Optional Thread for Congratulating Sam Jones on the Retirement of his College Jersey

[Sam]

As many know, Sam Jones' college jersey was recently retired, and he also received the highest honor the state of North Caroline can give a citizen.  (Talk about late—like half a century!)  But I'm sure the very lateness of these recognitions will intensify Sam's appreciation of them.  What do you say that each of us who wishes to do so write a congratulatory note to Sam.  Just enter it on this thread.  Be sure to include your board name.  I'll include each of them in one big message of congrats to Sam.  I'll cut and past all entries, omitting all of the above and substituting a more suitable introduction.  I have Sam's emall address.

For added information, a few details may be found at this link:http://nccueaglepride.com/news/2015/3/6/ATHL_0306150807.aspx

I hope no one minds, but I'm planning to tell him this forum was dedicated to him.  As, in fact, it really was.  He has been aware of the forum for several years, but I don't believe he has a feeling for the full extent of it.

Thanks for any thoughts you wish to contribute.  Just enter them on this thread.  

Thanks,

Sam

[Matty]

Wonderful idea sam.. I'll add something a bit later to say to him, sam was a big part of helping to create the legacy we Celtic fans consider "ours". Giving back is the least we can do.

[Sam]

Matty,

I think it's particularly important because, regardless of how one ranks the Celtics greats, Sam is in the upper echelon, and yet he is well down on the list in terms of his treatment over time by the Celtics.  (Don't worry.  I won't be putting that into the final message.)

Thanks for your interest.

Sam

[Sam]

Bump

[Sam]

Bump

[Berlin-T]

For Sam Jones,

I want to thank you sir, for all the wonderful memories which you and your teammates have given me. The Celtics' style of play during those years, with its fabulous teamwork was for me more like a beautiful ballet than a game of basketball. I sometimes pity the young people of today who have never had the chance to experience this. Furthermore I wish to thank you for all the clutch (bank) shots which ensured the arrival of many championships in Boston.

Congratulations on receiving honors from NCCU and the State of North Carolina.

All the best to you and yours in the coming years,

Berlin-T

[Sam]

Beautiful, Berlin.  He'll love it!

Many thanks.

P.S. We've had to put a moratorium on long-distance travel until we sell a house.  But, when that happens, our first trip is likely to be another trip (our 21st together) to Paris.  And we'll very likely extend it to Venice, Vienna, Salzburg, and (ta da) Berlin.  We might even take a trip through the Black Forest.  I want to be sure you'll be available to meet while we're there.  It's not going to happen immediately, and I'll give you loads of notice.  Looking forward to it.

Thanks again for your contribution to Sam.

Sam Jr.

[RosalieTCeltics]

Well Mr. Jones, what took them so long!  What a nice honor for you to receive from North Carolina, but it should have come a long time ago.
I congratulate you,  it is certainly seems like just yesterday when you were running up and down the court with Bill Russell, KC, and John Havlicek.  You had the prettiest bank shot I have ever seen in basketball, and I was lucky enough to be able to watch you in person or listen to Johnny Most describe every play to me on my radio. He taught me to love basketball so much.

And, thank you for that wonderful phone call while I was recovering from heart surgery. You have no idea how much it meant to me and boosted my spirits. Many of the people here on this website also called me when I was in Mass General Hospital. They are a wonderful group of people here with our trusted leader "Sam".  

All the best to you and your family and continued good health.

Rosalie Troy

[Sam]

Beautifully expressed, Rosalie.  It will mean a lot to Sam, especially because he'll definitely recall speaking with you.

Thanks a bunch.

Sam

[Sam]

Bump

[Sam]

Bump.

[Sam]

Bump.

[bobheckler]

I'm sorry for being so late to this party.

You know the old saying "better late than never"?  Baloney.  Late is still late.  What were they waiting for?  

To see if Sam Jones' achievements withstood the test of time?  Short of getting slapped across the face with a dead fish I don't know how much more obvious it could have been.  

After all these years, his 1745 points is still #2 in school history.

Sam has more NBA championship rings as a player than anybody else except Bill Russell with 10.  After all these years, that still makes him #2 in NBA history.

After 50 years, he was selected as one of the top 50 players in NBA history but it wasn't necessary to wait that long.  He was also selected to the 25th anniversary team too.

I know I should be all congratulatory here, and I truly am happy it has finally happened, but my eyes are spinning like a slot machine that this justly deserved honor wasn't given at least 20 years ago.

As Sam himself used to say, "Too late!"


bob


.

[Outside]

To Mr. Sam Jones,

Congratulations on the recent honor of having your jersey retired by NCCU. This being a Celtics board, many here think the honor is appallingly late and should include a statue in addition to the jersey retirement. What that shows is the depth of respect and affection that Celtic fans have for you.

I come from a different background. I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area as a Warriors fan, but I gained great appreciation for the NBA game by watching the Celtics in the 1960s. The unselfish play, fast breaking, and total dedication to the team and winning were a revelation to me. It was beautiful music to my young eyes, and it made a profound impact on developing a lifelong love for the game and how it should be played.

Playing center myself, and being from the Bay Area, I of course took special interest in Bill Russell. But as with many journeys we make in life, one thing leads to another, and other players also made an impression. Foremost among those was number 24, a marvelously gifted yet understated player who was as reliable as the sunrise and taken for granted by most who watched the game. Thanks to my older brothers pointing out the nuances of your contributions, the intelligence of your play, and the quiet steadiness with which your jumper went in, we knew the name Sam Jones very well and nodded knowingly when you scored yet another clutch basket or made a timely switch on defense.

I wasn't a great scorer as a player, but I can attribute some of my success to the bank shots I practiced after seeing you make so many of them. When I moved on to coaching youth basketball, "The backboard is your friend" became a standard line of mine, one that my son now repeats to his players. It's a mystery to me why players don't shoot bank shots in what, to me, are obvious situations for it.

Over the years, I've also come to appreciate learning more about players as individuals. I found it amusing and revealing to hear stories of how the player we thought was always so quiet would say "Too late!" after getting off a shot. The dignity and grace with which you carried yourself throughout your career and after your playing days have made an impression. I obviously don't know you personally, but I think it's still possible to get a sense of a person from a distance, and my respect goes beyond what you've done on a basketball court.

Thanks again for helping set me on a path for a lifelong love of basketball and providing the example of how it can, and should, be played. Your jersey retirement may be long overdue, but I'm thankful for it nonetheless because it provides a new opportunity to look back on your career and honor your contributions. Having it now means a whole new generation can learn a little about you and hopefully gain an appreciation for what you and your teammates accomplished, both with the Celtics and at NCCU.

I hope you and your wife enjoyed the ceremony in Durham. I wish all the best for the both of you.

Patrick (Outside)

[bobheckler]

To Mr. Sam Jones,

Congratulations on the recent honor of having your jersey retired by NCCU. This being a Celtics board, many here think the honor is appallingly late and should include a statue in addition to the jersey retirement. What that shows is the depth of respect and affection that Celtic fans have for you.

I come from a different background. I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area as a Warriors fan, but I gained great appreciation for the NBA game by watching the Celtics in the 1960s. The unselfish play, fast breaking, and total dedication to the team and winning were a revelation to me. It was beautiful music to my young eyes, and it made a profound impact on developing a lifelong love for the game and how it should be played.

Playing center myself, and being from the Bay Area, I of course took special interest in Bill Russell. But as with many journeys we make in life, one thing leads to another, and other players also made an impression. Foremost among those was number 24, a marvelously gifted yet understated player who was as reliable as the sunrise and taken for granted by most who watched the game. Thanks to my older brothers pointing out the nuances of your contributions, the intelligence of your play, and the quiet steadiness with which your jumper went in, we knew the name Sam Jones very well and nodded knowingly when you scored yet another clutch basket or made a timely switch on defense.

I wasn't a great scorer as a player, but can attribute some of my success to the bank shots I practiced after seeing you make so many of them. When I moved on to coaching youth basketball, "The backboard is your friend" became a standard line of mine, one that my son now repeats to his players. It's a mystery to me why players don't shoot bank shots in what, to me, are obvious situations for it.

Over the years, I've also come to appreciate learning more about players as individuals. I found it amusing and revealing to hear stories of how the player we thought was always so quiet would say "Too late!" after getting off a shot. The dignity and grace with which you carried yourself throughout your career and after your playing days have made an impression. I obviously don't know you personally, but I think it's still possible to get a sense of a person from a distance, and my respect goes beyond what you've done on a basketball court.

Thanks again for helping set me on a path for a lifelong love of basketball and providing the example of how it can, and should, be played. Your jersey retirement may be long overdue, but I'm thankful for it nonetheless because it provides a new opportunity to look back on your career and honor your contributions. Having it now means a whole new generation can learn a little about you and hopefully gain an appreciation for what you and your teammates accomplished, both with the Celtics and at NCCU.

I hope you and your wife enjoyed the ceremony in Durham. I wish all the best for the both of you.

Outside

outside,


What a beautifully written letter. Well done, sir.


bob



.

[Sam]

Outside,

Just like Sam's award, your contribution to this thread was definitely worth waiting for. Thank you so much.  Sam will love it.

Sam

[Sam]

The purpose of this initiative is to show Sam, by both the number and quality of submissions, how much people still care about him and value him as a former player and as a human being.  The quality is obviously there, but the number of messages is just about reaching the minimum that might be sufficient to warrant sending them to Sam.  If there's anything anyone wants to add to these very thoughtful sentiments, I'll be leaving this thread open for a few more days; and all contributions are gratefully received.

Many thanks,

Sam

[RosalieTCeltics]

Come on people, let's show one of the greatest Celtics how much we appreciate his contribution to the Boston Celtics. This is one of the best, kindest, devoted player to put on a Celtic uniform.

Let's show Sam Jones just how much we all love him. Young or old, you have to be aware of just how good Sam was.

Rosalie

[dbrown4]

To Mr. Sam Jones,

I have to admit that writing a note of congratulations and admiration to a true NBA and College Superstar is something I never thought I would be able to do, much less knowing that through our Sam on this site, you might actually read it!

I was watching the Raleigh local news recently, something I never do, and your jersey retirement story was on coupled with your alma mater completing the undefeated conference season. Knowing Sam's close connection to you and our site's voracious appetite for anything from the Celtics of the 60's, I tried to go to the N&O and find the article in order to copy it and post it to the site. Crickets. Couldn't find it.

So I posted what I could find with some help from other posters. To make a long story short, I'm glad Sam created this second thread set up to congratulate and further honor you and your contributions to the world of basketball.

My interest in the Celtics came just after the end of your career. I grew up in Raleigh and was 10 years old when NC State won their first national championship with David Thompson and friends. It was around that time I discovered there was something going on after college basketball called the pros.

I started noticing the Jo Jo Whites, the Dave Cowens and the John Havliceks. TV coverage was scarce then but Sundays there was always a game on. So I literally missed seeing you play by inches.

Thank God for our Sam here. He has single-handedly brought you to life for me and everyone else on this site through his total respect and love for you, your game and your never to be repeated achievements.

My oldest son is very interested in basketball. I cannot wait to share with him your story and your achievements. He loves the Celtics as well. Like father like son.

Thank you so much for doing what you did when you did it and leaving the legacy you did for all of us to enjoy and tell our children and our children's children what a real winner looks like and acts like. Thank you for giving us hope. Congratulations on your jersey retirement and may God continue to bless you as you have blessed us with your life.

David Brown

[bobheckler]

Ok, let me try to do this better, with a little less anger than before.


Mr. Jones,

I am a die-hard Boston Celtic fan.  I wasn't always.  Growing up in NY, I was a NY Knicks fan.  After graduating from college I moved to Boston for employment.  While there, I went to many, many Celtic games.

Just as Larry Bird, later, would gaze up at the rafters while the national anthem was playing, so too did I.  I did not look at the numbers of players that were of my era, I looked at the jerseys of players from your era.  To me you were the real Celtics, the ones that the then-current players, some of whom are now in the Hall of Fame, were aspiring to follow, trying to live up to your legacy, wearing Celtic colors with pride.  

While my timeline did not coincide with your playing career much of what I soaked up was the now-famous "Celtic Mystique".  I learned to love not only the tradition of winning but the indomitable hunger to win.  That became so much a part of me it burned into my DNA.  Throughout my career I could never accept anything less than being #1.  Even today I have trouble enjoying a game if we, the Boston Celtics, do not win.  They may be exciting to watch but I consider them fun only if we win.

I am much older now, as are we all, but the lesson I learned from your Celtics has served me well for many decades now.  I won my own types of championships and eventually led others to elevate themselves as well.  I became a different person after embracing The Celtic Mystique.

It is a popular game people play, to say "if only I knew then what I knew now I would have done things differently".  I have some of those too, I have made mistakes, but I am clear on what I did right.

There is a difference between being a warrior and being a champion.  Virtually all my successes grew from becoming a Celtic fan, going to the games and gazing up at your numbers. Oh, at some point I would have become fed up with accepting losses as "part of the game", "fighting the good fight" or "I did my best, I was just overmatched", but that day came much earlier in my life because of you and, because of that, I was able to lead my peers throughout my career.

And that is something I would never change because it taught me a life lesson that has served me very well indeed.

Thank you for your contribution into making me a successful, prosperous and content man.

Go Celtics Forever!


Bob Heckler


.

[Sam]

Outstanding, Dbrown.  Your letter will have an added local dimension for Sam, who is a native North Carolinian.

Thanks,

Sam

[bobheckler]

Son of a bitch.

This is the first time I ever choked up from my own writing.

[RosalieTCeltics]

good boy, cleaned that up very good!!!!!!!

[dbrown4]

You are welcome, Sam. And again, if it didn't come through in the letter, THANK YOU!

db

[Sam]

BobH,

One of the most fun things over the years has been to experience someone else reminiscing and displaying appreciation for something that helped his/her life to become what it is.  Very few of those instances have moved me as much as your ode to Sam.  Thank you so much for posting it.  As I review the array of amazing contributions, I now believe that the thread is not just sufficient to let Sam know how much he is appreciated.  It's going to bowl him over with amazement.  From my very biased viewpoint, it is one of the best of the many good things this forum has accomplished.

Mere thanks to everyone who has posted here are inadequate.  Every single entry was carefully crafted, which is perhaps the biggest tribute of all because we all have important demands on our time.  This board is spectacularly peopled with quality and class.

Sam

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