K C Jones

K.C. Jones will replace Bernie Bickerstaff as coach of the Seattle SuperSonics this week, the club's president said Monday. "We're not missing a beat with K.C. replacing Bernie," SuperSonic President Bob Whitsitt told the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Bickerstaff will become vice president of basketball operations, the newspaper reported. Jones has agreed to a three-year, $900,000 contract. Bickerstaff coached Seattle for the past five seasons, compiling a 202-208 record.

The K.C. Jones era opened with success--a victory Sunday in front of an ABL record crowd of 12,683 at the Hartford Civic Center. Carolyn Jones scored 24 points as the New England Blizzard defeated the Atlanta Glory, 86-66, in the opener of the American Basketball League's second season. K.C. Jones, the former Boston Celtic coach and NBA Hall of Famer, was named New England's coach in the off-season. Shanda Berry added 20 points and Jennifer Rizzotti 14 for the Blizzard.

K.C. Jones and Lenny Wilkens, once rival guards in the National Basketball Assn., were together again Friday after their election to the Basketball Hall of Fame. "This is the sort of thing that happens to superstars, not people who can't shoot," said Jones, who retired last year as coach of the Boston Celtics, for whom he played nine years. "I just did the blue-collar-type things." Wilkens disagreed. "K.C. was a fine player," said Wilkens, now coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

K.C. Jones, the former NBA coach and Celtics guard who was on 12 championship teams, was hired Monday as coach of the New England Blizzard--a coup for the fledgling women's American Basketball League. The ABL and the Blizzard said they would hold a news conference today to welcome the NBA Hall of Famer. "I think it really shows that basketball is basketball," said Pam Batalis, general manager of the Blizzard. "The perception and acceptance of women's sports has come a long way."

K.C. Jones, the former NBA coach and Celtics guard who was on 12 championship teams, was hired Monday as coach of the New England Blizzard--a coup for the fledgling women's American Basketball League. The ABL and the Blizzard said they would hold a news conference today to welcome the NBA Hall of Famer. "I think it really shows that basketball is basketball," said Pam Batalis, general manager of the Blizzard. "The perception and acceptance of women's sports has come a long way."

Sal Tecce was conducting a tour of the family restaurant the other night when he led a visitor into a dining area they call the Street Cafe Room. "Now this," he said, speaking out the side of his face, "this I don't think K.C. will be real excited about. We took the piano out this summer. K.C., he's never been here when there wasn't a piano." The narrow, rectangular room is decked out to resemble a street in Rome. It has small tables on raised platforms on either side of the room.

K.C. Jones spent 14 years in Boston as either a player or a coach for the Celtics, but Boston Globe columnist Bob Ryan didn't express much sympathy when Jones was fired as coach of the Seattle SuperSonics--and not only because Jones is owed nearly $2 million over the next four years. "What (General Manager Bob) Whitsitt did was furlough K.C. to do what he does best: Relax on a guaranteed income," Ryan wrote. "K.C. was fired because the Sonics needed a coach, not a cruise director. . . . K.C.

K.C. Jones took over as coach of the Seattle SuperSonics as Bernie Bickerstaff became vice president of basketball operations Tuesday. Bickerstaff, 46, gave up his coaching position with a year left on a five-year contract. "It took us about eight seconds to decide that K.C. was the guy to take over Bernie's job," club President Bob Whitsitt said. Jones had been an assistant coach under Bickerstaff.

K.C. Jones, still surrounded by green, glides into semi-retirement and, just maybe, the rest of his working life at the same time. That makes as much sense as one of the NBA's most successful coaches of the 1980s breaking into the current decade by having to remind himself when to speak during timeouts--but it works. It works very well, in fact. About as well as Jones could have imagined when he left the Boston Celtics, his longtime home, to join the Seattle SuperSonics.

K.C. Jones spent 14 years in Boston as either a player or a coach for the Celtics, but Boston Globe columnist Bob Ryan didn't express much sympathy when Jones was fired as coach of the Seattle SuperSonics--and not only because Jones is owed nearly $2 million over the next four years. "What (General Manager Bob) Whitsitt did was furlough K.C. to do what he does best: Relax on a guaranteed income," Ryan wrote. "K.C. was fired because the Sonics needed a coach, not a cruise director. . . . K.C.

Adieu, K.C.: Under intense Bernie Bickerstaff, the Seattle SuperSonics were a rough, tough bunch with a lot of depth who would dog you from one end of the court to the other. Under amiable K.C. Jones, they developed another personality: Five players starting, seven complaining about playing time. Stuck at .500 and unable to accommodate 12 unhappy men, the Sonics did the overmatched Jones a favor and fired him, with this season and three more left on his contract, $1.9 million worth in all.

The Seattle SuperSonics fired K.C. Jones Wednesday after consecutive home losses to Orlando and Charlotte and named assistant Bob Kloppenburg as interim coach. Another assistant, Kip Motta, also was fired. "This is the most difficult decision I have ever made," club president Bob Whitsitt said. "K.C. is a class person in the truest sense of the word. But at this time, it has become clear that we need to go in a different direction on the court."

Sal Tecce was conducting a tour of the family restaurant the other night when he led a visitor into a dining area they call the Street Cafe Room. "Now this," he said, speaking out the side of his face, "this I don't think K.C. will be real excited about. We took the piano out this summer. K.C., he's never been here when there wasn't a piano." The narrow, rectangular room is decked out to resemble a street in Rome. It has small tables on raised platforms on either side of the room.

One year and one day ago in a tiny dilapidated Seattle Center Coliseum office he called his own, Seattle SuperSonics Coach Bernie Bickerstaff looked ill. His tie loosened and his face drained of life, Bickerstaff had just watched his team blow a 29-point lead to get eliminated by the Los Angeles Lakers in the second round of the NBA playoffs. In any venue, he had a helpless look about him. "You know, I don't know if I can do this anymore," he said.

K.C. Jones took over as coach of the Seattle SuperSonics as Bernie Bickerstaff became vice president of basketball operations Tuesday. Bickerstaff, 46, gave up his coaching position with a year left on a five-year contract. "It took us about eight seconds to decide that K.C. was the guy to take over Bernie's job," club President Bob Whitsitt said. Jones had been an assistant coach under Bickerstaff.

The Seattle SuperSonics fired K.C. Jones Wednesday after consecutive home losses to Orlando and Charlotte and named assistant Bob Kloppenburg as interim coach. Another assistant, Kip Motta, also was fired. "This is the most difficult decision I have ever made," club president Bob Whitsitt said. "K.C. is a class person in the truest sense of the word. But at this time, it has become clear that we need to go in a different direction on the court."

One year and one day ago in a tiny dilapidated Seattle Center Coliseum office he called his own, Seattle SuperSonics Coach Bernie Bickerstaff looked ill. His tie loosened and his face drained of life, Bickerstaff had just watched his team blow a 29-point lead to get eliminated by the Los Angeles Lakers in the second round of the NBA playoffs. In any venue, he had a helpless look about him. "You know, I don't know if I can do this anymore," he said.

K.C. Jones will replace Bernie Bickerstaff as coach of the Seattle SuperSonics this week, the club's president said Monday. "We're not missing a beat with K.C. replacing Bernie," SuperSonic President Bob Whitsitt told the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Bickerstaff will become vice president of basketball operations, the newspaper reported. Jones has agreed to a three-year, $900,000 contract. Bickerstaff coached Seattle for the past five seasons, compiling a 202-208 record.

Former Boston Celtics Coach K. C. Jones has withdrawn from consideration for the Atlanta Hawks' coaching job, leaving New Jersey Nets Vice President Willis Reed as the likely favorite. Jones "called me late yesterday and said he wanted to withdraw his name from consideration," Atlanta General Manager Pete Babcock said Thursday. "No reason. That's all he told me. It was out of the blue."