Sam Jones

American basketball shooting guard who won 10 NBA championships with the Boston Celtics and was known for his clutch shooting and bank shot technique.

Samuel Jones was born in Wilmington, North Carolina in 1933 and attended North Carolina Central University, a historically Black institution. Boston Celtics selected him in the 1957 NBA Draft. His 12-season career — spent entirely with the Celtics — produced 10 NBA championships (1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969) alongside Bill Russell. He averaged 17.7 points per game and was selected to five All-Star games. He was one of the first guards to systematically use the bank shot — hitting the glass at a precise angle to reduce variance — which became his signature and is credited with inspiring the phrase the bank is always open. He made multiple series-deciding shots across his championship runs. He averaged 22.9 points per game in the 1965 playoffs. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1984. He was named to the NBA 50th Anniversary Team in 1996. He was remarkable for his consistency and composure in the biggest moments — he was the player Bill Russell wanted with the ball in the final seconds. His combination of championships won (10), points scored and clutch performance makes him one of the most accomplished players whose greatness is obscured by playing alongside Russell.

Shooting guard known for clutch shots and bank shots

One of the greatest clutch performers in NBA history, key member of Celtics dynasty

• NBA Champion 10x
• All-Star 5x
• All-NBA Second Team 3x
• Hall of Fame (1984)