Dwight Jones (basketball) facts for kids
![]() Jones with the Houston Cougars in the 1971–72 season
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Personal information | ||||||||||||||
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Born | Houston, Texas |
February 27, 1952|||||||||||||
Nationality | American | |||||||||||||
Died | July 25, 2016 The Woodlands, Texas |
(aged 64)|||||||||||||
High school | Wheatley (Houston, Texas) | |||||||||||||
Listed height | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) | |||||||||||||
Listed weight | 210 lb (95 kg) | |||||||||||||
Career information | ||||||||||||||
College | Houston (1970–1973) | |||||||||||||
NBA Draft | 1973 / Round: 1 / Pick: 9th overall | |||||||||||||
Selected by the Atlanta Hawks | ||||||||||||||
Pro career | 1973–1984 | |||||||||||||
Career history | ||||||||||||||
1973–1976 | Atlanta Hawks | |||||||||||||
1976–1979 | Houston Rockets | |||||||||||||
1979–1983 | Chicago Bulls | |||||||||||||
1983 | Los Angeles Lakers | |||||||||||||
1983–1984 | Bic Trieste | |||||||||||||
Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||
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Career NBA statistics | ||||||||||||||
Points | 6,230 (8.1 ppg) | |||||||||||||
Rebounds | 4,513 (5.9 rpg) | |||||||||||||
Assists | 911 (1.2 apg) | |||||||||||||
Medals
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Dwight Elmo Jones (born February 27, 1952 – died July 25, 2016) was an American professional basketball player. He was a very tall player, standing 6 feet 10 inches (208 cm) tall. Dwight was a key player on the 1972 Olympic basketball team. This team won a silver medal after a very close and debated gold medal game against the Soviet Union.
Contents
Early Life and College
Dwight Jones grew up in Houston, Texas. He went to E.O. Smith Education Center and then Wheatley High School. He was a talented basketball player from a young age.
After high school, Dwight played college basketball for the University of Houston. He played for the Houston Cougars from 1970 to 1973. His strong performance in college helped him get noticed by professional teams.
Professional Basketball Career
In 1973, Dwight Jones was chosen by the Atlanta Hawks in the 1973 NBA Draft. He was the 9th player picked overall. This meant he was one of the top young basketball players in the country.
Dwight played for ten seasons in the NBA. He played from 1973 to 1983. During his career, he played for four different teams:
- The Atlanta Hawks
- The Houston Rockets
- The Chicago Bulls
- The Los Angeles Lakers
He played as a power forward and a center. In his NBA career, he played 766 regular season games. He averaged 8.1 points per game.
Olympic Games
Dwight Jones was a very important player for the United States men's basketball team at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. He was the team's top scorer and rebounder.
The final game for the gold medal was against the Soviet Union. It was a very close and exciting game. Dwight was removed from the game after an argument with a Soviet player. It was later found out that the Soviet players tried to make him angry on purpose. They saw him as the leader of the U.S. team and wanted him out of the game. The U.S. team lost this game and won the silver medal.
Family Life
Dwight Jones had a son named Dwight Jones II. His son also became a basketball player. Dwight Jones II played college basketball at Houston Baptist University.
His son was a 6-foot-3 guard. He was named the Red River Athletic Conference Player of the Year two times. This happened in the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons. He was also named an NAIA All-America player in both of those seasons.
Later Life and Passing
Dwight Jones passed away on July 25, 2016. He is remembered as a talented basketball player and an Olympic medalist.
See also
In Spanish: Dwight Jones para niños