K.C. Jones began a second career as a basketball coach following his Hall of Fame playing career with the Boston Celtics, He joined the Los Angeles Lakers as an assistant coach for the 1972 season. The Lakers won the NBA Championship. In his first season on the bench, Jones already had his first championship ring as a coach. Two years later, Jones had his first head coaching opportunity in the NBA.

Washington Years (1974-to-1976)

K.C. Jones was hired for the 1973-1974 season to coach the Capital Bullets (who would change their name to the Washington Bullets the following season). He remained as head coach in Washington for three seasons. His teams went a combined 155-91 (62.2 winning percentage). Washington reached the 1975 NBA Finals, though ultimately fell to the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals. Jones was coached only one more year in Washington (a 48-win season).

Nearly 50 years later, K.C. Jones is still Washington’s all-time leader is both winning percentage and wins over .500 (32).

Return to Boston (1978-1983)

After exiting Washington, Jones returned to being an NBA assistant. He spent one year with the Milwaukee Bucks before returning to his playing home with the Boston Celtics. He spent six seasons as an assistant coach in Boston. The non-interim head coaches during those years were Tommy Heinsohn (Hall of Fame coach), Tom Sanders (Hall of Fame contributor), and Bill Fitch (Hall of Fame coach). The 1981 Boston Celtics won the NBA Championship. K.C. Jones picked up his second ring as an NBA assistant coach.

Celtics Head Coach (1984-1988)

After Bill Fitch left to coach the Houston Rockets, K.C. Jones was promoted to head coach of the Boston Celtics before the 1983—1984 season. Even with the most successful franchise in NBA history, it was difficult to be much more successful than K.C. Jones. In his five years as Celtics head coach. Boston went to four NBA Finals and won twice. The 1984 and 1986 teams raised banners in the Boston Garden under Jones’ watch. The 1986 team is considered one of the greatest in NBA history. They amassed 67 regular season wins before going 15-3 in the playoffs. Their head coach: K.C. Jones.

Jones resigned following the 1988 season. The Celtics would not reach the NBA Finals for another 20 years after his departure. Jones coached two seasons with the Seattle SuperSonics (.500 both years) in his final head coaching job in the NBA.

Records and Honors for K.C. Jones

K.C. Jones has the highest winning percentage (.630) in Washington Wizards history.

K.C. Jones has the highest winning percentage in the regular season (.751) and NBA Playoffs (.637) in Boston Celtics history. This is a franchise with Hall of Fame head coaches Red Auerbach, Bill Russell, Tommy Heinsohn, and Bill Fitch. All of them are deservingly in the Hall of Fame. Why isn’t K.C. Jones?

There are only six NBA head coaches to reach more than three NBA Finals. The only retired head coach not in the Hall of Fame is K.C. Jones. Jones did not just win three conference championships however, he won five.

Throughout NBA history, of every head coach with at least 500 wins, K.C. Jones has the second-best winning percentage (.674). He trails only Hall of Fame coach Phil Jackson (.704).

Eleven retired head coaches have won multiple NBA Championships. Ten are in the National Basketball Hall of Fame. The other? K.C. Jones.

When the NBA celebrated turning 75 in 2022, they revealed a list of the 15 greatest coaches in NBA history. Of the 12 coaches who were not active, 11 are in the Basketball Hall of Fame. The other? K.C. Jones.

In Conclusion

It makes no sense that K.C. Jones is not already in the National Basketball Hall of Fame. There is zero justification for it. Several coaches with less impressive resumes have been inducted. Nobody with a more impressive coaching resume has been ignored.

To reiterate, K.C. Jones is a man who won two NBA Finals as a head coach, two NBA titles as an assistant coach, five conference championships as a head coach, has the highest winning percentage for two different franchises (including the storied Boston Celtics), and the second-highest winning-percentage in NBA history of any coach with 500 wins.

K.C. Jones wore No. 25 when he played in the NBA. Perhaps it's fitting the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame waited until 2025 to induct him as a coach. But there is no justification for it having taken so long and no excuse to wait any longer.