Personal information | |
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Born |
Charlotte, North Carolina |
December 18, 1951
Nationality | American |
Listed height | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) |
Listed weight | 210 lb (95 kg) |
Career information | |
High school |
South Mecklenburg (Charlotte, North Carolina) |
College | North Carolina (1971–1974) |
NBA draft | 1974 / Round: 1 / Pick: 5th overall |
Selected by the Houston Rockets | |
Playing career | 1974–1986 |
Position | Forward |
Number | 24 |
Career history | |
1974–1978 | Denver Nuggets |
1978–1986 | Philadelphia 76ers |
Career highlights and awards | |
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Career ABA and NBA statistics | |
Points | 11,391 (12.1 ppg) |
Rebounds | 5,739 (6.1 rpg) |
Assists | 2,522 (2.7 apg) |
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
Medals
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Robert Clyde "Bobby" Jones (born December 18, 1951) is an American retired professional basketball player in the American Basketball Association (ABA) and National Basketball Association (NBA).
Bobby Jones was one of the most admired defenders ever to wear an NBA uniform; he was also considered one of the most virtuous. While most other players depended on the occasional thrown elbow, hip-check, or grab of the uniform to gain an advantage, Jones relied on hustle and determination. It was Jones’ stellar defense along with his other specialties such as leadership, that made him a standout sixth man. Opposing teams could ill afford to relax on defense when Jones came off the bench, and they also had to work a lot harder on offense to get the ball in or even near the basket.
Jones's coaches used to marvel that he was so good at the things they had trouble getting many other players to do at all, such as block shots, move without the ball, hustle back on defense, tip passes, dive after loose balls, give up an open outside shot so a teammate could hit from inside—all the things that rarely, if ever, show up in a box score. Jones was as unselfish as a player could be, so much so that coaches had to implore him to take more shots.
What that work added up to was a 12-year pro career that featured eight selections to the NBA All-Defensive First Team; the first-ever NBA Sixth Man Award; membership on the ABA All-Rookie Team; four appearances in the NBA All-Star Game and one in the ABA All-Star Game; and perhaps most prized, an NBA Championship with the Philadelphia 76ers in 1983. Above all, Jones's value as a player was evidenced by the fact that his teams never missed the playoffs.
"Bobby Jones gives you two hours of his blood, showers and goes home," former Sixers General Manager Pat Williams told NBA Today. "If I was going to ask a youngster to model after someone, I would pick Bobby Jones." Added longtime 76ers teammate Julius Erving, "He's a player who's totally selfless, who runs like a deer, jumps like a gazelle, plays with his head and heart each night, and then walks away from the court as if nothing happened."