Popeye Jones

Popeye Jones

Denver Nuggets
Position	Assistant coach
League	NBA
Personal information
Born	(1970-06-17)June 17, 1970 Dresden, Tennessee,U.S.
Listed height	6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
Listed weight	250 lb (113 kg)
Career information
High school	Dresden (Dresden, Tennessee)
College	Murray State(1988–1992)
NBA draft	1992:2nd round, 41st overall pick
Selected by theHouston Rockets
Playing career	1992–2004
Position	Power forward
Number	54, 4, 50
Coaching career	2010–present
Career history
As player:
1992–1993	Aresium Milano
1993–1996	Dallas Mavericks
1996–1998	Toronto Raptors
1998–1999	Boston Celtics
1999–2000	Denver Nuggets
2000–2002	Washington Wizards
2002–2003	Dallas Mavericks
2003–2004	Golden State Warriors
As coach:
2010–2013	New Jersey / Brooklyn Nets(assistant)
2013–2020	Indiana Pacers(assistant)
2020–2021	Philadelphia 76ers(assistant)
2021–present	Denver Nuggets (assistant)
Career highlights and awards
NCAA rebounding leader(1992) 2×OVC Player of the Year(1990, 1991) 3× First-team All-OVC(1990–1992) No. 54retired by Murray State Racers As assistant coach: NBA champion(2023)
Career NBA statistics
Points	3,726 (7.0 ppg)
Rebounds	3,981 (7.4 rpg)
Assists	696 (1.3 apg)
Statsat NBA.com
Statsat Basketball-Reference.com

Ronald Jerome"Popeye"Jones(born June 17, 1970) is an American professionalbasketballcoach and former player who serves as an assistant coach for theDenver Nuggetsof theNational Basketball Association(NBA).

College career

Born inDresden, Tennessee,Jones playedcollege basketballforMurray State University.He finished his college career as a three-time All-Ohio Valley Conferenceselection, a two-time honorable mentionAll-Americaand was named OVC Player of the Year in 1990 and 1991. Jones was honored as the OVC's Athlete of the Year in 1991 and 1992. He is one of only ten MSU men's basketball players to have his jersey retired; his #54 hangs in the rafters of theCFSB CenterinMurray, Kentucky.Jones ranks fourth on Murray State's all-time scoring list with 2,057 points. He is also Murray State's all-time leader in rebounds with 1,374, and led the nation in that category in the 1990–91 season. He is the only player in Murray State history to record more than 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds.

Playing career

After college, he was selected by theHouston Rocketsin the second round (41st overall) of the1992 NBA draft,but his rights were traded to theDallas Mavericksfor those of formerUniversity of MichigancenterEric Riley.After playing professionally in Europe for a season, he played for the Mavericks for three seasons until being traded to theToronto Raptorsfor Riley's formerMichigan Wolverinesteammate,shooting guardJimmy King.

In 1998, Jones,Kenny Anderson,andŽan Tabakwere traded to theBoston CelticsforRoy Rogers,Dee Brown,Chauncey Billups,andJohn Thomas.The following year, Jones was traded withRon MercerandDwayne Schintziusto theDenver NuggetsforEric Washington,Danny FortsonandEric Williams.During the 2000 offseason, Jones was traded with a2002 second-round draft pickto theWashington WizardsforTracy Murray.He had a second stint with the Mavericks during the 2002–03 season, but played in only 26 of 82 games. The following year, Jones was acquired alongsideNick Van Exel,Antoine Rigaudeau,Avery Johnson,andEvan Eschmeyerby theGolden State Warriorsin a blockbuster trade forDanny Fortson,Antawn Jamison,Jiří WelschandChris Mills.This trade marked the second time Fortson and Jones were traded for each other. In 2004, the Warriors waived Jones, effectively ending his career.

In a game on March 10, 1994, Jones collected 12 offensive rebounds without a single defensive rebound. The 12 offensive boards without recording a defensive rebound stands as an NBA record since the league started tracking the category in 1973–74.

His best season was in 1995–96 with the Mavericks when he averaged 11.3 points and 10.8 rebounds per game while making 14 of 39 three-point attempts, after averaging 10.3 points and 10.6 rebounds the previous year. He holds NBA career per game averages of 7.0 points and 7.4 rebounds. He once secured 28 rebounds in a single game for the Mavericks in the 1995–96 season, still a team record.

Coaching career

Following his 11-year career year in the NBA, Jones decided to pursue coaching professional basketball. He first worked as a player development coach with the Dallas Mavericks. After spending the 2007–08 through the 2009–10 season with the Mavericks, he earned a coaching job with theNew Jersey / Brooklyn Netsas an assistant coach.

On August 14, 2013, he was hired as an assistant coach for theIndiana Pacers.Jones worked with All-Stars likeRoy HibbertandPaul George,and reached the Eastern Conference Finals his first two years with the team.

On November 9, 2020, thePhiladelphia 76ershired Jones as an assistant coach underDoc Rivers.

On August 23, 2021, theDenver Nuggetsannounced that they had hired Jones as assistant coach.Jones won his first NBA championship when the Nuggets defeated theMiami Heatin the2023 NBA Finals.

Personal life

His nickname, Popeye, comes from the way one of his eyes seemingly “pops” out of his head.

Jones's sons,SethandCaleb,are professional ice hockey players. During Jones's tenure with the Denver Nuggets, he approachedJoe Sakicof theColorado Avalancheabout his son playing ice hockey. Sakic advised the elder Jones to enroll his sons in skating classes first.

Career statistics

Legend

GP	Games played	GS	Games started	MPG	Minutes per game
FG%	Field goalpercentage	3P%	3-point field goalpercentage	FT%	Free throwpercentage
RPG	Reboundsper game	APG	Assistsper game	SPG	Stealsper game
BPG	Blocksper game	PPG	Points per game	Bold	Career high

NBA

Source

Regular season

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
1993–94	Dallas	81	47	21.9	.479	.000	.729	7.5	1.2	.8	.4	5.8
1994–95	Dallas	80	80	29.8	.443	.083	.645	10.6	2.0	.4	.3	10.3
1995–96	Dallas	68	68	34.1	.446	.359	.767	10.8	1.9	.8	.4	11.3
1996–97	Toronto	79	61	30.6	.480	.077	.818	8.6	1.1	.7	.5	7.8
1997–98	Toronto	14	4	25.1	.409	.667	.737	7.3	1.3	.7	.2	8.6
1998–99	Boston	18	2	11.4	.392	.000	.824	2.9	.8	.3	.0	3.0
1999–00	Denver	40	1	8.3	.423	.667	.737	2.6	.5	.1	.2	2.6
2000–01	Washington	45	1	14.2	.392	.167	.745	4.9	.7	.4	.2	3.6
2001–02	Washington	79	40	24.3	.437	.364	.811	7.3	1.6	.6	.2	7.0
2002–03	Dallas	26	0	8.5	.387	–	.455	2.3	.3	.2	.0	2.0
2003–04	Golden State	5	0	2.0	.000	–	–	.2	.0	.0	.0	.0
Career		535	304	23.5	.447	.281	.751	7.4	1.3	.6	.3	7.0

See also

• List of NCAA Division I men's basketball season rebounding leaders
• List of NCAA Division I men's basketball players with 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds

External links

• Career statistics and player information fromNBA.comandBasketball-Reference.com