While 19-year-old Philadelphia Union midfielder Derrick Jones appears poised to make his Major League Soccer debut this season, another Derrick Jones with ties to the area has parlayed his brief stint in the NBA into an invite to the league’s dunk competition.
The Phoenix Suns rookie, whose full name is Derrick Jones Jr., grew up not far from where Talen Energy Stadium now sits in basketball-crazed Chester and starred at Archbishop Carroll High School in Radnor before heading west for a season at UNLV.
NCAA eligibility issues led him to leave college early and after going undrafted the 6-foot-7 small forward has worked his way up from the Development League to make two appearances this season for the Suns, including his debut against his hometown team in November.