New York Knicks: All-time greatest players selected 8th overall

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PHILADELPHIA, PA – CIRCA 1965: Sam Jones #24 of the Boston Celtics dribbles the ball up court against the Philadelphia 76ers during an NBA basketball game circa 1965 (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) /

4) Best 8th overall picks: Sam Jones

Mr. Clutch, Sam Jones, was the 8th overall pick in the 1957 NBA Draft, so we are really reaching back in time for this one, but you can’t leave him off the list when discussing the best eighth picks.

Jones was selected by Boston after pretty much every team drafting ahead of them completely swung and missed on their own picks. The Knicks chose Brendan McCann fifth overall that year, and he only ended up playing 41 games in the league.

The 6-foot-4 guard, Jones, made five All-Star appearances and was an All-NBA second team selection three times in his career. But most impressive was his part in helping the Celtics win ten NBA championships. Everyone talks about Bill Russell, but second to him is Sam Jones in the most rings of any player in NBA history.

Known for his patented bank shot, Jones was one of the most clutch shooters in the league in the 1960s. He finished his career with 15,411 points scored, while averaging 17.7 points per game over his 12-year career. Between 1964-65 and 1967-68, he was one of the leading scorers in the league, with his scoring averaging reaching above 20 points in each of those seasons.

Jones was inducted into the Hall-of-Fame in 1984 and became the first African-American to be inducted into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame.

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