NBA Draft: 30 greatest draft picks in league history
18. . Shooting Guard. North Carolina Central Eagles, 1957 (No. 8). Sam Jones. 28. player
Greatest NBA Draft picks in league history: Sam Jones, Boston Celtics
Some of the league’s best draft picks have been easy to identify, winning MVP awards and racking up countless All-Star Game appearances. Sam Jones falls into a different category, where his contributions are less noticeable, but no less important.
Jones went to college on Tobacco Road, but not to a powerhouse school. Instead, he was a dominant scorer for North Carolina Central in Durham.
Boston Celtics head coach Red Auerbach was in the area scouting players at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Auerbach heard enough about what Jones was doing down the road that he selected him No. 12 overall in the 1957 NBA Draft out of North Carolina Central.
The 6-foot-4 guard played 12 seasons in the league, all for Boston, winning the title 10 times — only Bill Russell has won more in NBA history. He was part of the first all-black starting five to both play in and win the NBA Finals. Jones paired with Celtics legend Bob Cousy to form a potent offensive backcourt.
When Cousy retired, Jones took more of the reigns himself, as the titles kept rolling into Boston. Jones was never the best or probably second-best player on the Celtics, but his contributions were meaningful and came on the highest of stages.
Jones made the All-NBA Second Team three times, a product of a smaller league and his team’s success, but also his scoring talent.
In 1969, he became the first African-American player named to the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame, a part of his legacy as a trailblazer. He retired as one of the most successful players in league history and should not be muted simply because of his elite teammates.