“Red shocked me” - Sam Jones’ honest thought on being part of the first All-Black lineup in NBA history
Sam Jones stands out as not only one of the NBA’s most underappreciated winners, with an impressive tally of 10 championships to his name, but he was also a member of the league’s first All-Black starting five.
In an interview with Cedric Maxwell, ‘The Shooter’ expressed his astonishment at witnessing the historic moment unfold unexpectedly, courtesy of Red Auerbach.
Jones on being part of the first-ever All-Black starting 5
In 1964, on Christmas Day, the Boston Celtics triumphed over the Detroit Pistons 118-106. However, their joy was short-lived as Tommy Heinsohn suffered an injury. With a game scheduled the very next day against the St. Louis Hawks, coach Auerbach made a bold move by replacing Heinsohn with Willie Naulls, thus forming the NBA’s first-ever All-Black starting lineup.
While the moment was historic with Sam, KC Jones, Bill Russell, Naulls, and Tom Sanders taking the court, the 6’4” shooting guard admitted that Red’s decision shocked him.
"Red shocked me. I thought Red was going to start Havlicek as the fifth man in place of Heinsohn. But Red Auerbach is just different," Jones said. "So there's five of us, and I said, 'My gosh, we better win.' And we did win. And with Willie Naulls, we won three straight championships while he was there. We weren't tall, but with Russell as a stopper, we probably had the best defensive team in the league."
Auerbach’s Celtics broke other racial norms
Although the moment carried historical weight, coach Auerbach admitted that he never considered the historical significance at the time. Instead, he emphasized that his sole focus was solely on winning the game with his best options.
"I wasn't even aware of it," Auerbach said as per ESPN. "They brought it to my attention later on. All we were trying to do here, all the time, is play the guys that, in our opinion, whether I'm coaching or someone else is coaching, is going to win the ballgame."
The Celtics’ history under Red is marked by milestones in breaking racial barriers. In 1950, in Auerbach’s first year as the head coach, Boston drafted Chuck Cooper, making him the first Black player selected by an NBA team. Then, in 1966, Red named Bill as his successor, making him the first Black head coach in the history of American professional sports.
