June 24, 1933 Samuel Jones, hall of fame basketball player, was born in Wilmington, North Carolina. Jones graduated from North Carolina Central University where he was a three-time All-Conference selection. He was selected by the Boston Celtics in the 1957 NBA Draft and spent his entire 12 season professional career with the team. Over his career, Jones was a five-time NBA All-Star and ten-time NBA champion, second only to Bill Russell in NBA history. His peers called him “Mr. Clutch.” After retiring in 1969, Jones coached at Federal City College, North Carolina Central University, and served as an assistant for the NBA New Orleans Jazz. In 1984, he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and in 1996 was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History. Jones was inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006.
