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Bobby Jones Jr. is Compton’s Newest NBA Player
By
Nathan Fey
Bulletin Staff Writer
As a boy, Bobby
Jones Jr. was tall, strong and quick. Now as a 22-year-old man, he could
by most standards be called towering, Herculean and hypersonic. So much
so that the Compton native has for the past four years been earning a
distinguished place among the city’s alumni as a standout college
basketball player for the Washington Huskies.
But Jones has recently grabbed national attention when on July 9
the NBA draft announced that he was a second-round pick for the Philadelphia
76ers. As a member of the newest generation of the NBA, Jones has spent
only just over two weeks with his new team, but already feels at home.
“It’s been double days, practicing, staying at the hotel, traveling...
Just like any other summer playing ball,” Jones said. But after a
pause he adds, “In September, when school starts, I’ll realize
I’m not going back to school.”
As a boy growing up in Compton, Jones attended Emerson Elementary
and graduated middle school from Our Lady of Victory. Like most other kids,
he was interested in hanging out with friends and dabbling in video games,
but his affinity and talent for playing basketball and running track were
unmistakable. He was a feared athlete and basketball player during his
tenure at Dominguez High School, and by the time he had transferred to
Long Beach Poly for his senior year, he was averaging 19 points and 9 rebounds
per game while adding a key defensive presence on the court.
The next phase for Jones pitted him as a forward at the University
of Washington, and it was a fruitful one. His 134 career steals gave him
the fourth highest total in the school’s history, and he currently
holds the distinction of being Washington’s 20th all-time leading
scorer with 1,226 points. He started in 106 of 125 career games and was
a member of the gold medal-winning 2005 USA World University Games Team
in Izmir, Turkey.
Jones “can defend anywhere,” declares ESPN’s scouting
report based on his performance with the Huskies. “He is stellar
on the defensive end [and] has great unselfishness and mental toughness.”
On paper and television, he is agile, confident and even more dominating
than his 6-foot-7, 215-lbs. frame would suggest. But nevertheless, Jones’ transition
from Compton to the University of Washington was a challenging one.
“People-wise, weather-wise, it was two different worlds,” he
remembers. “But
it opened my mind to the other side of life and what the world has
to offer.”
Transitioning from Compton to Washington was not the only obstacle
that he has faced in his life. Growing up in the city had its difficulties,
and like many area youths, Jones had to deal with the loss of childhood
friends to street violence. Other friends of his, he said were killed while
Jones was in college.
“Dealing with that was probably the hardest thing for me,” he
recalled.
But he remains, however, positive and grateful for what life did
have to offer him.
“Everything happens for a reason,” Jones continued. “God
puts you in a certain situation to go through things differently than everybody
else, so you can see your life from a different perspective.”
Accordingly, a childhood in Compton had its advantages. Jones recognizes
that his early experiences allowed him to appreciate his life and success
to a greater degree than he otherwise might have.
“Some things aren’t given, that a lot of people take for granted.” Varied
experiences and “different places brought me to the point where I
was more mature and open-minded to the world and everything it has
to offer. So I had the best of both worlds.”
Four years in Seattle and signing an NBA contract have not dulled
his memory for those who helped him along his journey. His still-married
parents he cites first and foremost as a positive influence in his life. “They
kept me busy on the weekends so I wouldn’t be on the streets,” remembers
Jones, the youngest of three children. “They always worked and provided
and gave us the things we needed to succeed in life.”
Jones also cites many of his former coaches as important mentors
during his youth. He stays in contact with his high school coaches as well
as fellow Compton-native Coach Lorenzo Romar at University of Washington,
who was especially instrumental in helping him through the crucial beginning
of his college career.
“
He’s not just a great coach but a great person... He talked to me,
gave advice on life situations and kept me on track,” Jones recalled.
He said he sees Romar as a second father figure and noted that the two
shared a special camaraderie from their common origin. “He came from
where I came from.”
“I’ve been blessed with a lot of good coaches,” continued
Jones. “I
took a little from each of them and from their philosophies on the
court and in their lives too.”
On the day of the draft announcements last month, Jones kept a decidedly
low profile. Spending the day at home in Compton with his parents, his
sister and her family, it seemed like just like any other year — but
with the minor exception that Jones was widely considered a prominent candidate
for the drafting.
A few loose nerves aside, “once it got going... I knew it was my
time,” he asserts.
Jones continues to be philosophical about his experiences in life
and on the court. “You take everything in, the good and the bad.
I just took the things I was given and made the best of them, in Compton
and Seattle.”
Whatever adventures his rookie year in the National Basketball Association may
bring, there is little doubt that Philadelphia could soon be added to that list.
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