Jones was a member of the NBA’s 25th and 50th anniversary teams, and this year was named one of the top 75 players all-time. The Celtics spokesperson said Jones died of natural causes.
“Another one of my dear friends lost,” Celtics great Cedric Maxwell posted on Twitter Friday. “Well, the banks are open in heaven this New Year’s Eve.”
The Celtics honored Jones with a moment of silence before Friday afternoon’s game against the Suns, showing a video tribute on the screen among the championship banners at TD Garden. His No. 24, which was retired while he was still an active player, was displayed on the monitor in the hushed arena before a photo of him in a suit and the words “Sam Jones 1933-2021.”
Celtics coach Ime Udoka said before Friday’s game that even though Jones’s playing days were before his time, Jones’s enduring marks on the game and this franchise are clear.
“When you look at the numbers and the career, when you see the second-most championships in the NBA behind Bill Russell, obviously that’s what stands out first,” Udoka said. “He was part of eight of those championships with K.C. Jones as well. So you really dig in and see the impact he had here, obviously. But you don’t know about the others as much as some of the main guys that are out in the forefront, and 10 championships, multiple All-Star Games, you look at his numbers and what he did, it’s obviously a big loss in the community here.”
In a statement, the Celtics called Jones “one of the most talented, versatile, and clutch shooters for the most successful and dominant teams in NBA history.
“His scoring ability was so prolific, and his form so pure, that he earned the simple nickname, ‘The Shooter.’ ”
The team said the Jones family is in their thoughts “as we mourn his loss and fondly remember the life and career of one of the greatest champions in American sports.”
Celtics coach Red Auerbach discovered Jones when he went to North Carolina to scout the national champion Tar Heels for the 1957 draft. Auerbach said he was told that the best player in the state was actually on Hall of Fame coach John McLendon’s team at North Carolina Central.
Auerbach selected Jones in the first round despite never seeing him play.
Jones went on to lead the team in scoring five times — including with the 1963 champions, who had eight Hall of Famers on the roster.
Jones was even better in the playoffs, averaging 18.9 points per game. When he retired at the age of 36, he was the only player in Celtics history to score more than 50 points in a game.
Using a bank shot that was unconventional even then, Jones came to be known as “Mr. Clutch” after a series of game-winners, including a buzzer-beater to clinch the 1962 Eastern Conference finals. He hit an off-balance, wrong-footed jumper to win Game 4 of the ‘69 Finals; instead of heading to Los Angeles trailing, 3-1, the Celtics tied the series against the Lakers at two games apiece and went on to win in seven.
Jones retired after that title, having won his 10 championships in 12 seasons.
His death comes a year after the deaths of teammates Tommy Heinsohn and K.C. Jones.
Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.
Adam Himmelsbach can be reached at adam.himmelsbach@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @adamhimmelsbach.
