K.C. Jones P’09, a member of the National Basketball Hall of Fame, discussed his illustrious basketball career and issues of racial discrimination at the thirteenth annual Dwight L. Greene [’70] Symposium in Memorial Chapel on Saturday.
Jones was a member of two national championship teams at the University of San Francisco, eight NBA championship teams as a player for the Boston Celtics, two more as the head coach, and another two as an assistant coach. He also won an Olympic gold medal as a member of the 1956 U.S. basketball team. Jones is considered to be one of the greatest defensive basketball players in the history of the game.
Paul S. Mason ’77, senior vice president of ABC News, interviewed Jones at the symposium, which is held in honor of the late Greene and his accomplishments as a law professor at Hofstra University. The symposium was also sponsored by the Black Alumni Council and the Wesleyan Alumni of Color Network.
Jones spoke about the racial prejudice he experienced during his days as a college and professional basketball player. He described one particular game, against Loyola in New Orleans, in which several of the black players were saddened by the presence of segregated bathrooms and water fountains. The referees also made discriminatory remarks to the San Francisco players prior to the game, but Jones said he and his team simply became more determined to win, ultimately routing Loyola.
“Racism was an issue,” Jones said. “We dealt with it and did what we were doing.”
Jones went on to discuss the communication, concern, and togetherness that characterized all of the Celtics teams he coached and played on, carrying them through tough times on and off the court. He also touched on the NBA today, praising the new dress code and players who put the team above their individual accomplishments. He also commented on female basketball players.
“The women give it their best shot, but the men want shots and minutes,” Jones said about the majority of basketball players. “Women are more into winning and bonding. Bonding is not as big in the NBA.”
Jones began the conversation by talking about his relationship with another Basketball Hall-of-Famer, USF and Celtics teammate Bill Russell.
“The two of us were very much into effort—giving it your best—being the ones who would outplay the opponent,” Jones said. “Sophomore year we were 7-14. Junior year we met UCLA in the third game of the season. They were ranked eighth in the country [and] they only beat us by six. After that, we were confident knowing we were good enough.”
Eventually, Jones and Russell led the University of San Francisco to 56 consecutive wins and back-to-back championships (1955, 1956). Jones joined the military after graduating from college, but rejoined Russell as a member of the Celtics in 1958 to win eight consecutive NBA championships (1959-1966).
“Defense is where you can make a fuss, gain confidence, and then put fear into your opponent,” Jones said when Mason asked him about his secret to success. “What happened to us with the basketball team was pure determination [in addition to] hustle, communication, and effort.”
Jones enchanted the large audience with his rendition of some verses from Frank Sinatra’s “New York, New York” after he said that every morning he sings “You Are So Beautiful to Me” in the mirror. Jones also discussed the hard times he had growing up.
“My mom would work and I would do the cooking,” Jones, the oldest of five children, said of his childhood. “It was a difficult time for us, but the beauty of it was that she stayed with us.”
Prior to the conversation between Jones and Mason, the Wesleyan Black Alumni Council presented the Recognition Award to Michael Donnelly ’73, who has worked to improve the U.S. healthcare system. The Memorial Prize was presented to Kaneza Schaal ’06, who has dedicated a segment of her senior research project about art and activism. But the main event of the night was the discussion with Jones.
“It was informative and he gave a different perspective on the game of basketball,” said Andrew Bean ’09. “It was an insider’s perspective from someone who played and coached.”
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