per game. In one playoff game against the New Jersey Nets, he scored 30 points, making seven three-point shots.

Playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers (2005–2008)

On September 8, 2005, Damon Jones signed a four-year contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers. He played in all 82 regular season games during the 2005–2006 season. He averaged 6.7 points and 2.1 assists per game.

A memorable moment happened on March 8, 2006. Jones made a game-winning three-point shot right as time ran out. This gave the Cavaliers a thrilling 98–97 victory against the Toronto Raptors.

In the 2006 NBA Playoffs, Jones helped the Cavaliers reach the second round. This was the first time they had done so since 1993! In a crucial Game 6 against the Washington Wizards, he made another game-winning shot in overtime. This secured the series win for the Cavaliers.

During the 2006–2007 season, Jones continued to show his shooting skills. He scored a season-high 29 points in one game, making seven three-point shots. His excellent shooting earned him a spot in the Three-Point Shootout during the 2007 NBA All-Star Weekend in Las Vegas. He finished in fifth place among the best shooters.

In the 2007 NBA Playoffs, the Cavaliers made it all the way to the NBA Finals. Jones played in 11 games during this playoff run.

In the 2007–2008 season, Jones played in 68 games. He had another strong shooting performance, scoring a season-high 27 points against the Washington Wizards.

Moving to the Milwaukee Bucks (2008–2009)

On August 13, 2008, Damon Jones was part of a big trade. He moved to the Milwaukee Bucks. This trade involved three different teams and six players. It was an exciting time for many players changing teams!

Playing in Puerto Rico (2010)

In March 2010, Jones joined the Piratas de Quebradillas team. This team plays in the Puerto Rico Basketball League. He played in four games, averaging 10.7 points. He later left the team in April.

A Short Time in Turkey (2011)

In February 2011, Damon Jones tried playing for a team in Turkey called Aliağa Petkim. However, he did not pass the required physical fitness test. Because of this, he was released from the team.

Retirement from Playing (2012)

Damon Jones played for the Reno Bighorns in the NBA Development League (now called the G-League). After this, he decided to retire from playing professional basketball in 2012.

Damon Jones's Coaching Career

In 2014, Damon Jones joined the Cleveland Cavaliers coaching team. He started as a "shooting consultant," helping players improve their shots. He worked with both the main Cavaliers team and their minor league team, the Canton Charge.

During the 2015–2016 season, Jones became an assistant coach for the Canton Charge. His coaching journey continued to grow.

In April 2016, the Cavaliers' head coach, Tyronn Lue, asked Jones to join his coaching staff for the 2016 NBA Playoffs. This was a very special time for the team! The Cavaliers went on to win the championship, beating the Golden State Warriors in seven games. They made history by being the first team to come back from being down 3–1 in the series.

In September 2016, Jones was promoted to a full-time assistant coach role for the Cavaliers. He continued to help the team until March 2018.

Damon Jones's Basketball Achievements

• He ranked third in the NBA for making three-point shots (225) in the 2004–2005 season.
• He ranked fifth in the NBA for his three-point shooting accuracy (43.2%) in the 2004–2005 season.
• He led the NBA in "True Shooting Percentage" (62.5%) in the 2004–2005 season. This stat measures how efficient a player is at scoring.

Damon Jones's Personal Life

Damon Jones studied sociology at the University of Houston. He has a child with Tina Thompson, a famous former WNBA star and Hall of Famer. In January 2006, Jones made history. He became the first NBA player to sign a shoe deal with a Chinese company, Li-Ning.

NBA career statistics

Regular season

Playoffs

See also

In Spanish: Damon Jones para niños