OREM — It's always interesting to see what becomes of professional athletes once their careers are over.
Most go into some kind of business venture, while others just act retired. A few can't adjust to being a normal everyday Joe and wander aimlessly. Many, however, can't get away from the sport that made them rich and famous. They become coaches, team officials or television and radio commentators.
A few want to stay close to the game they love, but on a much simpler level. Former Philadelphia 76ers All-Star forward Bobby Jones is one of them. Since retiring from the NBA after the 1985 season Jones has chosen to share his basketball knowledge by mentoring young people. For 12 years he was the head coach of Charlotte Christian High School and now he serves as the North Carolina school's main assistant coach.
Instead of pacing up and down in front of a row of sitting millionaires in NBA arenas night after night yelling at even richer ones on the hardwood, Jones prefers to calmly sit in a chair in a high school gym and instruct teenagers. It's his form of retirement.
"I enjoy it," Jones said. "I was able to coach my two sons and that was very enjoyable."
Friday the lanky and graying former NBA star leaned on a bleacher rail at Utah Valley State College's McKay Events Center waiting for his team to take the floor in the Smith's Ragu Classic. He took a few minutes to reflect on why he spends his days with teens and has pretty much distanced himself from the pro game.
"Coaching high school is a great opportunity to share your values with kids," Jones said. "And I feel like the Lord has led me in this direction at this time in my life and I feel like this is what I should be doing."
However, it's not always fun and games, or easy.
"Whenever you're working with high school kids there is some work," Jones said. "It's always a challenge trying to steer them in the right direction."
Jones was the other forward on the 1983 World Champion Philadelphia 76ers team that featured Julius Erving and Maurice Cheeks. In his 10-year professional career, two with the ABA's Denver Nuggets, he specialized in defense and at 6 feet 7 inches could play both forward positions. He was a first-team all-NBA defender for eight straight seasons. He also won the Sixth Man Award in 1983 and was a four-time All-Star. He seldom took bad shots and has one of the best career shooting percentages in NBA history. The 76ers retired his jersey in 1986.
Nowadays, however, Jones only attends about one NBA game a year and watches only a few more on television.
"If they have some special event and want me to be part of it, I will," he said.
Charlotte Christian has won three state titles since Jones became one of the high school's coaches. He, like many high school coaches, feels it's important to take his team to a national tournament each year like the Ragu Classic.
"It's good to get our kids exposed to different areas. It challenges them to play up and above the level that they are used to in their own local environment," Jones said.
Charlotte Christian came to Utah's Smith's Ragu Classic undefeated for the year, but left with two losses. However, the team's main point guard and star big man stayed back in North Carolina, one with an injured foot and the other nursing a bad case of the flu.
E-MAIL: jimr@desnews.com