Wali Jones

Who is Wali Jones?

Walter "Wali" Jones is a retired American professional basketball player. He was a 6'2" 180 lb guard.

Jones played at Overbrook High School in Philadelphia, the same school that had produced Wilt Chamberlain a few years earlier. He played college ball at Villanova University.

In his first NBA season, Jones played for the Baltimore Bullets and was named to the NBA All-Rookie Team. The next season, he was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers where he would play for the next six years.

Jones and Hal Greer were the starting guards on the 1966-67 76ers team that also featured Chamberlain, Chet Walker, Lucious Jackson and Billy Cunningham. That team went 68-13 during the regular season, then easily won three playoff series in dethroning the eight-time defending NBA champion Boston Celtics. Jones made the 76ers' starting lineup after Larry Costello tore his Achilles tendon on January 6, 1967.

Later, Jones played for the Baltimore Bullets, Detroit Pistons, Milwaukee Bucks and Utah Stars.

Jones' son Askia is the third-leading scorer in Kansas State University basketball history and played briefly in the NBA himself, with the Minnesota Timberwolves.