K.C. Jones, who personified winning as a hard-nosed point guard and then coach of the Boston Celtics during a Hall of Fame career has died, the Celtics confirmed Friday. He was 88.
K.C. was Jones' given name, although some joked the "C" stood for championships. It was easy to see why.
He played nine seasons in the NBA, all with the Celtics, and won titles in eight of them -- the third-most in league history, behind only longtime teammates Bill Russell (11) and Sam Jones (10). That success carried over to his coaching days, when he won three titles (one as an assistant, two as a head coach) during Boston's run of success in the 1980s with Larry Bird and Co.