Walton for NBA games due to the point-counterpoint style of banter between the two. He gained notoriety while announcing with Bill Walton for reining in his verbose outbursts, often responding to Walton's sometimes sensational statements with phrases such as "Bill, you can't be serious..." Though they typically argued and disagreed during games, the two had a mutual respect for each other and remained good friends. They reunited on Walton's short-lived TV show Bill Walton's Long Strange Trip. Personal life and death Jones' health began declining in 2005 when he suffered an appendicitis while on assignment in New York. His younger brother, Nick Jones stated, "My brother was a very strong guy. He fought for life for a long time." Jones died on November 25, 2017, in Houston, Texas, at the age of 75. He was survived by his younger brother, Nick Jones (his older brother Roman had died earlier the same week), his mother & sisters, and his wife Carol. References External links RememberTheABA.com Steve Jones page and statistics 1942 births 2017 deaths African-American basketball players Amateur Athletic Union men's basketball players American men's basketball players Basketball players from Louisiana Basketball players from Portland, Oregon Carolina Cougars players College basketball announcers in the United States Dallas Chaparrals players Denver Rockets players Franklin High School (Portland, Oregon) alumni Memphis Pros players National Basketball Association broadcasters New Orleans Buccaneers players Oakland Oaks players Oregon Ducks men's basketball players Portland Trail Blazers announcers Portland Trail Blazers players Shooting guards Spirits of St. Louis players Sportspeople from Alexandria, Louisiana Undrafted National Basketball Association players 20th-century African-American sportspeople 21st-century African-American people