James Jones (basketball, born 1980) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
James Jones

Jones with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2015
Personal information
Born	(1980-10-04) October 4, 1980 (age 44) Miami, Florida, U.S.
High school	American (Hialeah, Florida)
Listed height	6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
Listed weight	218 lb (99 kg)
Career information
College	Miami (Florida) (1999–2003)
NBA Draft	2003 / Round: 2 / Pick: 49th overall
Selected by the Indiana Pacers
Pro career	2003–2017
Career history
2003–2005	Indiana Pacers
2005–2007	Phoenix Suns
2007–2008	Portland Trail Blazers
2008–2014	Miami Heat
2014–2017	Cleveland Cavaliers
Career highlights and awards
As player 3× NBA champion (2012, 2013, 2016) NBA Three-Point Contest champion (2011) Third-team All-Big East (2002) As executive NBA Executive of the Year (2021)
Career NBA statistics
Points	3,717 (5.2 ppg)
Rebounds	1,276 (1.8 rpg)
Assists	366 (0.5 apg)

James Andrew Jones (born October 4, 1980) is an American professional basketball executive and former player. He is currently a top executive for the National Basketball Association (NBA). Jones played for 14 seasons in the NBA, from 2003 to 2017. He also worked as a general manager and president of basketball operations for the Phoenix Suns.

James Jones was a star player at American High School in Hialeah, Florida. He scored about 25 points per game in his final year. He was named Class 6A Player of the Year. After high school, he played college basketball for the Miami Hurricanes. He was a starter for three years. He averaged 11 points per game during his college career.

The Indiana Pacers picked Jones in the 2003 NBA draft. He played for several teams, including the Pacers, Phoenix Suns, Portland Trail Blazers, Miami Heat, and Cleveland Cavaliers. He won three NBA championships. Two titles were with the Heat and one with the Cavaliers. He and his teammate LeBron James played in the NBA Finals for seven years in a row. This was from 2011 to 2017. Jones was known for being on winning teams. He only missed the playoffs once in his career. He was also great at shooting three-pointers. He won the Three-Point Contest in 2011. His nickname is "Champ."

In July 2017, Jones started working for the Suns as director of player personnel. He became the general manager in April 2019. The Suns made it to the playoffs for the first time since 2010. Because of this, Jones was named the 2020–21 NBA Executive of the Year. He was later promoted to president of basketball operations. This happened after the team won a record 64 regular season games in the 2021–22 season.

James's Early Life and High School Basketball

James Jones was a four-year basketball star at American High School. This school is in Hialeah, Florida. In his senior year, he averaged 25.2 points and 12 rebounds per game. He also had 2.5 assists, two steals, and six blocks per game. He earned First-team All-State honors. He was also named the Class 6A Player of the Year. The Miami Herald named him the Boys' Basketball Player of the Year. Jones was the team's most valuable player in his junior and senior years. He once blocked 16 shots in a single game.

Playing College Basketball

Jones played college basketball for the Miami Hurricanes. He attended the University of Miami from 1999 to 2003. While in college, he studied finance. He was also a member of the National Honor Society. He had a great grade point average of 3.41. In his first year, 1999, he played in 33 games. He averaged 3.9 points and 1.9 rebounds per game.

In his second year, he started all 29 games for the Hurricanes. He averaged 11.9 points and 5.9 rebounds per game. He was very good at shooting three-pointers, making 41 of 87 shots. In his third year, he started all 31 games. He averaged 12.8 points and 6.3 rebounds. He was named Third-team All-Big East. In his senior year, he started all 28 games. He averaged 16.9 points and 6.0 rebounds. He led the team in blocks and rebounds that year.

During his college career, he played in 122 games and started 89. He averaged 11.1 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. He started 89 games in a row from 2000 to 2003. Jones also earned Big East All-Academic honors every year. He was the Hurricanes' first Verizon Academic All-American. In 2014, he was honored by being added to the University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame.

James's Professional NBA Career

Indiana Pacers (2003–2005)

The small forward James Jones is 6 feet 8 inches tall and weighed 215 pounds. The Indiana Pacers chose him as the 49th pick in the 2003 NBA draft. In his first year, 2003–04, he played only six games. He missed 66 games because of different injuries.

In the 2004–05 season, Jones played in 75 games for the Pacers. He started 24 of those games. He averaged 4.9 points per game. He was also 25th in the NBA for three-point shooting percentage. He got more playing time that season. This was because of a fight between the Pacers and the Detroit Pistons. This fight led to some players being suspended. On November 28, 2004, he scored a career-high 27 points against the Seattle SuperSonics.

Phoenix Suns (2005–2007)

The Pacers traded Jones to the Phoenix Suns on August 25, 2005. This trade was for a draft pick. In the 2005–06 season, he played in 75 games for the Suns. He started 24 games. He averaged 9.3 points and 3.4 rebounds per game. He missed seven games due to injuries. Jones set an NBA record for the lowest turnover percentage that season. This means he rarely lost the ball.

He played in 76 games for the Suns in the 2006–07 season. He started 7 of those games. He averaged 6.4 points and 2.3 rebounds per game. Jones made 45 free throws in a row from January to March. This was the longest streak in the NBA that season.

Portland Trail Blazers (2007–2008)

In June 2007, Jones was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers. He was traded along with the draft rights to Rudy Fernandez. In early 2008, Jones was leading the NBA in three-point percentage. He was shooting over 50%. He missed 12 games in February due to a knee injury. He had also missed 12 games in November 2007 for knee problems.

Jones finished the 2007–08 season third in the league for three-point percentage. He shot 44.4%. Even with his great shooting, he was not chosen for the Three-Point Shootout. He played in 58 games that season, starting 3. He averaged 8.0 points and 2.8 rebounds per game. The Trail Blazers finished the season with a 41–41 record. This was the only time in Jones's NBA career that his team missed the playoffs. He was also never on a team with a losing record. In June 2008, he chose to leave his contract with the Trail Blazers. This made him a free agent.

Miami Heat (2008–2014)

Jones with the Miami Heat in 2009

On July 9, 2008, Jones signed a contract with his hometown team, the Miami Heat. He played in 40 games for the Heat in the 2008–09 season. He started one game. He averaged 4.2 points and 1.6 rebounds per game. Jones missed 36 games because of wrist injuries. He started all seven of the team's playoff games that season.

He played in 36 games for the team in the 2009–10 season. He started 6 games. He averaged 4.1 points and 1.3 rebounds per game. He missed one game due to a stomach virus.

Jones with the Heat in 2011

On June 29, 2010, he was released by the Heat. This was to help the team save money. On July 19, 2010, Jones re-signed with the Heat for the lowest possible salary. He played in 81 games for the team in the 2010–11 season. He started 8 games. He averaged 5.9 points and 2.0 rebounds per game. Jones led the Heat in games played and three-point shots made. He finished seventh in the NBA for three-point shooting percentage. He also had one of the lowest turnover percentages in the NBA. On February 19, 2011, he won the Three-Point Contest in Los Angeles. Jones scored a playoff career-high 25 points on May 1, 2011, against the Boston Celtics. The Heat reached the 2011 NBA Finals but lost to the Dallas Mavericks.

On December 9, 2011, he signed a new contract with the Heat. In the 2011–12 season, the Heat had an amazing playoff run. This led to Jones winning his first NBA championship. The team beat the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2012 NBA Finals. Jones played in 51 games that season, starting 10. He averaged 3.6 points and 1.0 rebounds per game. He finished third in the 2012 Three-Point Shootout.

Jones played in 38 games for the Heat in the 2012–13 season. He averaged 1.6 points and 0.6 rebounds. He won his second championship when the Heat beat the San Antonio Spurs. In 2013–14, the Heat made it to the 2014 NBA Finals for the fourth year in a row. Miami faced the Spurs again, but this time, the Heat lost. Jones played in 20 games that season, starting 6. He averaged 4.9 points and 1.2 rebounds.

Cleveland Cavaliers (2014–2017)

Jones with the Cavaliers in 2015

On August 5, 2014, Jones signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers. LeBron James, who was his teammate with the Heat, asked him to join him in Cleveland. The Cavaliers won the Eastern Conference championship. They then went to the NBA Finals. They played against the Golden State Warriors. The Cavaliers lost the series in six games. Jones played in 57 games for the Cavaliers in the 2014–15 season. He started 2 games. He averaged 4.4 points and 1.1 rebounds per game.

On July 25, 2015, Jones signed again with the Cavaliers. In December 2015, LeBron James said Jones was his "favorite player of all time." He also called him "the greatest teammate I've ever had." The Cavaliers won the Eastern Conference championship again. They then won the 2016 NBA championship. They were the first team to win after being down 3–1 in the Finals. Jones won his third title in five years. He played in 48 games in the 2015–16 season. He averaged 3.7 points and 1.0 rebounds.

On August 3, 2016, Jones signed with the Cavaliers once more. On January 19, 2017, he started a game because Kevin Love was injured. He scored 14 points in a win against the Phoenix Suns. This was his first start since April 2, 2015. The Cavaliers won the Eastern Conference championship for the third year in a row. Jones and LeBron James became part of a small group of players. They were the only players in NBA history to reach seven consecutive NBA Finals. They faced the Golden State Warriors in the Finals for the third year in a row. The Cavaliers lost the series. Jones played in 48 games in the 2016–17 season. He averaged 2.8 points and 0.8 rebounds.

Working as an Executive

On July 19, 2017, Jones was named the director of player personnel for the Phoenix Suns. This meant his 14-year NBA playing career was over. On October 8, 2018, Jones became an interim general manager for the Suns. He worked with assistant general manager Trevor Bukstein. They made two trades for the Suns. On April 11, 2019, Jones officially became the team's general manager.

In 2019, Jones made some big changes for the Suns. He hired Monty Williams as the new head coach. He also made several trades during the 2019 NBA draft. He traded players like T. J. Warren and picked up new players like Dario Šarić and Cameron Johnson. He also got Ricky Rubio in free agency. These moves helped the Suns have their best record in five seasons. The season was stopped in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. When the season started again, the Suns won all eight of their games.

In November 2020, Jones made another big trade. He traded several players to get All-Star point guard Chris Paul. Jones also added players like Jalen Smith, Jae Crowder, and E'Twaun Moore. He hoped to end the team's long playoff drought. The Suns made the 2021 NBA playoffs. This was the team's first time in the postseason since 2010. Because of the Suns' big improvement, Jones won the 2020–21 NBA Executive of the Year Award. The Suns reached the 2021 NBA Finals, but they lost to the Milwaukee Bucks.

The Suns won a team-record 64 regular season games in the 2021–22 season. Jones was promoted to president of basketball operations and general manager on November 28, 2022. The Suns finished with a 36–46 record in the 2024–25 season. This was their first losing season since 2019–20. After that, Brian Gregory became the team's new general manager. Jones was then moved to a senior advisor role. On July 9, 2025, Jones left the Suns. He became the NBA's executive vice president, head of basketball operations.

About James's Life

James Jones is a Christian. He is married to Destiny, and they have three children. Their son is named James Dylan Jones. Their two daughters are named Jadynn Alyssa Jones and Jodie Marissa Jones. Jones has a few nicknames, including "Champ," "J. J.," and "JHoops." The James Jones Legacy Foundation was started in 2009. He is also a managing partner at a company called Jones and Jones Strategic Consulting. Jones used to own a company that worked on improving city areas. Since 2009, he has hosted an annual basketball camp called JHoops Live. He also runs a camp called Crew 22 Training Camp. Jones appeared on the television show Kitchen Nightmares in 2010.

Jones's uncle, Ricky Gutiérrez, played in Major League Baseball. His aunt, Lisa Jones, played basketball at the University of Miami. His cousin Mionsha Gay also played at the University of Miami. His aunt, Hope Jones, and his cousin, Shelnita Jackson, played basketball at Barry University. Jones's father, Jay Lee, played at Southern University. His uncle, Mitchell Lee, played at the University of Minnesota. His cousin, Shawn Brailsford, played at Marshall University.

Jones was also the secretary-treasurer of the NBA Players Association (NBPA).

Awards and Achievements

As player

• 3× NBA champion – 2011–12, 2012–13, 2015–16
• NBA Three-Point Contest champion – 2010–11
• All-Big East Conference Third-team – 2001–02
• 4× Big East All-Academic Team – 1999–2000, 2000–01, 2001–02, 2002–03
• Honorable Mention All-Big East Conference Team – 2002–03
• Verizon Academic All-American – 2002–03
• Verizon Academic All-District III selection – 2001–02
• Inducted into University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame – 2014
• Class 6A Player of the Year in Florida – 1998–99
• First-team All-State Selection – 1998–99
• First-team All-Dade County selection – 1998–99
• Miami Herald Boys' Basketball Player of the Year – 1998–99

As executive

• 2020–21 NBA Executive of the Year

NBA Career Statistics

Regular season

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2003–04	Indiana	6	0	4.3	.222	.250	1.000	.3	.0	.2	.0	1.2
2004–05	Indiana	75	24	17.7	.396	.398	.855	2.3	.8	.4	.4	4.9
2005–06	Phoenix	75	24	23.6	.418	.386	.851	3.4	.8	.5	.7	9.3
2006–07	Phoenix	76	7	18.1	.368	.378	.877	2.3	.6	.4	.6	6.4
2007–08	Portland	58	3	22.0	.437	.444	.878	2.8	.6	.4	.3	8.0
2008–09	Miami	40	1	15.8	.369	.344	.839	1.6	.5	.3	.4	4.2
2009–10	Miami	36	6	14.0	.361	.411	.821	1.3	.5	.3	.1	4.1
2010–11	Miami	81	8	19.1	.422	.429	.833	2.0	.5	.4	.2	5.9
2011–12	Miami	51	10	13.1	.380	.404	.833	1.0	.4	.3	.2	3.6
2012–13	Miami	38	0	5.8	.344	.302	.500	.6	.3	.1	.2	1.6
2013–14	Miami	20	6	11.8	.456	.519	.636	1.2	.5	.2	.2	4.9
2014–15	Cleveland	57	2	11.7	.368	.360	.848	1.1	.4	.2	.1	4.4
2015–16	Cleveland	48	0	9.6	.408	.394	.808	1.0	.3	.2	.2	3.7
2016–17	Cleveland	48	2	7.9	.478	.470	.650	.8	.3	.1	.2	2.8
Career		709	93	15.7	.401	.401	.840	1.8	0.5	0.3	0.3	5.2

Playoffs

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2005	Indiana	13	0	16.5	.413	.400	.444	2.1	.8	.5	.5	4.0
2006	Phoenix	20	6	17.7	.341	.308	.846	3.6	.3	.3	.9	4.3
2007	Phoenix	11	6	15.5	.528	.444	.818	1.4	.3	.2	.2	5.0
2009	Miami	7	7	33.6	.531	.500	.917	2.3	.7	.4	.1	9.6
2010	Miami	1	0	9.0	.000	.000	1.000	.0	.0	.0	.0	2.0
2011	Miami	12	0	22.7	.471	.459	1.000	2.5	.2	.5	.2	6.5
2012	Miami	20	0	8.7	.372	.300	1.000	1.0	.1	.2	.1	2.6
2013	Miami	9	0	3.7	.429	.750	—	.3	.0	.0	.1	1.0
2014	Miami	15	0	8.4	.450	.469	.667	.7	.3	.2	.1	3.5
2015	Cleveland	20	0	15.6	.347	.344	.929	1.5	.5	.4	.2	4.4
2016	Cleveland	12	0	4.6	.200	.143	.250	.3	.3	.0	.0	.5
2017	Cleveland	8	0	3.7	.200	.000	—	.5	.0	.0	.0	.3
Career		148	19	13.4	.404	.387	.845	1.6	.3	.3	.3	3.7

See also

In Spanish: James Andrew Jones para niños