K. C. Jones, the 1956 Olympic gold medalist with the U.S. men's basketball team and legendary Boston Celtics player has passed away at the age of 88.
Jones, who played his college ball alongside Bill Russell at the University of San Francisco, was selected by the Celtics with the 13th overall pick in the 1956 National Basketball Association (NBA) Draft.
He made his debut in the 1958-59 season and with the Celtics, won an NBA title in each of his first eight seasons in the league.
In league history, only Russell (11) and Sam Jones (10) won more titles than K.C. Jones did as a player. Following his retirement in 1967, Jones got into coaching, earning his first head coaching job with the ABA's San Diego Conquistadors in 1972.
From there, Jones led the Washington Bullets from 1973-76 before eventually returning to Boston as an assistant coach in 1978
"After a five-year tenure as an assistant that saw him win a title in 1981, Jones was named head coach of the Celtics prior to the 1983-84 NBA season," NBA said in an official statement.
He was named to lead the Boston Celtics in 1983, beginning what is one of the most remarkable head coachings runs the NBA has seen.
Jones helmed the Celtics for two of the most memorable seasons in the team's rich history, first leading the team to a championship in 1984 over the Lakers during a peak of that storied rivalry.
Two seasons later, he led what many consider the greatest team in NBA history, the 1986 Champion Boston Celtics. These were the highlights of an astonishing four consecutive seasons in the NBA Finals, one of the most impressive and beloved Celtics eras.
( With inputs from ANI )
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