CHARLOTTE, N.C. _ It took half a lifetime for Bobby Jones to earn induction into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. But on Saturday, it finally happened.
Jones, 67, retired in 1986 after a 12-year pro career in which he was a four-time NBA All-Star and made the All-Defensive first team eight years in a row. He narrowly missed being selected for the game's ultimate honor several times before but will be enshrined with the Class of 2019, which was announced in Minneapolis a few hours before the Final Four tipped off.
Jones grew up in Charlotte, starred for South Mecklenburg in high school and then was a standout player for North Carolina in college and then for both the Philadelphia 76ers and Denver Nuggets in the pros. He won an NBA championship with the 1983 76ers. He returned to Charlotte after retiring and has coached youth basketball for decades in the area at various levels. Jones has long been regarded as a prototypical teammate.
"I was driving down to Charleston with my best friend and my wife to see my son when I got the call from the hall," Jones told the Observer in a phone interview. "I put it on speakerphone. My wife, Tess, was crying. My best friend had both his fists pumping up against the roof. It was special. This just brings back so many memories, so many games. It really has been somewhat emotional, to know you've been recognized by your peers like this."
Jones became the 11th Tar Heel elected into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. He joins, in order of induction: Ben Carnevale, Frank McGuire, Dean Smith, Billy Cunningham, Bob McAdoo, Larry Brown, James Worthy, Roy Williams, Michael Jordan and Charlie Scott.
