With sadness we honor the namesake of this athletic field, K.C. Jones, who left us on December 25, 2020.
Jones played college basketball for the University of San Francisco Dons and led them to the 1955 and 1956 NCAA championships. He was also part of the US National Team who won a gold metal at the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne Australia. He played nine seasons with the Boston Celtics, where he later coached, he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1989.
K.C. Jones’ family moved to San Francisco from Texas in 1942 and he grew up in the nearby Double Rock Housing Development. He spent many afternoons after school playing football and baseball at this playground. The park was renamed October 11, 2003 during an event with family, friends and basketball legends honoring K.C. Jones.
He was one of San Francisco greats! Please read more on his life:
See and hear him in historic footage:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8XTu_OoTrQ
University of San Francisco Dons pay tribute:
https://usfdons.com/honors/hall-of-fame/k-c-jones/46
https://www.sfgate.com/sports/article/Boston-Celtics-Hall-of-Famer-K-C-Jones-dies-at-88-15828530.php
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K._C._Jones
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/j/joneskc01.html
Construction Update: the structural foundation has been backfilled (remember that HUGE pit) and the only evidence that remains is the homerun curb ready for the fence poles.
