25th Anniversary Team (1971), as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History (1996), and the NBA 75th Anniversary Team (2021). He was part of the inaugural class inducted into the American Basketball Hall of Fame in 2019. In the 2021-2022 NBA season, the Boston Celtics wore a black band with the number 24 on their jersey, to honor Jones who died that year. Personal life Jones was married to Gladys Chavis until her death in 2018. Together, they had five children. He lived for several decades in Silver Spring, Maryland, during which time he often served as a substitute teacher in the Montgomery County public school system. He resided in St. Augustine, Florida, in retirement. Jones died on the evening of December 30, 2021, in Boca Raton, Florida. He was 88 years old. NBA career statistics Regular season Playoffs See also List of National Basketball Association players with 50 or more points in a playoff game List of NBA players with most championships List of NBA players who have spent their entire career with one franchise References External links Sam Jones—Hoophall Biography 1933 births 2021 deaths 20th-century African-American sportspeople 21st-century African-American people African-American basketball players American men's basketball players Basketball coaches from North Carolina Basketball players from North Carolina Boston Celtics draft picks Boston Celtics players College men's basketball head coaches in the United States Minneapolis Lakers draft picks Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductees National Basketball Association All-Stars National Basketball Association players with retired numbers North Carolina Central Eagles men's basketball coaches North Carolina Central Eagles men's basketball players Shooting guards Sportspeople from Wilmington, North Carolina