Caldwell Jones

Caldwell "Pops" Jones Jr. (August 4, 1950 – September 21, 2014) was an American professional basketball player. Drafted out of Albany State College by the Philadelphia 76ers with the 14th pick in the 1973 NBA draft, he went on to play three seasons in the American Basketball Association and fourteen seasons in the National Basketball Association, spending the bulk of his career with the 76ers.

Jones began his professional career in 1973–74 with the ABA's San Diego Conquistadors, coached by Wilt Chamberlain. That season he led the ABA in blocked shots, and in the 1974 ABA Western Division Tiebreaker Game he helped San Diego to a 131–111 win over the Denver Rockets with 16 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists, and 6 blocks. San Diego was eliminated in the following round by the Utah Stars. He played in the 1975 ABA All-Star Game and shares, with Julius Keye, the ABA's all-time record for blocked shots in a game with 12.

Jones played his final season at age 39, then the fifth-oldest player in NBA history. He finished with 10,241 points across 1,299 games in the NBA and ABA. His brothers Charles, Wil, and Major all played at Albany State and in the NBA.