Wil Jones
Encyclopedia
Wilbert "Wil" Jones is an American former professional basketball
player.
A 6'8" forward from Albany State University
, Jones was drafted in the fifth round of the 1969 NBA Draft
by the Los Angeles Lakers
and by the Miami Floridians
in the 1969 ABA Draft.
Jones played seven seasons (1969–1976) in the American Basketball Association
as a member of the Miami Floridians
, Memphis Pros
, Memphis Tams
and Kentucky Colonels
.
After the ABA-NBA merger
in 1976 Jones was selected by the Indiana Pacers
in the ABA Dispersal Draft
and played two seasons (1976–1978) in the National Basketball Association
for the Indiana Pacers
and Buffalo Braves
.
Jones won the 1975 ABA Championship with the 1974-75 Kentucky Colonels
and was named to the 1975 ABA All-Defense Team. In his ABA/NBA career, he tallied 8,482 total points, 5,560 total rebounds
and 1,446 total assists
.
His brothers Caldwell Jones
, Charles Jones and Major Jones
all played in the NBA.
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player.
A 6'8" forward from Albany State University
Albany State University
Albany State University is a four-year, state-supported, historically black university located in Albany, Georgia, United States. It is one of three HBCU's in the University System of Georgia.-History:-Establishment:...
, Jones was drafted in the fifth round of the 1969 NBA Draft
1969 NBA Draft
The 1969 NBA Draft was the 23rd annual draft of the National Basketball Association . The draft was held on April 7, 1969 and May 7, 1969 before the 1969–70 season. In this draft, 14 NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players. A player who had finished his four-year...
by the Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
and by the Miami Floridians
Miami Floridians
The Miami Floridians, later in their history known simply as The Floridians, were a professional basketball franchise in the original, now-defunct American Basketball Association. The Miami Floridians played in the ABA from 1968 through 1970 when they became simply The Floridians...
in the 1969 ABA Draft.
Jones played seven seasons (1969–1976) in the American Basketball Association
American Basketball Association
The American Basketball Association was a professional basketball league founded in 1967. The ABA ceased to exist with the ABA–NBA merger in 1976.-League history:...
as a member of the Miami Floridians
Miami Floridians
The Miami Floridians, later in their history known simply as The Floridians, were a professional basketball franchise in the original, now-defunct American Basketball Association. The Miami Floridians played in the ABA from 1968 through 1970 when they became simply The Floridians...
, Memphis Pros
Memphis Pros
Memphis Pros were an American Basketball Association team during the 1970-1971 and 1971-1972 seasons.-Origins:The New Orleans Buccaneers were a charter member of the ABA and played for three seasons, 1967-1970, winning the Western Division championship in 1969...
, Memphis Tams
Memphis Tams
The Memphis Tams were an American Basketball Association team during the 1972-1973 and 1973-1974 seasons. The team had previously been the New Orleans Buccaneers for three seasons before moving to Memphis, Tennessee where it became the Memphis Pros from 1970 through 1972. The team later became...
and Kentucky Colonels
Kentucky Colonels
The Kentucky Colonels were a member of the American Basketball Association for all of the league's nine years. The name is derived from the historic Kentucky colonels. The Colonels won the most games and had the highest winning percentage of any franchise in the league's history, but the team did...
.
After the ABA-NBA merger
ABA-NBA merger
The ABA–NBA merger was the merger of the American Basketball Association with the National Basketball Association, which after multiple attempts over several years finally occurred in 1976.- Origins of ABA-NBA competition :...
in 1976 Jones was selected by the Indiana Pacers
Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They are members of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association...
in the ABA Dispersal Draft
1976 NBA Draft
The 1976 NBA Draft was the 30th annual draft of the National Basketball Association . The draft was held on June 8, 1976 before the 1976–77 season. In this draft, 18 NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players and other eligible players, including international players...
and played two seasons (1976–1978) in the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
for the Indiana Pacers
Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They are members of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association...
and Buffalo Braves
Los Angeles Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers are a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, United States. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
.
Jones won the 1975 ABA Championship with the 1974-75 Kentucky Colonels
1974-75 Kentucky Colonels season
The 1974-75 American Basketball Association season saw the Kentucky Colonels, led by Dan Issel, Artis Gilmore, Louie Dampier and coach Hubie Brown, win the 1975 ABA Championship.-Preseason transactions:...
and was named to the 1975 ABA All-Defense Team. In his ABA/NBA career, he tallied 8,482 total points, 5,560 total rebounds
Rebound (basketball)
A rebound in basketball is the act of successfully gaining possession of the basketball after a missed field goal or free throw. Rebounds in basketball are a routine part in the game, as all possessions change after a shot is successfully made...
and 1,446 total assists
Assist (basketball)
In basketball, an assist is attributed to a player who passes the ball to a teammate in a way that leads to a score by field goal, meaning that he or she was "assisting" in the basket. There is some judgment involved in deciding whether a passer should be credited with an assist...
.
His brothers Caldwell Jones
Caldwell Jones
Caldwell "Pops" Jones is a retired American professional basketball player.Jones was drafted from Albany State University by the Philadelphia 76ers with the 14th pick in the 1973 NBA Draft...
, Charles Jones and Major Jones
Major Jones
Major James Brooks Jones is a retired American professional basketball player in the NBA. He attended and played collegiately at Albany State University....
all played in the NBA.
External links
- Career statistics at basketball-reference.com
- Profile at Remember the ABA