Bobby Jones: The Elite Defender that SHINED as a 6th man for the Sixers

Bobby Jones came from a family of athletes, as his mom, dad and older brother were all former hoopers. Since he was pretty tall as a high schooler, his dad pushed him to play basketball although he was more interested in track. Bobby played well enough to get a scholarship to North Carolina, as he went, in his words “Just to get a free education” He became an All-American and an Olympic silver medalist before getting drafted by the Denver Nuggets of the ABA in 1974. Bobby prided himself on the defensive end. Although he only weighed about 210 pounds, he could hold his own in the paint with the bigs but play out on the perimeter and guard the opposing team’s best forward, as his long arms allowed him to block shots and disrupt passing lanes.On the offensive side of the ball, he was a great passer and a solid jump shooter from the elbow, and don’t let him get a full head of steam as he could rise up and posterize defenders at the rim. He was an All-Star and MVP candidate in Denver before he was traded to Philly where he was more than happy to come off the bench. Bobby would become one of the best sixth men ever, prioritizing team success over everything and you could guarantee he would have something in every part of the box score, as the most impressive part of all this was that he suffered from a heart condition and epilepsy that he had to take medications for. Bobby was one of the most underrated players of all time, as he was an important piece of the Sixers title run in 1983, overcoming his health issues to have a Hall of Fame career.