Eddie Jones (basketball) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Eddie Jones

Jones with the Miami Heat in 2007
Personal information
Born	(1971-10-20) October 20, 1971 (age 53) Pompano Beach, Florida, U.S.
High school	Blanche Ely (Pompano Beach, Florida)
Listed height	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Listed weight	200 lb (91 kg)
Career information
College	Temple (1991–1994)
NBA Draft	1994 / Round: 1 / Pick: 10th overall
Selected by the Los Angeles Lakers
Pro career	1994–2008
Career history
1994–1999	Los Angeles Lakers
1999–2000	Charlotte Hornets
2000–2005	Miami Heat
2005–2007	Memphis Grizzlies
2007	Miami Heat
2007–2008	Dallas Mavericks
Career highlights and awards
3× NBA All-Star (1997, 1998, 2000) All-NBA Third Team (2000) 3× NBA All-Defensive Second Team (1998–2000) NBA All-Rookie First Team (1995) NBA steals leader (2000) Atlantic 10 Player of the Year (1994) Robert V. Geasey Trophy winner (1994)
Career NBA statistics
Points	14,155 (14.8 ppg)
Rebounds	3,857 (4.0 rpg)
Steals	1,620 (1.7 spg)
Medals Men's Basketball Representing  United States FIBA U21 World Championship Gold 1993 Valladolid National team

Edward Charles Jones (born October 20, 1971) is a former professional basketball player from the United States. He played for five different teams during his 14 years in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Before joining the NBA, Jones played college basketball for the Temple Owls. He was named the Atlantic 10 Player of the Year in 1994. He also helped the Owls reach the Elite Eight in the NCAA tournament. The Los Angeles Lakers picked him 10th overall in the 1994 NBA draft. Jones was chosen for the NBA All-Star team three times.

College Basketball Career

Eddie Jones played college basketball for Temple University from 1991 to 1994. In his third year, he led his team to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament. This is a big achievement in college basketball. In his last season with the Owls, he scored an average of 19.2 points per game. In 1994, he was recognized as the Atlantic 10 Player of the Year.

Playing in the NBA

Starting with the Los Angeles Lakers (1994–1999)

The Los Angeles Lakers chose Eddie Jones as the 10th pick in the 1994 NBA draft. The Lakers' general manager, Jerry West, said they wanted the best athlete. He felt Eddie was too good to miss.

In his first year, Jones played in 64 games and started 58 of them. He averaged 14.0 points and 2.05 steals per game. He was also named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team for the 1994–95 season. During the All-Star weekend, he won the MVP award in the Rookie Challenge. He scored 25 points, had 6 steals, and 4 rebounds. People started comparing Jones to former Lakers star Michael Cooper because of his skills. Jones became an important player for the Lakers. They made it to the playoffs and beat the Seattle SuperSonics. They then faced the San Antonio Spurs but lost after six games.

The next year, Jones became the team's main shooting guard. He started 66 of 70 games and averaged 12.8 points. The Lakers won 53 games that season. Magic Johnson even returned to play for the team. The Lakers made the playoffs again but lost to the Houston Rockets.

After his second season, Jones changed his jersey number from 25 to 6. The Lakers had retired number 25 for Gail Goodrich. He chose 6 because he admired Julius Erving when he was growing up. The team also added superstar center Shaquille O'Neal. They traded Vlade Divac for rookie guard Kobe Bryant. Jones played in 80 games and started all of them. He was second on the team in scoring with 17.2 points. He also ranked fourth in the league for steals. He played in his first NBA All-Star Game in 1997. The Lakers won 56 games and made it to the playoffs. They beat the Portland Trail Blazers but lost to the Utah Jazz.

In the 1997–98 season, Jones averaged 16.9 points and 2 steals per game. He scored 15 points and had 11 rebounds in the 1998 NBA All-Star Game. His strong defense earned him a spot on the NBA All-Defensive Second Team. The Lakers won 61 games and advanced in the playoffs. However, they lost to the Jazz in the conference finals.

Playing for the Charlotte Hornets (1999–2000)

The 1998–99 season was shorter due to a league lockout. Jones started the first 20 games for the Lakers. Then, he was traded to the Charlotte Hornets in March 1999. He played 30 games for the Hornets that season. The Hornets did not make the playoffs. However, Jones was second in the league in steals. He also made the All-Defensive team for the second year in a row.

The 1999–2000 season was one of Jones's best. He averaged 20.1 points per game. He led the league in total steals (192) and steals per game (2.7). He also had 4.2 assists and 4.8 rebounds per game. Fans voted Jones to start for the Eastern Conference in the 2000 NBA All-Star Game. He scored 10 points in that game. The Hornets won 49 games and made the playoffs. They lost in the first round to the Philadelphia 76ers. At the end of the season, Jones was named to the All-NBA Third Team. He also made his third straight All-Defensive second team.

After the 2000 season, Jones became a free agent. He wanted to play for his hometown team in Miami.

Time with the Miami Heat (2000–2005)

Jones signed again with the Hornets, but was then traded to the Miami Heat. This trade involved several players. Heat coach Pat Riley wanted Jones to help his team win a championship. Before the season started, the Heat's star player, Alonzo Mourning, became sick. This meant Jones had to take on more of the team's scoring. He played well, averaging 17.4 points per game. Jones and his teammate Anthony Mason helped the team win 50 games. Mourning returned later in the season. However, the Heat lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Hornets.

Mourning played fully in the 2001–02 season. Jones started 81 games and led the team in scoring with 18.3 points per game. The Heat did not make the playoffs that year. Mourning's illness returned, and he missed the entire 2002–03 season. This led Miami to rebuild their team. Jones played in only 47 games due to injuries. Still, he led the team in scoring with 18.5 points per game.

In the off-season, the Heat made many changes. Mourning left the team. Miami drafted Dwyane Wade and got Lamar Odom. These players joined Jones and Caron Butler. Coach Riley also stepped down, and Stan Van Gundy took over.

The 2003–04 season started with the Heat losing their first seven games. But it turned out to be a good season for Miami. Jones shared the scoring with Wade, Butler, and Odom. He still led the team in overall scoring with 17.3 points per game. Jones was third in the league for three-point shots made. Miami finished the season with a 42–40 record. They made the playoffs as the fourth seed in the East. The Heat beat the New Orleans Hornets in a tough seven-game series. They then lost to the Indiana Pacers.

Before the 2004–05 season, Miami made big changes again. They traded Odom and Butler for Shaquille O'Neal, Jones's former Lakers teammate. Jones started the season as a shooting guard. But he moved to small forward as Wade became the main shooting guard. Wade had a great season, and O'Neal was a dominant force. Jones's scoring went down to 12.7 points per game. However, he was still a key player for three-point shooting. The team won 59 games and was the top team in the Eastern Conference. The Heat also brought back Alonzo Mourning. They swept the New Jersey Nets and Washington Wizards in the playoffs. Then they faced the defending champions, the Detroit Pistons. The Heat led the series 3–2. But Wade got injured, and the Pistons won the last two games.

Playing for the Memphis Grizzlies (2005–2007)

Miami was sad to miss the NBA Finals. So, Riley decided to trade Jones after five seasons. He went to the Memphis Grizzlies in a big trade involving five teams. On November 4, 2005, Jones scored 25 points to help the Grizzlies beat the Orlando Magic. In his first season in Memphis, Jones started 75 games. He averaged 11.8 points and 1.7 steals per game. The Grizzlies made the playoffs but lost to the Dallas Mavericks. Jones started 14 of 29 games the next year for the Grizzlies. He was then released by the team in January 2007.

Returning to Miami (2007)

On February 1, 2007, Jones signed a contract to play for the Miami Heat again. He played more minutes after Wade got a shoulder injury. The Heat had won the NBA title the year before. But they struggled with injuries that season. Miami lost to the Chicago Bulls in the first round of the playoffs.

Playing for the Dallas Mavericks (2007–2008)

After the 2006–07 season, Jones became a free agent. On August 3, 2007, he signed a two-year deal with the Dallas Mavericks.

On October 10, 2008, Jones was traded to the Indiana Pacers. After the trade, his contract was changed. This allowed him to play for another team or retire. On October 16, 2008, the Pacers released him. This helped them free up money for other players.

Media and Other Appearances

Eddie Jones appeared in a funny Taco Bell commercial. It featured several people from the Lakers team at the time. He also appeared in a commercial for the Air Jordan XVI shoes with Michael Finley.

Jones was on the cover of the 989 Sports basketball game NBA ShootOut '97. He was also one of the first players to endorse Air Jordan shoes. Jones appeared on the TV show In the House.

On June 8, 2009, Jones was on the Spike TV show Pros vs. Joes. He teamed up with his former Miami Heat teammates Alonzo Mourning and Antoine Walker.

Personal Life

Eddie Jones and his wife, Trina, have three children. Jones is also a cousin to Jalen Suggs of the Orlando Magic and Tyrese Haliburton of the Indiana Pacers.

NBA Career Statistics

Regular Season Stats

Playoff Stats

See also

In Spanish: Eddie Jones para niños

• List of National Basketball Association career steals leaders
• List of National Basketball Association career 3-point scoring leaders
• List of National Basketball Association single-game steals leaders