Today in Boston Celtics history, KC Jones resigns, Jimmy Rodgers hired; 1967 NBA Draft
TL;DR
KC Jones resigned as head coach of the Boston Celtics after the 1987-88 season, having led the team to two NBA championships. He compiled a 308-102 regular-season record during his five seasons with the Celtics.
Key points
- KC Jones resigned as Celtics head coach in 1988
- He won two NBA championships as head coach
- Jones had a 308-102 regular-season record
Mentioned in this story
Today in Boston Celtics history, Hall of Fame Celtics head coach KC Jones unexpectedly resigned as Boston's coach following the end of the 1987-88 NBA season. Jones, an eight-time NBA champion with the team as a point guard, went on to secure two additional titles as his team's head coach, winning in 1984 and 1986. He was also selected as the coach for the NBA All-Star Game for Boston four times between 1984 and 1987.
The University of San Francisco product coached the Celtics for a total of five seasons beginning in 1983-84 and amassed a 308-102 regular-season record and a 65-37 playoff record, good for .751 and .637 winning percentages, respectively.
Jones stayed on with the team in an advisory role for one more season before joining the Seattle SuperSonics as an assistant coach in the 1989-90 NBA season.
Willie Naulls and KC Jones (C/O Bryna Jones)
Transaction
It was the same date as the elevation of assistant coach Jimmy Rodgers to head coach after Jones' departure. Rodgers had joined the organization along with then-head coach Bill Fitch, remaining with Jones after Fitch's departure. Rodgers had an unremarkable tenure as coach in terms of success with the team in decline and Larry Bird in particular missing all but a handful of games in Rodgers' first season.
After falling in the 1990 Eastern Conference Playoffs first round to theĀ New York KnicksĀ in five games, Rodgers' tenure as head coach with the team came to an end. He recorded a 94-70 regular-season record and a 2-6 playoff record for a .573 and .250 respective winning percentage.
LANDOVER, MD - CIRCA 1989: Larry Bird #33 of the Boston Celtics talks with head coach Jimmy Rodgers while there's a break in the action against the Washington Bullets during an NBA basketball game circa 1989 at the Capital Center in Landover, Maryland. Bird played for the Celtics from 1979-92. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
It is the date of the 1967 NBA draft, in which Boston took two players of note. The first is shooting guard Rick Weitzman, taken with the 110th overall pick out of Northeastern (there were many more rounds to the draft in that era), Weitzman played one season for the Celtics, winning a championship at the end of the 1967-68 season. Over 25 games with the team, the former Husky logged 1.3 points, 0.4 rebounds, and 0.3 assists per game with the team.
Boston also selected point guard Mal Graham out of New York University with the 11th overall pick. The White Plains native won two championships with the Celtics, averaging 4.7 points, 1.7 boards, and 1.1 assists per game over those two seasons.
This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Celtics history, KC Jones resigns, Jimmy Rodgers hired; 1967 NBA Draft
Q&A
Why did KC Jones resign as head coach of the Boston Celtics?
KC Jones unexpectedly resigned following the end of the 1987-88 NBA season.
What was KC Jones' coaching record with the Boston Celtics?
KC Jones had a regular-season record of 308-102 and a playoff record of 65-37 during his tenure with the Celtics.
What achievements did KC Jones have as a coach for the Celtics?
KC Jones won two NBA championships with the Celtics in 1984 and 1986 and was selected as the NBA All-Star Game coach for Boston four times.
