Dahntay Lavall Jones (born December 27, 1980) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Clippers of the

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United S ...

(NBA). He played college basketball for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and Duke Blue Devils. Jones played in the NBA as a

small forward The small forward (SF), also known as the three or swingman, is one of the five positions in a regulation basketball game. Small forwards are typically shorter, quicker, and leaner than power forwards and centers but taller, larger, and stronger t ...

and

shooting guard The shooting guard (SG), also known as the two, two guard or off guard,Shooting guards are 6'3"–6'7"BBC Sports academy URL last accessed 2006-09-09. is one of the five traditional positions in a regulation basketball game. A shooting guard's m ...

from 2003 to 2017. He won an

NBA championship The NBA Finals is the annual championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Eastern and Western Conference champions play a best-of-seven game series to determine the league champion. The team that wins the series is awa ...

with the

Cleveland Cavaliers The Cleveland Cavaliers (often referred to as the Cavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Ea ...

2016 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...

Early life

Jones grew up in

Hamilton Square, New Jersey Hamilton Square is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located within Hamilton Township, in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States, that is the site of a historic colonial village. Until the 2000 Census the area was p ...

, and starred at Steinert High School in Hamilton Township, Mercer County, from 1995 to 1998. He earned a

McDonald's All-America The McDonald's All-American Game is the all-star basketball game played each year for American and Canadian boys' and girls' high school basketball graduates. Consisting of the top players, each team plays a single exhibition game after the concl ...

honorable mention honor as a senior after averaging 24 points and 9 rebounds per game at Steinert.

College career

After playing college basketball at Rutgers in his freshman and sophomore years, Jones transferred to Duke, where he earned All-

ACC ACC most often refers to: * Atlantic Coast Conference, an NCAA Division I collegiate athletic conference located in the US *American College of Cardiology, A US-based nonprofit medical association that bestows credentials upon cardiovascular spec ...

Honorable Mention honors in 2002 after averaging 11.2 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.1 assists as a junior. In his senior season, he played 33 games, averaging 17.7 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game.

Professional career

Memphis Grizzlies (2003–2007)

Jones was selected by the

Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...

with the 20th overall pick in the

2003 NBA draft The 2003 NBA draft was held on June 26, 2003, at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. The NBA announced that 41 college and high school players and a record 31 international players had filed as early-entry candidates ...

, and his rights were later traded, along with the rights to Troy Bell, to the Memphis Grizzlies for the rights to Kendrick Perkins and Marcus Banks. On November 21, 2003, he made his professional debut in a 98–97 win over the Seattle SuperSonics, recording one rebound, one assist and two blocks in eight minutes off the bench. In four professional seasons for the Grizzlies, Jones averaged 5.0 points per game.

Sacramento Kings (2007–2008)

On September 27, 2007, Jones signed with the Boston Celtics. However, he was later waived by the Celtics on October 25. On December 10, he signed with the Sacramento Kings. Four days later, he made his debut with the Kings in a 109–99 win over the Philadelphia 76ers, recording one assist and two steals in seven minutes off the bench. On February 16, 2008, he was waived by the Kings.

Fort Wayne Mad Ants (2008)

On March 21, 2008, Jones was acquired by the Fort Wayne Mad Ants of the NBA Development League. That night, he made his debut for the Mad Ants in a 125–102 loss to the Dakota Wizards, recording 18 points in 31 minutes.

Denver Nuggets (2008–2009)

file:Dahntay Jones Nuggets 2009.jpg, upJones with the Nuggets in 2009 On July 30, 2008, Jones signed with the Denver Nuggets. On October 29, he made his debut for the Nuggets in a 98–94 loss to the Utah Jazz, recording three points, three rebounds and one steal in 14 minutes off the bench. The Nuggets went on to reach the Western Conference Finals but were defeated 4 games to 2 by the Los Angeles Lakers.

Indiana Pacers (2009–2012)

On July 14, 2009, Jones signed a four-year deal with the Indiana Pacers. On October 28, he made his debut for the Pacers in a 120–109 loss to the Atlanta Hawks, recording 17 points and five rebounds in 26 minutes.

Dallas Mavericks (2012–2013)

On July 12, 2012, Jones was traded, along with Darren Collison, to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Ian Mahinmi. On October 30, he made his debut for the Mavericks in a 99–91 win over the Los Angeles Lakers.

Atlanta Hawks (2013)

On February 21, 2013, Jones was traded to the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for Anthony Morrow. The next day, he made his debut for the Hawks in a 122–108 win over the Sacramento Kings. On September 27, 2013, Jones signed with the Chicago Bulls. However, he was later waived by the Bulls on October 8, 2013. Jones did not play for the 2013–14 season.

Return to Fort Wayne (2014–2015)

On September 25, 2014, Jones signed with the Utah Jazz. However, he was later waived by the Jazz on October 22, 2014. On November 26, 2014, Jones was reacquired by the Fort Wayne Mad Ants. Two days later, he made his season debut in a 124–115 loss to the Delaware 87ers, recording 14 points, one rebound, three assists, one steal and one block in 19 minutes off the bench.

Los Angeles Clippers (2015)

On January 14, 2015, Jones signed a 10-day contract with the Los Angeles Clippers. Two days later, he made his debut for the Clippers in a 126–121 loss to the

. On January 24, he signed a second 10-day contract with the Clippers. On February 3, he signed with the Clippers for the rest of the season. On March 9, the league fined Jones $10,000 for bumping Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors during a postgame interview following the previous night's Warriors win over the Clippers. Jones denied that the bump was intentional.

Grand Rapids Drive (2015–2016)

On September 10, 2015, Jones signed with the Brooklyn Nets. However, he was later waived by the Nets on October 26 after appearing in four preseason games. On December 4, he was acquired by the Grand Rapids Drive of the NBA Development League. The next day, he made his debut for the Drive in a 128–99 win over Raptors 905, recording 13 points, two rebounds, one assist, one steal and one block in 20 minutes off the bench.

Cleveland Cavaliers (2016–2017)

On April 13, 2016, Jones signed with the

. That night, he made his debut for the Cavaliers in a 112–110 loss to the Detroit Pistons, recording 13 points, five rebounds, two assists, one steal and two blocks in 42 minutes off the bench. On May 22, he was suspended for Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals for striking Toronto Raptors' center Bismack Biyombo in the groin during the final possession of Game 3. The Cavaliers went on to win the series in six games and advanced to the 2016 NBA Finals. Jones saw some early minutes in Game 6 of the NBA Finals after several teammates were in foul trouble. He finished Game 6 with five points, one rebound and one block. The Cavaliers came back from a 3–1 deficit to win the series in seven games, as Jones won his first NBA championship. Jones was waived by the Cavaliers on July 30, 2016, then re-signed on September 26, waived again on October 24, and re-signed yet again on April 12, 2017. Jones played three minutes at the end of the Cavaliers' 116–105 Game 1 Eastern Conference semifinals win over the Raptors on May 1 and picked up back-to-back technical fouls for talking trash to Toronto's Norman Powell (basketball), Norman Powell, which earned him an ejection with 18.7 seconds remaining. The technicals came with a $3,000 fine attached to each of them, but due to earning only $9,127 in salary with the team for the postseason run—the veteran's minimum—teammate LeBron James covered the fine. The Cavaliers went 12–1 over the first three rounds of the playoffs to reach the NBA Finals for a third straight season. The Cavaliers played the Warriors in the 2017 NBA Finals and lost the series in 5 games. Jones' final NBA game was Game 4 of that Finals series against Golden State on June 9, 2017. Cleveland would win the game 137 - 116 with Jones recording 1 rebound and playing for only 2 minutes (coming in at the very end of the 4th quarter, when the Cavs already built a 21-point lead to end the game).

Coaching career

On November 16, 2020, Jones was announced as a player development and video coach for the Los Angeles Clippers.

NBA career statistics

Regular season

, - , align="left" , , align="left" , 2003–04 Memphis Grizzlies season, Memphis , 20 , , 0 , , 7.8 , , .283 , , .250 , , .455 , , 1.1 , , .6 , , .3 , , .3 , , 1.8 , - , align="left" , , align="left" , 2004–05 Memphis Grizzlies season, Memphis , 52 , , 7 , , 12.5 , , .437 , , .383 , , .688 , , 1.3 , , .4 , , .3 , , .2 , , 4.5 , - , align="left" , , align="left" , 2005–06 Memphis Grizzlies season, Memphis , 71 , , 4 , , 13.6 , , .414 , , .143 , , .645 , , 1.5 , , .5 , , .5 , , .2 , , 4.0 , - , align="left" , , align="left" , 2006–07 Memphis Grizzlies season, Memphis , 78 , , 25 , , 21.4 , , .477 , , .417 , , .793 , , 2.0 , , .9 , , .5 , , .3 , , 7.5 , - , align="left" , , align="left" , 2007–08 Sacramento Kings season, Sacramento , 25 , , 0 , , 8.2 , , .434 , , .167 , , .667 , , 1.4 , , .5 , , .3 , , .2 , , 3.2 , - , align="left" , , align="left" , 2008–09 Denver Nuggets season, Denver , 79 , , 71 , , 18.1 , , .458 , , .647 , , .728 , , 2.1 , , 1.0 , , .6 , , .2 , , 5.4 , - , align="left" , , align="left" , 2009–10 Indiana Pacers season, Indiana , 76 , , 26 , , 24.9 , , .461 , , .125 , , .770 , , 3.0 , , 2.0 , , .5 , , .5 , , 10.2 , - , align="left" , , align="left" , 2010–11 Indiana Pacers season, Indiana , 45 , , 2 , , 13.1 , , .467 , , .359 , , .767 , , 1.4 , , .7 , , .4 , , .2 , , 6.3 , - , align="left" , , align="left" , 2011–12 Indiana Pacers season, Indiana , 65 , , 3 , , 16.2 , , .409 , , .429 , , .838 , , 1.8 , , 1.0 , , .4 , , .2 , , 5.3 , - , align="left" , , align="left" , 2012–13 Dallas Mavericks season, Dallas , 50 , , 15 , , 12.7 , , .357 , , .216 , , .805 , , 1.4 , , .6 , , .2 , , .1 , , 3.5 , - , align="left" , , align="left" , 2012–13 Atlanta Hawks season, Atlanta , 28 , , 4 , , 13.6 , , .390 , , .250 , , .677 , , 1.1 , , .7 , , .4 , , .0 , , 3.1 , - , align="left" , , align="left" , 2014–15 Los Angeles Clippers season, L.A. Clippers , 33 , , 0 , , 3.7 , , .286 , , .000 , , .818 , , .3 , , .1 , , .1 , , .0 , , .6 , - , style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;", † , align = "left" , 2015–16 Cleveland Cavaliers season, Cleveland , 1 , , 0 , , 42.0 , , .429 , , .500 , , .000 , , 5.0 , , 2.0 , , 1.0 , , 2.0 , , 13.0 , - , align="left" , , align = "left" , 2016–17 Cleveland Cavaliers season, Cleveland , 1 , , 0 , , 12.0 , , .375 , , .000 , , .750 , , 2.0 , , 1.0 , , .0 , , .0 , , 9.0 , - class="sortbottom" , align="center" colspan="2" , Career , 624 , , 157 , , 15.7 , , .439 , , .329 , , .751 , , 1.7 , , .8 , , .4 , , .2 , , 5.4

Playoffs

, - , align="left" , 2005 NBA Playoffs, 2005 , align="left" , 2004–05 Memphis Grizzlies season, Memphis , 3 , , 0 , , 24.0 , , .381 , , .600 , , .750 , , 3.0 , , .3 , , .3 , , .0 , , 7.3 , - , align="left" , 2006 NBA Playoffs, 2006 , align="left" , 2005–06 Memphis Grizzlies season, Memphis , 4 , , 0 , , 11.5 , , .714 , , .000 , , .000 , , 1.8 , , .0 , , .3 , , .0 , , 4.3 , - , align="left" , 2009 NBA Playoffs, 2009 , align="left" , 2008–09 Denver Nuggets season, Denver , 16 , , 16 , , 17.5 , , .481 , , .250 , , .767 , , 2.4 , , .6 , , .8 , , .3 , , 7.0 , - , align="left" , 2011 NBA Playoffs, 2011 , align="left" , 2010–11 Indiana Pacers season, Indiana , 3 , , 0 , , 16.7 , , .450 , , .000 , , .889 , , .7 , , .7 , , .3 , , .0 , , 8.7 , - , align="left" , 2012 NBA Playoffs, 2012 , align="left" , 2011–12 Indiana Pacers season, Indiana , 7 , , 0 , , 8.3 , , .222 , , .222 , , 1.000 , , 1.0 , , .4 , , .1 , , .0 , , 2.4 , - , align="left" , 2013 NBA Playoffs, 2013 , align="left" , 2012–13 Atlanta Hawks season, Atlanta , 5 , , 0 , , 3.8 , , .250 , , .000 , , 1.000 , , .2 , , .0 , , .0 , , .0 , , .8 , - , align="left" , 2015 NBA Playoffs, 2015 , align="left" , 2014–15 Los Angeles Clippers season, L.A. Clippers , 11 , , 0 , , 1.6 , , 1.000 , , .000 , , .000 , , .1 , , .0 , , .2 , , .0 , , .4 , - , style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;", 2016 NBA Playoffs, 2016† , style="text-align:left;", 2015–16 Cleveland Cavaliers season, Cleveland , 15 , , 0 , , 3.3 , , .462 , , .333 , , .800 , , .5 , , .1 , , .1 , , .1 , , 1.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2017 NBA Playoffs, 2017 , style="text-align:left;", 2016–17 Cleveland Cavaliers season, Cleveland , 10 , , 0 , , 3.3 , , .500 , , .500 , , 1.000 , , .7 , , .1 , , .0 , , .1 , , 1.6 , - class="sortbottom" , align="center" colspan="2" , Career , 74 , , 16 , , 8.5 , , .448 , , .294 , , .812 , , 1.1 , , .3 , , .3 , , .1 , , 3.2

Personal life

Jones is the son of Larry and Joanne Jones. His father played college basketball at Saint Peter's Peacocks basketball, St. Peter's College. His cousin, Al Harrington, is a retired professional basketball player. He is married to Valeisha Butterfield Jones, the daughter of North Carolina Congressman G. K. Butterfield. They have two children, Dahntay Jr. and Dillon.

References

External links

Duke Blue Devils bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jones, Dahntay 1980 births Living people African-American basketball coaches African-American basketball players American men's basketball coaches American men's basketball players Atlanta Hawks players Basketball coaches from New Jersey Basketball players from Trenton, New Jersey Big3 players Boston Celtics draft picks Cleveland Cavaliers players Dallas Mavericks players Denver Nuggets players Duke Blue Devils men's basketball players Fort Wayne Mad Ants players Grand Rapids Drive players Indiana Pacers players Los Angeles Clippers assistant coaches Los Angeles Clippers players Memphis Grizzlies players People from Hamilton Township, Mercer County, New Jersey Rutgers Scarlet Knights men's basketball players Sacramento Kings players Shooting guards Small forwards Steinert High School alumni 21st-century African-American sportspeople 20th-century African-American people American men's 3x3 basketball players