Rich Jones (basketball) facts for kids
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 27, 1946 Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. |
| High school | Lester (Memphis, Tennessee) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) |
| Listed weight | 220 lb (100 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College |
|
| NBA Draft | 1969 / Round: 5 / Pick: 58th overall |
| Selected by the Phoenix Suns | |
| Pro career | 1969–1977 |
| Career history | |
| 1969–1970 | Pallacanestro Varese |
| 1970–1973 | Dallas / Texas Chaparrals |
| 1973–1975 | San Antonio Spurs |
| 1975–1977 | New York Nets |
| Career highlights and awards | |
|
|
| Career ABA and NBA statistics | |
| Points | 7,922 (15.6 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 3,759 (7.4 rpg) |
| Assists | 1,394 (2.7 apg) |
Richard Wesley "House" Jones (born December 27, 1946) is a retired American professional basketball player. He was a talented forward who played for several teams. Rich Jones is best known for winning an ABA Championship with the New York Nets in 1976. He also played in two ABA All-Star Games.
Contents
Early Life and College Basketball
Rich Jones was born in Memphis, Tennessee. He grew up loving basketball. He played college basketball at the University of Illinois and later at the University of Memphis. He was a strong player, standing 6 feet 6 inches tall.
Professional Basketball Career
Jones started his professional career in Europe. He played one season for Pallacanestro Varese in Italy. He even won the European Champions Cup with them in 1970.
Playing in the ABA
After playing in Europe, Rich Jones joined the American Basketball Association (ABA). He played for the Dallas/Texas Chaparrals from 1970 to 1973. Then, he moved to the San Antonio Spurs, where he played until 1975.
Jones was a very good player in the ABA. He was chosen to play in the ABA All-Star Game twice, in 1973 and 1974. He was known for scoring many points and grabbing many rebounds. Over his ABA career, he averaged 15.6 points and 7.4 rebounds per game.
Winning the ABA Championship
In 1975, Jones joined the New York Nets. This was a big move for him. In 1976, the Nets made it to the ABA Finals. They played against the Denver Nuggets. The Nets won the championship series 4 games to 2.
The final game, Game 6, was played in New York. The Nets won 112–106. With only 4 seconds left in the game, Rich Jones scored the very last basket. This made him the last player ever to score points in the ABA, which is a cool piece of basketball history!
Joining the NBA
After the 1976 season, the ABA and NBA merged. Many ABA teams, including the New York Nets, joined the NBA. Rich Jones played one more season for the Nets in the NBA before he retired.
Career Highlights
- European Champions Cup winner (1969-1970)
- ABA Champion (1976)
- 2× ABA All-Star (1973, 1974)
See also
In Spanish: Rich Jones para niños
