The 25 Greatest Sixth Men Of All Time
4. Bobby Jones, Philadelphia 76ers
10.3 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 1.2 SPG, 1.1 BPG in 5 seasons as 6th Man
Accolades: 1X Sixth Man of the Year (1982-83), 1X NBA All-Star (1981), 4X All NBA Defensive First Team (1979-80, 1980-81, 1982-83 and 1983-84), 1X All NBA Defensive Second Team (1984-85), 1X NBA Champion (1983)
As upstanding a man as he was off the court, Bobby Jones was every bit as tenacious a player on the court.
Fans, teammates and opponents alike respected the way Jones approached the game. He was the epitome of a hustle player, using his quickness and relentless motor to rise to the elite of the NBA’s defenders when most were using bows and hand checks to slow their man down.
Jones would often play like a man on fire, flying out of nowhere for a ferocious block on one end before running the floor and getting a fast break dunk on the other end.
On the flip side, his teammates loved him for his overly unselfish play on the offensive end. A UNC alum, Jones carried on Dean Smith’s tradition of thanking a teammate for an assist with a finger point, something teammates and fans alike would come to love him for.
After emerging as a starter and star for the Denver Nuggets in the ABA, Jones started one season for the 76ers before former Sixers sixth man, by then coach, Billy Cunningham moved him to the slot to provide energy off of the bench.
Jones was effective in the role right away, maintaining his scoring averages and earning multiple All-Star and All-Defensive First Team selections along the way.
Despite having one of his less stellar years in the role, Jones won the inaugural Sixth Man of the Year Award at the end of the 1982-83 season and followed it up by helping the Sixers win their second championship in franchise history in the 1983 NBA Finals.
Jones would have three more fairly productive seasons before retiring as one of the most beloved athletes in the history of Philadelphia sports and the NBA overall.
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