Eddie Charles Jones (born October 20, 1971 in Pompano Beach, Florida) is an American professional basketball player for the NBA's Dallas Mavericks.Jones played college basketball at Temple University alongside guard and future NBA player Aaron McKie. He was the 1993-94 Atlantic 10 Player of the Year and was selected 10th overall in the 1994 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Lakers. In his rookie season he averaged 14.0 points per game and 2.05 steals pg, and played in 64 games, 58 of which he started. He also led the NBA in steal/turnover ratio (1.75pg) and placed 4th in the NBA Rookie of the Year ballot. In the 94-95 All-Star weekend Rookie Challenge he won the MVP, posting a game-high 25 points, 6 steals, and 4 rebounds. Jones would become an integral part of the Lakers squad, along with Nick Van Exel and Cedric Ceballos.After his second season, Jones switched from number 25 to 6, as the Lakers had retired 25 for Gail Goodrich. He selected 6 as growing up he was a fan of Julius Erving. Eddie spent his first five seasons with the Lakers, two of them as an All-Star. Known for his pesky defense, Jones was named to the 1997-98 and 1998-99 NBA All-Defensive Second Team, in a competitive late 90s field. However, he and Elden Campbell were traded to the Charlotte Hornets for Glen Rice, J.R. Reid & B.J. Armstrong on March 10, 1999. This was intended to free up more playing time for a rapidly improving Kobe Bryant. Jones was a mentor for Bryant during his time with the Lakers, as both had ties to the Philadelphia area, with Jones having attended Temple University and Bryant having attended Lower Merion High School near Philadelphia. Jones was missed by Laker fans following the trade, and the chants of "EDDIE, EDDIE!" were unmistakable during home games in seasons afterwards.Eddie's following campaign with the Hornets, 1999-2000 was his finest statistically, when he averaged 20.1 points, 2.7 steals (1st that season), 4.2 assists, and 4.8 rebounds per game. Jones was also voted to start at guard for the East All-Stars, took the Hornets to the Playoffs, and was 3rd Team All-NBA. Jones became a free agent after the season, and talked with the Chicago Bulls and Orlando Magic, but wanted to play for his hometown of Miami.After signing with the Hornets, he was traded with Anthony Mason to the Miami Heat for Jamal Mashburn and PJ Brown. He played consistently at both ends of the floor, and led the Heat to the 2001 playoffs following the absence of Alonzo Mourning. He averaged 18.5 points per game in the 2002-2003 season, his best with Miami. Over 2003-04, Eddie continued to generate his usual output, but his role altered as players like Caron Butler and Lamar Odom also starred for the Heat. As Dwyane Wade blossomed in (2004-05), EJ6 saw his scoring output dip to 12.7 points per game. After five seasons, Jones was dealt to the Memphis Grizzlies for James Posey and Jason Williams on August 2, 2005 in a record five-team, thirteen-player trade.After the 2006-07 season ended, Eddie Jones becames an unrestricted free agent. On August 3, 2007 Jones agreed to a two-year deal with the Dallas Mavericks. According to the Dallas Morning News, the 35-year-old Jones is expected to take a physical in Dallas on August 6, 2007 and then officially sign with the team. The paper also reported that Jones will make $1.83 million in the first year of the deal. This was confirmed on August 6, 2007, as the Mavericks signed Jones, but did not disclose terms of the deal.Off the court, Eddie Jones was one of the original players chosen to endorse Air Jordan, a sub-division of Nike, and wears the "Jordan XI".Eddie Jones currently ranks 7th all-time in career three-point field goals made, with 1,512. He is also 23rd all-time in career steals, with 1,594.
