Thirty-three years after Bobby Jones played his final game in an NBA uniform, the former North Carolina men's basketball player was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2019.
Jones played three varsity seasons at UNC from 1971-1974, earning first-team All-America honors as a senior while averaging 16.1 points and 9.8 rebounds
The 6-foot-9 forward averaged 13.7 points and 8.9 rebounds for his North Carolina career. When Jones was a sophomore, he helped UNC advance to the Final Four before falling to Florida State. During that season, he also set an ACC single-season record by shooting 66.8 percent from the floor.
Jones made the 1972 U.S. Olympic team but was denied a gold medal due to a controversial game against the Soviet Union.
After his senior season, Jones was drafted No. 5 overall by the Houston Rockets, but then signed a contract with the Denver Nuggets of the ABA.
In four years with the Nuggets, Jones made three All-Star teams and averaged 14.8 points, 8.6 rebounds and 3.5 assists. The Nuggets moved to the NBA after Jones' second season in Denver.
Jones spent the final eight seasons of his career playing for the Philadelphia 76ers and made two more All-Star teams, while solidifying himself as one of the NBA's premier defenders.
The Charlotte, North Carolina, native was a member of the 76ers 1982-1983 NBA Championship team and averaged 8.6 points per game during their playoff run.
Jones retired after 12 seasons in the NBA with five All-Star appearances and 10 selections to the NBA's All-Defensive first team. He was the 1982-1983 NBA's Sixth Man of the Year Award winner while posting 9.0 points per game and 4.6 rebounds.
