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(Budd Bailey and Greg D. Tranter have written a book called "Buffalo Braves From A to Z," published by St. Johann Press. Early in the writing process, they wrote good-sized biographies of all 71 men who played a regular-season game for the Braves during their time in Buffalo from 1970 to 1978. Publishers weren't so enthusiastic about all of that material, so most (59) of the biographies were shortened to about 500 words. However, the authors hated to waste all of that material ... so they are presenting it here. It will appear three times a week. A bibliography is available upon request.)
The Joneses of Arkansas in one sense are the First Family of pro basketball. They had four sons play in the ABA and NBA, a record. Wilbert Jones was the first of the four to reach the pros, and he carved out a good nine-year career. Wil’s last stop came in Buffalo, as he was part of the franchise’s final season.
Wilbert Jones was born February 27, 1947 in McGehee, Arkansas, to Cecilia and Caldwell Jones Sr. The Joneses had seven boys and one girl (who was the shortest of the group at 6-foot-3). Wilbert grew up on a farm in McGehee, located in southeastern Arkansas in Desha County. The city has a population slightly under 5,000 residents, and is located 107 miles southeast of Little Rock.
Six of the seven Jones brothers played basketball at Albany State College – one of them played center for the school for 18 straight years - and four of them played professionally in the NBA including Wil. Caldwell, Major and Charles also played in the NBA with Caldwell carving out a 17-year career. Wil’s brother Oliver, who was the eldest, was the first to attend Albany State after he was recruited by head coach Robert Rainey. When the last of the six brothers left Albany State in 1982, the brothers were the top six rebounders in Golden Rams history. And Oliver, after the death of Rainey, was the Golden Rams head basketball coach for 28 years.
“My father wanted us to be baseball players, so he kept a lot of baseballs and softballs around,” Oliver Jones told The New York Times in 1990. “We’d use them to shoot at a hoop we had made. But after Coach (Robert) Rainey came to McGehee, and my father saw how interested we had become in basketball, he cut down a tree, trimmed it down and placed a backboard on it. He even cleared a spot for a basketball court. Just about every kid in McGehee would come to the Jones’ court to play.”
The Joneses grew cotton, okra and soybeans, and raised hogs, cows and chickens. The boys worked hard on the farm as youngsters. "We never had that much, but by the same token we never went hungry," Wil said. "We learned to appreciate life. Our parents instilled in us that you get out of life what you put in."
Many think that Wil was the brother that made the most of his considerable talent. He was the last of the Jones brothers to attend McGehee's segregated Wolf Project High. "Wil spent a lot of time by himself working on his game," said Alvin Williams, a cousin from McGehee and a high school coach in Chicago. "Even when he was little, he worked on fancy ball handling. He could do more things with a ball than any of the brothers."
Wil attended Desha Central High School and graduated in the spring of 1965. Little information is available about his high school basketball career but without question he must have been good, as he received scholarship offers from multiple Historically Black Colleges. But since his two older brothers, Oliver and Melvin, had attended Albany State and Rainey wanted Wil, there was little question where he would go. Albany State is in Albany, Georgia, in the southwest part of the state. Jones enrolled in the fall of 1965.
Wil played as a freshman on a Golden Rams team that finished with a 14-17 record, but won the Southeastern Athletic Conference (SEAC) tournament title to highlight the season. Jones played a bigger role with the team as a sophomore and the squad had much more success. The Rams finished first in the SEAC, won the NAIA District 6 title and were ranked No. 15 in the nation among small colleges. They lost a heartbreaker to Central Michigan in the NAIA national tournament, 71-70.
As a junior, Wil became a dominant player and teamed with Little All-American Mack Daughtry to lead the Golden Rams to a 32-8 overall record. Wil was second on the team in scoring with a 19.5 per game average. Wil was also second on the team in rebounding to his older brother Melvin at 12.6 rebounds per game. Albany State, ranked No. 13 in the nation, was upset in the first round of the NAIA National basketball tournament to New Haven of Connecticut, 69-68, on March 10, 1968. Wil scored 25 points and kept his team close. However, with 17 seconds left he committed a foul on a rebound. The subsequent free throws by New Haven were the difference in the game.
Jones continued to star as a senior, putting together his best season. “I’ve had nobody better than Wilbert,” Rainey said at the time. “He’s bigger than Mack Daughtry and can do everything. Their shooting ability would be close. One more thing about Wilbert - he’s a leader. In fact he has been my captain for three years. He’s as good as any cornerman I’ve ever seen. There are some a little bigger and stronger, but none better.” Jones led the NAIA in rebounding with 670 for an average of 23.9 per game. He scored 622 points in 28 games (22.2 ppg.). He led the Golden Rams to a 23-5 season record and a No. 12 national ranking.
Albany State played Valdosta State on March 4, 1969 in the NAIA Georgia State Championship game with the winner qualifying for the national tournament in Kansas City, Missouri. The game was a see-saw battle and was knotted at 68 with one second remaining. Valdosta State had the ball out of bounds underneath their basket. Pete Smith, the game’s leading scorer with 24 points, received the inbounds pass and put up a shot to win the game. The ball was rejected by Jones, however, the official called goaltending and the Rebels won the game, 70-68. It was a stunning conclusion to Jones’ college career.
The following week he became “Albany State’s First Authentic All-American” as he was selected to the UPI and NAIA Little All-American teams. He was also All-SEAC and All NAIA-District. The Atlanta Tipoff Club honored Jones as the State of Georgia Player of the Year. On his professional prospects Jones said, “Ever since I was a small boy, I’ve wanted to play in the pros. Now, looks like maybe, I’m going to get that chance.”
Jones was selected in the ABA Draft on April 15, 1969 by the Miami Floridians. Three weeks later was picked by the Los Angeles Lakers in the fifth round, 69th overall pick, in the NBA Draft. He chose to sign with Miami, thinking he would have a much better chance to play regularly.
He joined a mediocre Floridians team, and it took Wil some time to adapt to the pro game. The 6-foot-8, 205-pound power forward made his professional debut in Miami’s sixth game of the season on October 28, 1969, scoring four points in a 118-103 loss against the Carolina Cougars. He began to see more playing time in late December and had several good games in the second half of the season. He had a season-best 23 points in a loss to the New York Nets. Wil appeared in 74 games for a Floridians team that finished 23-61. He averaged 8.2 points per game and 7.6 rebounds, but shot 39.4 percent from the field.
Jones was traded to the New Orleans Buccaneers in a five-player deal in June, 1970. Shortly after the trade the New Orleans franchise was sold to Mississippi businessman P.W. Blake who subsequently moved the team to Memphis. The club was nicknamed the Pros. Wil improved during his second season, increasing his minutes played to 26.6 per game while scoring 11.4 points and snaring 8.1 rebounds per game. He improved his shooting percentage to 48.1 percent. Jones gave credit to former Boston Celtic Bailey Howell with his rebounding and shooting improvement. “He taught me to keep moving on the offensive board so I can’t be blocked out,” Wil said. “He also gave us a drill, jumping at the basket as high as we could without losing our balance when we came down, still keeping ourselves in position. … The coaches stress that the game is won or lost on the boards, and I just try to do my best at the job.”
The Pros finished with a 41-43 record, good for third in the Western Division and a playoff berth. However, they were eliminated by the Indiana Pacers in the first round, 4-0. Wil played in all four games, 15.0 points and 12.3 rebounds per game.
Jones continued his improvement under head coach Babe McCarthy in his third ABA season, 1971-72. He played a career high of 36.9 minutes per game while also averaging career highs in points (14.9) and rebounds (10.4), However, Memphis fell to fifth place in the ABA’s Western Division with a 26-58 record and out of the playoffs. Wil was selected to the West squad for the ABA All-Star game. He played 10 minutes and contributed two points and three rebounds in the West’s 142-115 loss. After the season concluded, McCarthy left the team, and the franchise was struggling financially. It was set to go out of business when flamboyant Oakland Athletics owner Charlie O. Finley purchased the team. He renamed the team the Tams, following a name the team contest. It was chosen because the team supposedly had fans in Tennessee along with the neighboring states of Arkansas and Mississippi.
Jones returned under new head coach Bob Bass for the 1972-73 season and the team declined a bit more, winning only 24 games while losing 60. Finley tried creating interest in the team by offering each player $300 if he would grow a mustache. In addition, he changed players with a frequency not seen in basketball up to that time. The club made 24 separate player transactions during the first half of the season alone. Wil’s numbers dropped to 30.5 minutes, 11.0 points and 7.9 rebounds per game. He had his single game career high in points with 32 in a win over the Virginia Squires on November 19. Jones played one more year with the Tams under coach Butch van Breda Kolff with similar numbers, 35.1 (minutes), 13.2 (points) and 8.2 (rebounds) as the team finished 21-63.
The Tams folded at the conclusion of the 1973-74 season. Jones finally could leave the obscurity of playing for franchises that drew few fans and had little on-court success. He signed with the Kentucky Colonels, one of the most stable franchises in the ABA. He joined new head coach Hubie Brown and talented players such as Dan Issel, Louie Dampier, and Artis Gilmore. The Colonels finished with a 58-26 record and tied for first place with the New York Nets. Jones played 32 minutes per game while averaging 12.6 points and 7.2 rebounds. He was named to the ABA’s first team All-Defensive squad in 1974-75.
The Colonels defeated the Nets, 108-99, in a one-game playoff to crown Kentucky the ABA East champions with Jones scoring 20 points, second on the team to Artis Gilmore’s 28. The Colonels roared through the playoffs defeating the Memphis Sounds, the Spirits of St. Louis and the Indiana Pacers to win the ABA title. Kentucky won each series, 4-1. Brown, who went on to coach several NBA teams and was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, said that this Colonels team was the best squad he ever coached.
Wil could attack a press or fill a lane on the break, and wasn't a bad shooter. But defense, of course, was his forte. When asked who gave him the most trouble on defense, superstar Julius Erving of the Nets answered, "I'm not sure who No. 2 is, but No. 1 is Wil Jones."
The Colonels had another excellent season in 1975-76, but they lost to the Denver Nuggets, 4-3, in the semifinals. Jones had another solid season, playing in 83 of the teams’ 84 games while finishing fourth on the team in scoring (13.6) and rebounding (7.5). Wil had the opportunity to play that season with this brother Caldwell after he had been acquired from the San Diego Seals in November. However, Caldwell only played 15 games with the Colonels before he was dealt for Maurice Lucas.
On August 5, 1976, the NBA and ABA merged, which meant Denver, New York, Indiana and San Antonio were set to join the senior circuit. Players from the other teams – including Jones and the other Colonels - were part of a dispersal draft. Jones was selected by the Indiana Pacers. Wil finished his ABA career 15th in games played (566) and 17th in minutes (17,511) while averaging 12.2 points and 8.2 rebounds per game.
Jones made his NBA debut on October 21, 1976 against the NBA’s most storied franchise, the Boston Celtics. He scored 21 points in the Pacers’ loss. Wil had his NBA career high in points on December 15 with 26 points in a win over San Antonio. Jones was fourth on the team in scoring average (13.0) and third in rebounding average (7.6) as the Pacers finished out of the playoffs with a 36-46 record. Jones had played out his contract with Indiana and became a free agent. The Buffalo Braves were looking for some up front help for their roster and signed Wil on October 3, 1977. They gave up a second-round draft choice and cash to complete the transaction.
Jones made his Braves debut on October 19, 1977 in a 112-108 win over the Kansas City Kings. Wil scored nine points and snared two rebounds in the victory. His best game with Buffalo came on November 30 as he registered a double-double with 18 points and 10 boards. Despite playing in 79 games it became apparent that Wil was on the last legs of his pro career. He had a career low 6.8 points per game average and 4.2 rebounds. The Braves staggered to a 27-55 finish in their final season in Buffalo. Wil played in Buffalo’s final game, scoring four points in a 131-114 loss on April 9, 1978 to the Celtics. It also was his last professional game; he was waived by the San Diego Clippers during training camp in the fall of 1978.
Wil tried assistant coaching and sent the Atlanta Hawks a resume after Kevin Loughery was named coach before the 1981-82 season, but he didn't get an interview. "I always say work, but don't work too hard," Wil said. "That same work'll be there when you're gone." Jones spent several years running a recreation center in Atlanta. Along the way, he also spent plenty of time working on his tennis game. Jones competed in national tournaments through his 60s. “I’m still learning. No matter how old you get, you can always learn,” he said about his play in 2016.
Four of the Jones brothers are enshrined in the Albany State Sports Hall of Fame: Charles, Major, Caldwell, and Melvin. But for some reason, Wil is not yet enshrined. It seems like a major oversight.
(Follow Budd on X.com via @WDX2BB)
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