04/26/2020
Another post about Jim Chones, a Racine County Sports Hall of Fame 2011 Inductee - On today's date in 1973, former Marquette All-American Jim Chones was selected by the Los Angeles Lakers:
On today's date in 1973, former Marquette All-American Jim Chones was selected by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2nd round of the NBA draft with the 13th pick (31st overall) after having just completed his first season in the ABA with the New York Nets.
Upon leaving Marquette before the end of his junior season, Chones had averaged 11.4 points and 7.1 rebounds per game in his first season with the Nets while being named to the ABA's All-Rookie team.
Chones would play for the ABA's Carolina Cougars the following season, where he would average 14.8 points and 7.8 rebounds per game before jumping to the NBA to spend the next five seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers, who had acquired the rights to Chones in a trade with Los Angeles approximately 13 months after he was drafted by the Lakers.
Chones would eventually return to the team that had originally drafted him, joining Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, and fellow Warrior legend Butch Lee to help bring the Lakers an NBA Championship in 1980.
