2. K.C. Jones
Things could have been extremely different for Jones had he come to the NBA in 1955 when the Lakers selected him in the 11th round with the 85th overall pick. The franchise was still in Minneapolis and knew the 6’1 point guard would return to San Francisco University to try to win another national title with Bill Russell.
The duo did just that before both being drafted by the Boston Celtics. They were the best team in the NBA and added two of the best college basketball players. Jones joined the Army and served for two years before trying out for the NFL. A leg injury ended his time with the Rams and sent him back to basketball.
Jones joined the Celtics in 1958 and won the title in each of his first eight seasons. The 6’1 guard was an elite defender and strong playmaker. He played just nine years in the league but was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1989.
There were no steals numbers in the 1960s, and the Celtics deep roster prevented him from playing more. Still, his Hall of Fame inclusion tells fans all they need to know about his game.
Jones was known for wreaking havoc on the Los Angeles Lakers. They lost to the Celtics in the NBA Finals five times from 1959 to 1966. It was Bill Russell and K.C. Jones on the other side each time preventing the Lakers from adding to their trophy case.