Wah Wah Jones
2× NCAA Champion | 1948 Olympic Gold Medalist | Indianapolis Olympians Player-Coach
Wah Wah Jones was born on July 14, 1926, in Harlan, Kentucky. He became one of the most successful athletes in University of Kentucky history and helped the Wildcats win NCAA championships in 1948 and 1949.
Jones also won a gold medal with the United States basketball team at the 1948 Olympics before joining the Indianapolis Olympians in the NBA.
During the 1950-1951 season, Jones served as player-coach of the Olympians for the final 12 games of the regular season. He went 7-5 and led Indianapolis into the NBA playoffs.
Coach Jones passed away on July 27, 2014, at the age of 88.
- Overall Coaching Record: 7-5 (1-2 playoffs)
Coaching Career
Wah Wah Jones entered the 1950-1951 season as a player for the Indianapolis Olympians.
Cliff Barker coached the first 56 games of the season and went 24-32. Jones then took over as player-coach and finished the regular season with a 7-5 record.
Indianapolis ended the season with a 31-37 record and finished fourth in the Western Division.
The Olympians faced the Minneapolis Lakers in the Western Division Semifinals. Indianapolis won one game but lost the series 2-1, giving Jones a 1-2 playoff coaching record.
Notable Players Coached
- Alex Groza
- 2× NCAA Champion (1948, 1949)
- 1948 Olympic Gold Medalist
- 1951 NBA All-Star
- 2× All-NBA First Team
- Ralph Beard
- 2× NCAA Champion (1948, 1949)
- 1948 Olympic Gold Medalist
- 1951 NBA All-Star