Boston Celtics President of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge spoke about K.C. Jones’ passing earlier today. Here is everything Ainge had to say about his late former coach.
On K.C. Jones the coach:
“K.C. was a great coach to play for. He was a class act, and everybody knew that. And yet he had a competitive edge that was fierce. And so you wanted to do all you could to please K.C. as a coach, but he had this gentleness and a kindness that at the right time he knew what to say. But he was a great leader of men. We went four years in a row to the Finals with K.C., and won the championship twice. And he was just a joy to be around, not just in winning, but like I said, a class act and a guy that was a pleasure to be around and I looked at him as a mentor and a friend, and much more than a coach.”
On whether Jones’ quiet demeanor cost him recognition:
“I think that’s part of it. I think he sees humility and he allowed his assistant coaches to do a lot of work, also, in those days. Jimmy Rogers did a lot of our game prep and even called plays sometimes during timeouts and into games and so forth. But K.C. was clearly the leader of our team. And yeah, I think he was a much better – I think that people are always looking for the people that are seeking that attention in front of the cameras, and K.C. was one that he actually was fine with everybody else getting the attention and not much focused on him.”
On Jones’ gift:
“I think his gift was, there was a genuine yes to him, a sincerity that was — there was no phoniness and no, you know like, he wasn’t seeking that attention, he was, he really wanted the attention of the players. We all knew that he cared deeply about us as people, cared about the Celtics traditions. But he really didn’t seek that attention. I think the players appreciated that in him. But he also stood up for some pretty strong personalities. We had some moments in our four years with K.C. where he gave a challenge, stood up, toe to toe with some of the stars on our team and I think that, you know, he always had that respect because of that. He didn’t have to do it very often, he didn’t do it very often but when, when it was time to take a stand, K.C.would go toe to toe with even the Hall of Fame players on our team.”
One good story from the past:
“Oh there was many. I could go on all day telling lots of stories but there’s some funny stories, actually just to celebrate K.C. today. I know he’s been in a rough place the last few years and he’s in a better place today. But yeah, I have all happy thoughts of K.C. and my time with one of my favorite stories I’ve told before, you know, we all have different versions of this but as I remember we were in New Jersey for a game, we’re playing Brooklyn tonight, and he was standing by the wall with Jimmy Rogers drawing on the player’s scouting report up on the chalkboard. Larry was down underneath the table tying K.C.’s shoe strings together. And after the chalkboard was done, K.C. stumbled out into the middle of the floor and he just received it so well. I mean he just took it on and how it was intended and didn’t get mad or angry and the whole team laughed and went out and played the game. He was just a real guy, and he knew what to say you’d been through it all as a player and as a coach, playing on a team at high expectations. So that’s what we were in his four years of coaching in the finals every year. Anyway, he did a fantastic job of coaching. More than that, like I said he was a friend and a mentor, we he cared deeply about us as people.”
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