Consider a list of his accomplishments: twelve NBA championships as an athlete and coach, two NCAA rings and one Olympic gold medal. That makes him one of only eight players in history to achieve Basketball’s “Triple Crown”.
In fact, the winner and Jones went so far as to say that C’s joke was ‘C’ Casey was in the championship.
The Boston Celtics announced Friday that Jones died this week at the age of 88.
The team did not disclose the cause of death or say exactly when he died.
“Casey Jones was one of the most decorated champions in the history of our sport,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. “Casey’s extraordinary achievements and impact will long be remembered.”
Jones’ death was the second pass of the iconic Celtics statistic this year.
Years of college
Casey is his given name. It was named after his father, Casey Jones, a great engineer from Rhode Island.
Her parents separated when she was 9 years old. And Jones went to San Francisco with his mother and siblings.
“There he learned to play basketball play on a gravel patch in a poor neighborhood,” the profile said.
Jones attended the University of San Francisco. He was soft-spoken but also a formidable presence.
The 6-foot-1 defender made his place with defensive plays, clinging to opponents like glue, without denying them opportunities and ending despair.
At College Ledge, he teamed up with Bill Russell – another player, whose name and word are synonymous with “legend” – and won two NCAA championships.
They were also part of the U.S. team that won a gold medal at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics.
After a two-year stint in the Army, Jones joined the Celtics. He was going to seal his place in the history books.
Years of playing
In a statement, Sentix hailed Jones’ accomplishments, saying that in the history of the NBA, only teammates Bill Russell and Sam Jones have had more championship rings during their playing careers.
Jones played nine seasons in the NBA – all in Boston.
Eight finished in the NBA Championship.
After losing to the Celtics 76ers in the 1967 Eastern Division final, Jones decided it was time to retire.
And when he did, the Celtics retired his No. 25 jersey.
His winning days were over. His winning days as a coach were about to begin.
Years of coaching
After stents as a coach at Brandis University, the Los Angeles Lakers and Brand Washington Bullets, Jones returned to the Celtics.
In 1983, he was appointed head coach of the Celtics. He led the team to the NBA Finals in four of the five seasons in which he played that role.
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