Charlotte Hornets: 15 greatest scorers of all-time
By John Buhler
170. . SG/SF. (1999-00). Eddie Jones. 14. player
- 19.2 PPG, 1,955 points, 2 seasons
- NBA All-Star w/Hornets (2000)
- 2x NBA All-Defensive Second Team w/Hornets (1999-00)
- All-NBA Third Team w/Hornets (2000)
- NBA steals leader (2000)
Eddie Jones was once one of the better sharpshooters in the game. Jones starred at Temple University before being a first-round pick by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1994 NBA Draft. Jones had a strong 4.5 seasons with the Lakers, making two All-Star appearances, before being traded to the Hornets in 1999.
Jones was sent to Charlotte in a package that included another brilliant sharpshooter and a guy we’ll get to in a bit in Glen Rice. Though Jones only played in 102 games with the Hornets over the course of two seasons, he cracks the top-15 for primarily two reasons: his smooth stroke from distance and his outstanding 1999-00 campaign while with Charlotte.
Jones made his third and final NBA All-Star squad in 2000. He averaged a career high 20.1 points per game, as he shot 42.7 percent from the field and 37.5 percent from beyond the arc. Jones led the NBA in steals that season with 2.7 per game in 2000. This helped him make All-NBA Third Team at one of the wing spots.
No, it wasn’t just a great shot from distance that made Jones a three-time All-Star in his 14-year NBA career. He was an excellent defender, as he made three-straight All-Defensive Second Teams from 1998 to 2000. The latter two obviously came during his 100 or so games in Charlotte.
Admittedly, trading away Rice didn’t yield the star player Charlotte had wanted. Jones may have had his best statistical season with the 1999-00 Hornets, but saw himself playing elsewhere in free agency. Instead, he was traded to his hometown Miami Heat in the summer of 2000, a team he would spend part of six seasons in the second half of his NBA career.
By being traded to Miami, Jones extended a streak of Charlotte trading an All-Star for an All-Star level player. Jamal Mashburn would come Charlotte’s way in the deal, and he would be an All-Star for the Hornets when they were in New Orleans.
Jones was originally traded for a three-time All-Star in Rice, who came to Charlotte via Miami for the team’s first superstar Alonzo Mourning three years prior. Overall, Jones’ time with the Hornets was short, but it was an insanely productive one.