Mike Jones (basketball, born 1956)
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1956 (age 67–68) Alabama, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Listed height | 201 cm (6 ft 7 in) |
| Career information | |
| Playing career | 1981–1983 |
| Position | Center / Forward |
| Career history | |
| 1981–1983 | Illawarra Hawks |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Michael Jones (born 1956) is an American former professional basketball player. He played three seasons with the Illawarra Hawks in the Australian National Basketball League (NBL) between 1981 and 1983, where he was the league's MVP in 1981 and the league's scoring champion in 1981 and 1983. He was listed by the NBL in 1983 as 201 cm and a center/forward.[1]
Early life
Jones was born in the state of Alabama.[2]
Professional career
Jones moved to Australia in 1981 to play for the Illawarra Hawks in the National Basketball League (NBL).[2] He was voted league MVP in his first season[3] and was the league's scoring champion with 671 points in 22 games[4] for an average of 30.5 per game.[5] He was also the free throw percentage leader for 1981 with 87.6% (113/129).[4]
In his second season with the Hawks in 1982, Jones averaged a career-low 23.9 points per game.[5]
Jones was club captain in his third season with the Hawks in 1983.[6] He went on to earn the NBL scoring title for the second time with 719 points in 22 games[4] for a career-high average of 32.7 per game.[5]
For his career, Jones averaged 28.7 points on 51 per cent field goal shooting in 70 NBL games.[5] In January 2018, he was named one of the 12 Greatest Hawks of All Time by the Illawarra Mercury.[7]
Upon leaving the NBL, Jones reportedly returned to the United States to play semi-professionally.[2]
References
- ^ "FLASHBACK 14: NBL Media Guide 1983". botinagy.com. Archived from the original on September 23, 2017. Retrieved April 25, 2022.
- ^ a b c "Mike Jones". andthefoul.net. Archived from the original on March 22, 2016. Retrieved April 25, 2022.
- ^ "#FlashbackFriday to the first Illawarra Hawks NBL MVP Mike Jones!". facebook.com/TheNBL. 25 March 2016. Archived from the original on 19 November 2019.
- ^ a b c "All Time Leaders". NBL.com.au. Archived from the original on 23 September 2017.
- ^ a b c d "Player statistics for Michael Jones – 1983". NBL. Archived from the original on 19 November 2019.
- ^ "GREATEST HAWKS PROFILES" (PDF). Illawarra Mercury. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 25, 2022. Retrieved April 25, 2022.
- ^ "Your 12 greatest Illawarra Hawks of all time revealed". illawarramercury.com.au. January 13, 2018. Archived from the original on January 13, 2018.