Popeye Jones facts for kids

Ronald Jerome "Popeye" Jones (born June 17, 1970) is an American basketball coach and a former professional player. He is currently an assistant coach for the Denver Nuggets in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Popeye Jones played as a power forward in the NBA for 11 seasons. He was known for his strong rebounding skills.

Popeye Jones' College Basketball Journey

Popeye Jones grew up in Dresden, Tennessee. He played college basketball for Murray State University. He was a top player in the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC).

College Achievements

• He was chosen for the All-OVC team three times.
• He was named OVC Player of the Year in both 1990 and 1991. This means he was the best player in his conference.
• He was also honored as the OVC's Athlete of the Year in 1991 and 1992.
• Popeye Jones is one of only ten men's basketball players from Murray State to have his jersey number retired. His number 54 hangs in the CFSB Center in Murray, Kentucky.
• He scored 2,057 points in his college career, which is the fourth-highest in Murray State history.
• He is also Murray State's all-time leader in rebounds with 1,374. He led the entire nation in rebounds during the 1990–91 season.
• He is the only player in Murray State history to get more than 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds.

Popeye Jones' NBA Playing Career

After his great college career, Popeye Jones was picked by the Houston Rockets in the 1992 NBA draft. He was the 41st player chosen overall. However, his rights were soon traded to the Dallas Mavericks.

Playing for Different Teams

• After playing professionally in Europe for one season, he joined the Dallas Mavericks. He played there for three seasons.
• Later, he was traded to the Toronto Raptors.
• In 1998, he played for the Boston Celtics.
• The next year, he moved to the Denver Nuggets.
• In 2000, he was traded to the Washington Wizards.
• He had a second time playing for the Dallas Mavericks during the 2002–03 season.
• In 2003, he joined the Golden State Warriors. This was his last team before he ended his playing career in 2004.

NBA Records and Highlights

• On March 10, 1994, Popeye Jones set an NBA record. He grabbed 12 offensive rebounds in one game without getting any defensive rebounds. This record still stands today!
• His best season was in 1995–96 with the Mavericks. He averaged 11.3 points and 10.8 rebounds per game.
• He once grabbed 28 rebounds in a single game for the Mavericks in the 1995–96 season. This is still a team record for the Mavericks.
• Throughout his NBA career, he averaged 7.0 points and 7.4 rebounds per game.

Popeye Jones' Coaching Career

After playing for 11 years in the NBA, Popeye Jones decided to become a professional basketball coach.

Early Coaching Roles

• He first worked as a player development coach for the Dallas Mavericks from 2007 to 2010.
• After that, he became an assistant coach for the New Jersey / Brooklyn Nets.
• On August 14, 2013, he was hired as an assistant coach for the Indiana Pacers. He worked with famous players like Roy Hibbert and Paul George. His team reached the Eastern Conference Finals in his first two years there.
• On November 9, 2020, the Philadelphia 76ers hired him as an assistant coach.

Current Role and NBA Championship

• On August 23, 2021, the Denver Nuggets announced that Popeye Jones was joining their team as an assistant coach.
• In 2023, Popeye Jones won his first NBA championship. The Nuggets defeated the Miami Heat in the 2023 NBA Finals.

Popeye Jones' Personal Life

Popeye Jones got his nickname because one of his eyes seemed to "pop" out a little.

His sons, Seth and Caleb, are both professional ice hockey players. When Popeye Jones was with the Denver Nuggets, he talked to Joe Sakic of the Colorado Avalanche about his son playing hockey. Sakic told him to enroll his sons in skating classes first.

Career statistics

NBA

Source

Regular season

See also

In Spanish: Popeye Jones para niños

• List of NCAA Division I men's basketball season rebounding leaders
• List of NCAA Division I men's basketball players with 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds