Keith Smith report on Sam Jones' Passing on Twitter

I just saw a report...Sam Jones passed away today, no details in Keith Smith's report on Twitter

Sad, sad day in Celtic family and ours.  Sam was one of the greatest shooters I ever watched play
basketball, and a sweet, kind man. RIP Sam

There is a report of this in the Boston Globe

Celtics legend, 10-time NBA champion Sam Jones dies at age 88

https://www.nbcsports.com/boston/celtics/celtics-legend-10-time-nba-champion-sam-jones-dies-age-88


The Boston Celtics family and NBA community has lost a beloved member.

Celtics legend and Hall of Fame guard Sam Jones died this week at age 88.

Author John Feinstein and ex-Celtics forward Cedric Maxwell both shared the news Friday morning on Twitter.

Celtics head coach Ime Udoka also commented on Jones' passing before Boston's Friday afternoon game against the Phoenix Suns at TD Garden.

Jones was drafted by the Celtics in 1957 and played 12 seasons for Boston. He is one of the winningest players in NBA history. He won 10 championships with the Celtics and played a key role in the memorable 1969 NBA Finals triumph over the rival Los Angeles Lakers. His winning shot in Game 4 tied the series 2-2.

Boston ultimately forced a Game 7 in Los Angeles, where the Celtics captured their 11th title in what was both Jones and Bill Russell's final game.

Winning a Game 7 was not unusual for Jones. He went 9-0 and averaged 27.1 points in Game 7s with the Celtics, including a 4-0 record in Game 7 of the NBA Finals.

His No. 24 was retired by the Celtics in March of 1969. Some of Jones' other honors include five All-Star selections, being enshrined in the Hall of Fame in 1984 and being named to the league's 50th anniversary team in 1997. He is one of six players in NBA, NHL, MLB and NFL history to win 10 or more championships.

My comment: Truely a sad day for Celtics fans, basketball fans in general and for members of our board. He was the board's namesake after all, and a great friend of our founder, Dick Dorr.

Please use the link for more content, tweets and video.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nba/celtics-legend-sam-jones-dies-at-age-88/ar-AASjx7j

https://hbcugameday.com/2021/12/31/sam-jones-hbcu-and-nba-legend-passes-away/

https://www.celticsblog.com/2021/12/31/22861456/boston-celtics-legend-sam-jones-passed-away-at-the-age-of-88

https://www.fox16.com/sports/hall-of-famer-sam-jones-winner-of-10-nba-titles-dies-at-88/

https://sports.yahoo.com/hall-famer-sam-jones-winner-171646910.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Jones_(basketball,_born_1933)

https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/j/jonessa01.html

RIP Sam Jones. Unfortunately I've only seen him play in clips - wish I could have seen Sam play on those dominant Celtics teams.

Lest we forget our own Sam, the one who founded this forum and whom it is named after, was a very close personal friend of Sam Jones.  He hung out with him, golfed regularly with him and was invited on the plane to LA for "the balloon game".  He was invited to one of the post-game parties, one where Havlicek was.

Correct me if I'm wrong, Rosalie, but didn't Dick Dorr (Sam's real name) have Sam Jones call you on the phone?


Bob


.

Sam Jones was one of my all time favorite players. I was blessed to be able to watch him night in and night when I had my Season's Tickets. When I became a member of BDC and a friend of our "sam", Dick Dorr, we had many conversations about the old Celtic teams. Sam Jones was a good friend of Dick's, they played pickup games together, were dinner companions, just good friend. When I became ill and required open heart surgery, Dick called me several times to check on me. One day I answered the phone and to my shock and joy, it was Sam Jones. He said Dick had told him how much of a fan I was and he wanted to wish me well We talked for about ten minutes and I was overjoyed

Who today would pick up the phone and call someone they did not know? No one I know. It will live with me forever. Kind, caring, what can I say. I told him how much joy he gave me when I watched him play, and how I cried the day he played his last game, and they won a title.

They are picking them off one at a time. What a hell of a pickup game they will be playing in heaven!!! RIP Sam, tell Dick we all miss him immensely

Yes Bob....as I explained above. The funny story about that last season....I had season's tickets and worked for a company alot like what CVS is today, called RIX. The buyers there knew how much I loved the Celtics, and got me three tickets to the game in Philly that the Celtics beat the 76'ers and won the Eastern Conference final. We were just rows behind the Celtics bench and were overjoyed with the win. I had to meet a guy on a street corner to get those tickets!!!! My Dad and Mom did not want me to go, this was the era of HATE, Philly fans hated us, We hated them!!! The last words out of my Dad's mouth were.....KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT!!! Right Dad, I will be good, HA HA

After that win, I was offered tickets to LA for the balloon game, I was in the middle of planning my wedding, and my Mom threatened me.....you want a wedding??? Do not go to that game!! So, I stayed home..............to this day I regret not being there but my marriage has lasted 51 plus years so I guess I made the right decision!!!!

But Boy, I wish I was there, I may have met Dick many years before BDC!!!

RosalieTCeltics wrote:Sam Jones was one of my all time favorite players.  I was blessed to be able to watch him night in and night when I had my Season's Tickets.  When I became a member of BDC and a friend of our "sam", Dick Dorr, we had many conversations about the old Celtic teams. Sam Jones was a good friend of Dick's, they played pickup games together, were dinner companions, just good friend.  When I became ill and required open heart surgery, Dick called me several times to check on me. One day I answered the phone and to my shock and joy, it was Sam Jones. He said Dick had told him how much of a fan I was and he wanted to wish me well  We talked for about ten minutes and I was overjoyed

Who today would pick up the phone and call someone they did not know?  No one I know. It will live with me forever.  Kind, caring, what can I say.  I told him how much joy he gave me when I watched him play, and how I cried the day he played his last game, and they won a title.  

They are picking them off one at a time. What a hell of a pickup game they will be playing in heaven!!!  RIP Sam, tell Dick we all miss him immensely

Great story. Sounds like Sam was A+ (both Sams...)

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/celtics-legend-10-time-nba-160417396.html

 Another great has left us.

Matty,

Rosalie already made a thread about this. I edited the title of her thread to make it more obvious what it is about and will merge your thread into hers.

It's nice to see you around!

Happy New Year!!

gyso

gyso wrote:Matty,

Rosalie already made a thread about this.  I edited the title of her thread to make it more obvious what it is about and will merge your thread into hers.

It's nice to see you around!

Happy New Year!!

gyso

 Thanks Gyso!

 I hadn't realized she'd made this already..   thanks for uniting the threads.


 Sad day for Celtic fans and Sam's family.

Sad news to end the year for Celtic and NBA fans.

Sam was my all time favorite Celtic. I loved them all. But I idolized Sam.
I recall my uncle getting tickets to a game where we sat behind the basket about 6 rows back on the end. At the end of the game the Celts went to their locker room and I reached over and touched Sam’s shoulder. It was soaking wet with sweat and my uncle handed me a napkin and I told him to keep it and that I wasn’t going to wash my hands for a week.

I also remembered back when the C’s used to practice at the Cambridge Y and I went out there one morning and I saw Sam sitting at a small diner right outside the gym in the same building, I remember exactly what he was eating. 2 fried eggs, 3 strips of bacon and 2 slices of toast. A seat opened up and I sat down across from Sam ordered a soda and just watched Sam eat. I was mesmerized and he looked up a few times and smiled. He looked up one more time before getting up and looked at me as if to say, “who is the weird teenager gawking at me”. He then turned back around and said to me while pointing at the gym door and said “one of these days thats you captain” and started laughing as he walked away waving at me. I damn near peed in my pants.

I was living in Roxbury at the time and my Mom wanted to move us out to one of the suburbs. I kept telling my mom that I wanted to move to Sharon because I knew that Sam lived there. My mom appeased me and we did look at a few homes in Sharon before settling on Lexington where I lucked out playing for Lexington high (pre Ron Lee days ) for Rollie Massimino.
Rest well Sam…Love ya my dude!!

Ktron wrote:Sam was my all time favorite Celtic. I loved them all. But I idolized Sam.
I recall my uncle getting tickets to a game where we sat behind the basket about 6 rows back on the end. At the end of the game the Celts went to their locker room and I reached over and touched Sam’s shoulder. It was soaking wet with sweat and my uncle handed me a napkin and I told him to keep it and that I wasn’t going to wash my hands for a week.

I also remembered back when the C’s used to practice at the Cambridge Y and I went out there one morning and I saw Sam sitting at a small diner right outside the gym in the same building, I remember exactly what he was eating. 2 fried eggs, 3 strips of bacon and 2 slices of toast. A seat opened up and I sat down across from Sam ordered a soda and just watched Sam eat. I was mesmerized and he looked up a few times and smiled. He looked up one more time before getting up and looked at me as if to say, “who is the weird teenager gawking at me”.  He then turned back around and said to me while pointing at the gym door and said “one of these days thats you captain” and started laughing as he walked away waving at me. I damn near peed in my pants.

I was living in Roxbury at the time and my Mom wanted to move us out to one of the suburbs. I kept telling my mom that I wanted to move to Sharon because I knew that Sam lived there. My mom appeased me and we did look at a few homes in Sharon before settling on Lexington where I lucked out playing for Lexington high (pre Ron Lee days ) for Rollie Massimino.
Rest well Sam…Love ya my dude!!

Great story!!!

cowens/oldschool wrote:

Ktron wrote:Sam was my all time favorite Celtic. I loved them all. But I idolized Sam.
I recall my uncle getting tickets to a game where we sat behind the basket about 6 rows back on the end. At the end of the game the Celts went to their locker room and I reached over and touched Sam’s shoulder. It was soaking wet with sweat and my uncle handed me a napkin and I told him to keep it and that I wasn’t going to wash my hands for a week.

I also remembered back when the C’s used to practice at the Cambridge Y and I went out there one morning and I saw Sam sitting at a small diner right outside the gym in the same building, I remember exactly what he was eating. 2 fried eggs, 3 strips of bacon and 2 slices of toast. A seat opened up and I sat down across from Sam ordered a soda and just watched Sam eat. I was mesmerized and he looked up a few times and smiled. He looked up one more time before getting up and looked at me as if to say, “who is the weird teenager gawking at me”.  He then turned back around and said to me while pointing at the gym door and said “one of these days thats you captain” and started laughing as he walked away waving at me. I damn near peed in my pants.

I was living in Roxbury at the time and my Mom wanted to move us out to one of the suburbs. I kept telling my mom that I wanted to move to Sharon because I knew that Sam lived there. My mom appeased me and we did look at a few homes in Sharon before settling on Lexington where I lucked out playing for Lexington high (pre Ron Lee days ) for Rollie Massimino.
Rest well Sam…Love ya my dude!!

Great story!!!

Thanks. I read Rosalie’s story about the Phone call she received from him which was amazing to think that he’d take the time to call a fan of his and the team.  It sounded like she kept her cool because if that had been me I would’ve probably ended up doing a poor imitation of Ralph Kramden’s “Hemmana Hemmana” and nervously hung up the phone. :>)

He was a truly gentle man. And I am sure he made that call because of Dick, who went out of his way to get this done. The funny thing is, the first time he called, I was not home, I was at the doctor’s office. But, since he made a promise to Dick, he called back. He could have just left a message and I would have just been thrilled that he took the time to make one call. The second? Icing on the cake, a moment I will never forget.

Great, truly touching stories Rosalie and Ktron!  Thank you so much for sharing those.  Sam and his 50's and 60's teams were just before the beginning of my era with the Celtics.  I was born in 1963 and didn't come around to pro ball until the mid-70's.  Was too deep into NC State and David Thompson at the time. Thank you all and Sam (Dick) for bringing Sam Jones to life for me all these years.

Those are amazing undefeated records that no one will ever match in the NBA.  Rosalie, you made the right choice!!

db

Much has already been said here about Sam Jones.

He was an absolute star on a team with many stars.  As a young Celtics fan I tried to emulate his patented off the glass shots.  He was a special sort of talent and one of the main reason why I played basketball.

One by one the old guard is passing on.  Many fans never saw him play and so what little connection they have comes from grainy film footage or a trip through the archives of Celtics basketball.

But for those old timers we will always remember who he was and what he accomplished.

Rest peacefully.

From what I understand the master and originator of the bank shot, built like the modern athlete and could have played in any era. As our Sam would say, those Celtics teams could play any style and would wear you out with their pace and depth. Loved the way Sam would stick up for his era, always respected that.