KC Jones Foundation
Mission Statement
Just as a teenaged KC Jones was fortuitously discovered balling on the blacktops of his city’s local projects and selected to lend his unique athleticism to USF’s developing basketball program, we’ve made it our mission to support entities and individuals who recognize diamonds in the rough, fostering rising star athletes not only in sports, but in education and consequently, life.
The KC Jones Foundation dedicates itself to supporting the following organizations and charitable causes in their endeavors to seek out, identify, and encourage the next generation of up-and-coming athletic talent:
The University of San Francisco
The Black Fives
Kingdom Performance
James R Jordan Foundation
The University Of Hawaii At Manoa
The Foundation also supports the following organizations and in their critical research for a cure:
The Alzheimer’s Association
About KC Jones
Who is KC Jones?
Besides being a world class athlete, and the most soft-spoken coach in the NBA, what is his origin story?
Let's start at the beginning...
The Zest of Texas
It began in a small rural Texas town eighty-eight years ago.
K.C. Jones, Jr. was born to K.C. Jones, Sr. and Eula Jones (nee Daniels) on May 25, 1932, the firstborn of five children in a town coincidentally named after a railroad official.
Founded in 1876, Taylor, Texas (“The Zest Of Texas”), located in Williamson County thirty miles northeast of Austin was a busy shipping point for cattle, grain, and cotton after the International Great Northern Railroad arrived that year.
The roughly 1,000 residents were proud, hardworking Texans unafraid of physical labor.
And Little K.C. was no different.
At an incredibly young age, learning how to pick cotton he joined the many field laborers who spent hours in the sweltering sun to make ends meet for their poor families. But this wasn’t his only contribution to the household.
One season, Eula became ill and taught her little boy how to make rice. Soon after, she taught him how to cook and eventually, K.C. became the helpful and responsible Big Brother to his younger siblings despite barely able to see over the kitchen counter.
The occasional chair and long wooden spoon helped rectify that problem.
He started school, a notion terrifying for a shy, soft-spoken African American child who suffered from an embarrassingly severe stutter. After the first day, the frustrated and impatient teacher sent him home shouting, “Learn how to speak!” humiliating the introverted and impressionable young boy.
From that humbling experience, an experience that stayed with him for the rest of his life, K.C. made a vow to never make anyone feel that way...ever.
The City By the Bay
At the age of nine, his family relocated to San Francisco to join K.C. Sr who had been drafted into the Navy and moved there ahead of them.
The family less one took their first train ride halfway across country and, as K.C. recollected in later years, saw themselves as “country bumpkins” going to the “big city” complete with a live chicken to kill on-board for dinner.
He would jokingly tell you this memory was a bit traumatizing for him.
Settling in the Hunters Point-Bayview projects located in the south east section of the city, every day, K.C. looked forward to joining the other neighborhood kids at the local recreational center after dutifully cleaning house and doing his chores. Children of all ages and backgrounds learned how to play all types of sports here, football a particularly popular past time.
But on the roughly hewn graveled blacktop is where he discovered his passion.
Meeting what would turn out to be lifelong friends Issac “Ike” Walker, and the Boyd brothers Charlie and McKinley, the best friends spent many hours playing street basketball, unwittingly honing their skills, the years flying by before high school soon came knocking.
Commerce High would prove to be his debut, exhibiting his talents in the game of basketball and surprisingly football, where between chores, cooking, and his studies, he managed to make “Northern California” and “All-American”.
However, despite his athleticism, he never gave a career in professional sports serious thought.
“There’s Work At The Post Office”
With a largely absent father, economic hardships shaped his worldview but despite the distractions, K.C. had successfully made a name for himself in high school.
During his senior year, a local newspaper reporter asked him about his plans for college.
Baffled, K.C. casually informed the man he was not going to college but instead, planned on a career at the post office to support his mother and siblings. Shocked, the reporter encouraged him to read his upcoming column.
After the article was published, schools began offering scholarships in response but a small Jesuit school with a modest basketball program made him an offer he could not ignore.
This Guy Doesn't Talk Much
A History major at USF, he befriended a young athlete from Louisiana by the name of Bill Russell, the two assigned as roommates. Russell, a very social person was struck by the amount of words K.C. produced.
Or more accurately, the lack thereof.
Early on in their friendship he recollected that every morning, to his amusement, K.C. would wake up before Bill, shower and dress, then slap the side of the wooden bunk-bed before leaving as a sort of silent, “Good Morning” gesture. But despite the lack of communication off the court, the two “communicated” extremely well on the court.
Together, the two best friends guided the USF Dons to NCAA championships in 1955 and 1956. During their time, they led their team to a record 55 game winning streak including an undefeated 29-0 record during the 1955-56 season and helped pioneer a play that later became known as the “alley-oop”.
Who is That Orange Girl?
While in college, he’d befriended a star player from the University of Iowa by the name of Carl Cecil Cain, a popular 6’3” star guard from Freeport, Illinois who was instrumental in leading his team to the Final Four in 1954-55 and the championship game in 1955-56.
Before the big game against Iowa, K.C. found himself besieged courtside by autograph seekers; a normal day for him.
Or so he thought. That day, someone special stood out from among the rest.
Beverly Marie Taylor (who coincidentally as a child was teased with the nickname “Mrs. Jones” by an uncle) was goaded by her mother Inis to secure an autograph, but the young girl of 19 had already decided she didn’t like this guy.
When his name was announced prior to tip-off, the crowd went wild. Harboring disdain for his ensuing swagger, she’d immediately dismissed him.
“This guy’s so arrogant!” she thought to herself. “I don’t like him at all.”
“Go on, Beverly,” Inis urged. “Get an autograph. You’ll never see him again in life!”
Shy and soft-spoken herself, young Beverly grudgingly agreed and managed to reach the 6’1” star athlete among the throng of admirers.
Handing him a blank piece of paper, he took and signed it, his eyes never leaving hers. With Beverly doing her best to look uninterested and play it cool, K.C. asked, “Which team are you rooting for?”
“Iowa!” she saucily shot back before snatching the autograph and scampering back to the safety of her mother in the bleachers. However, that false sense of safety did absolutely nothing to shield her from his lingering stares during courtside huddles.
Amused, after the win K.C. subsequently asked his friend Carl, “Who’s that orange girl?”
“Her? That’s my sister Beverly,” Carl replied.
Representing the United States of America
Winning over the initially hesitant young farm girl, after graduating from USF (and making regular trips to Freeport to visit his Beverly), K.C. voluntarily enlisted in the Army and was stationed at Ft. Lindenwold, MO. Toward the end of his nearly two-year enlistment, he, along with his best friends Bill and Carl, were selected to join the Men’s USA Basketball Team representing the United States at the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne, Australia winning a gold medal for their country.
Beantown
Shockingly finding himself a viable draft pick, it was Round 2 of the 1956 NBA Draft when he was surprised and grateful at being selected by the Boston Celtics thus reuniting the two former USF and Olympic teammates.
Honorably discharged from the Army, in 1958, K.C. began his career as Boston’s alternate point guard wearing jersey #25. He would later jokingly reminisce spending that whole first year “trying to avoid being cut from the team”.
A year later, he married Beverly in an intimate wedding at St. Paul’s in Freeport, Illinois, her family’s home church, his closest Celtics teammates in attendance.
The new couple found the atmosphere at the organization more family-oriented than business, led by Red Auerbach with the Celtics’ wives seated in their private section at home games (trying their best to avoid getting in Coach Auerbach’s hair), the annual Christmas parties, and the players’ children all calling the teammates “Uncle”.
Working hard to prove himself and carving a niche for himself as a defensive player, eventually K.C. was awarded a key position on the team, Coach Auerbach recognizing his ability to “turn the tide” of a game thus contributing to the Celtics’ legacy:
“If we were 4 or 6 points ahead, I’d put K.C. in and we’d be 12 ahead. If we were 10 behind, you look up, we’re 4 behind.”
This hard work and determination came to a head when together, Jones and Russell made athletic history as members of “The Starting Five”; the first team in any sport worldwide to have five black men in the starting line-up consisting of K.C. Jones, Bill Russell, Sam Jones, Willie Naulls, and Tom “Satch” Sanders.
During K.C.’s nine-year tenure, the Boston Celtics won 8 consecutive NBA Championships, the most any team has ever won consecutively in NBA history.
The Legacy
While playing for Boston, K.C. and Beverly welcomed their first four children: Leslie Ann, K.C. III, Kelly Marie, and Bryna Lynn.
After the Celtics retired jersey #25 hoisting it to the rafters of The Boston Garden in a formal retirement ceremony, K.C. set his sights on a new challenge.
Realizing his teaching gift and motivated by mentoring up and comers, Jones decided on coaching as a post retirement career building his chops at Brandeis University before moving on to Harvard as a member of the coaching staff serving as assistant.
During the transition from Brandeis to Harvard, the Joneses would welcome their fifth and last child, Holly Louise.
After tackling college, his first foray into the world of professional coaching resulted in a surprise one-year stint as an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Lakers; eyebrows amusedly flying upward and tongues wagging, the appreciation of a former Celtic, coaching their long-time rivals to an NBA championship highly amusing earning him the first of many rings.
After jobs with the San Diego Conquistadors, the Capital/Washington Bullets, and the Milwaukee Bucks, K.C. finally came home as a member of the coaching staff at his “alma mater” in 1983.
During his early years as assistant coach for Boston, Jones managed an annual international summer basketball camp teaching foundational principles and good sportsmanship to all ages, genders, race and creed throughout the years; his five children having the privilege to participate.
After five years paying dues, an opening for head coach became available prompting Red Auerbach, then General Manager to name his former clutch player as Head Coach where he served another five years and brought two NBA Championships in 1984 and 1986 back to the city.
After a short period serving as VP of Operations in the Celtics’ front office, a man of action who enjoyed being “in the trenches” K.C. resigned and headed out west again; this time to Seattle to coach the young and highly energetic Supersonics.
The career move regrettably not the best fit, he decided to join the Pistons then the Celtics as assistant coach.
By then, a new league for women had begun, the ABL, and K.C. being a progressive individual knew it was time for women to get their fair shot (pardon the pun) on the world stage.
Moving back to Connecticut, K.C. served as Head Coach of the New England Blizzard thus ending his coaching career on a high note with the privilege of having contributed to a real turning point and paradigm shift in the world of American professional sports.
After divorce and remarriage, K.C. retired permanently in 2009 after being diagnosed with dementia.
Epilogue
A poor African American child having picked cotton in the south and raised in the projects, with the odds seemingly stacked against him K.C. refused to be categorized, labeled, or written off harboring the passion for silencing the naysayers and paving the way for others who came after him.
K.C. was a loving husband, father, and mentor. An NBA Hall Of Famer with a dry sense of humor and an avid golfer who loved to sing, tell jokes, travel, and enjoy international cuisine, K.C. touched the hearts of all of whom he came into contact. He never met a stranger.
Not bad for a “country bumpkin” from the San Francisco projects who was a self-proclaimed “brick shooter”.
After a long and fulfilling life of love, laughter, and history making, he passed away peacefully in his sleep on his favorite number…
You guessed it…The 25th of December, 2020.
Written by Holly Jones
Sponsors, Partnerships, and Friends
Where Would I Be Without Them?
HOW Hyperpure Oxygenated Water - Official Sponsor
Thank you to our sponsor, HOW Water, for their desire to be dedicated and committed to our vision. We are extremely fortunate to be involved with such an important and generous sponsor. Check out their website to learn more.
Ned Wallroth of Amalgam - Partner and Friend
We help companies grow with brand development, digital enablement, content creation, and media.
https://www.amalgam.co/
Ned Wallroth, co-founder of Amalgam, has partnered with us since the beginning of this journey. We would not have a foundation without him. We are forever grateful for his direction, his passion, and kindness.
Ed Babaian - Partner and Friend
http://www.eddiewritescopy.com/
Ed is a writer extraordinaire. We met via Twitter when he supported Dad by buying one of Dad's Celtics Shooting Shirts. We started chatting and found out he wrote the famous "Smaht Pahk" commercial. He is now a brother and partner with us on our journey. Thank you, Ed, for all you do.
Gregory Titus Illustrator - Partner and Friend
https://www.instagram.com/p/CQwSzE-MGmS/
Gregory Titus is an talented, amazing artist who created Dad's logo with the creative direction from Ned Wallroth. We are so grateful he is a part of our team!
Steve Lipofsky - Partner and Friend
https://basketballphoto.com/
Steve Lipofsky has 23 Years as Boston Celtics Photographer. He is super kind and generous to come along with us on our journey. Grateful for his work with Dad and beyond.
Steve Curley - Partner and Friend
https://www.redabballschool.com
Steve Curley and his wife, Bryna, whom I am named after, have been dear friends of Dad and our family since the late 50s. Not only are they family, and that he ran the KC Jones Basketball Camp over the years, but he has been running the Red Auerbach Basketball School for 60 years!
We are so happy and grateful Steve and Bryna are part of our team.
Joanne Borzakian - Partner and Friend
Joanne Borzakian Ouellette is an experienced Marketing and Event industry professional. She is skilled and successful in unique, creative and memorable sports and entertainment marketing strategies, product launches, brand development and event planning and management.
Joanne's personal brand is built with pride on her professional delivery, long term industry relationships, friendships and the ability to manage and deliver successfully with tremendous results.
Joanne worked over 16 years at Reebok. In her role as GlobalMarketing Director for NBA Basketball, she played a key role in the launch of the Reebok Pump, as well as many other global marketing and event initiatives. She went on to start her own company, JBOMarketing LLC and has been hired by NBA athletes and celebrities to create strategies to drive brand awareness and sales. Wahlburgers hires her to create market relevant events and be onsite for seamless event day execution whenever the Wahlberg brothers visit a location.Joanne loves family, basketball, making people happy and being an instrument to help deliver lifelong happy memories to many people around the world.
Contact Us
2774 Cobb Pky NW, Suite 109-439, Kennesaw, GA 30152-3497
kcjonesfoundation@gmail.com. (410) 497-5032
