sport.wikisort.org - Athlete

Ozell "Hoppy" Jones III (November 20, 1960 – September 7, 2006) was a professional basketball player. He was listed at 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) and weighed 235 lbs. Born in St. Paul, Minnesota, his family soon moved to Compton, California and later to Long Beach, California so he can play high school basketball at Long Beach Polytechnic. Jones first played collegiate ball with the Wichita State University (1979–1981) and helped the Shockers reach the Elite 8 in his second year. He later transferred to Cal State Fullerton to play for the Titans in 1982-1984. He entered the 1984 NBA Draft and was chosen in the fourth round (90th pick overall) by the San Antonio Spurs.[1] On October 24, 1985, Jones was waived by the Spurs. He later signed as a free agent with the Los Angeles Clippers on March 31, 1986 but played in only three games. After his stint in the NBA, Jones first played overseas in Italy (1986–1987) then spent the rest of his professional career playing in the CBA for the Cincinnati Slammers (1986–1987), Quad City Thunder (1987–1988), Tulsa Fast Breakers (1989–1990), Tri-City Chinook (1993–1994) and Oklahoma City Cavalry (1994-1995). He also participated in the USBL with two stints for the Miami Tropics in 1987 and 1988. After retiring, Jones operated a big and tall men's clothing store in Lancaster, California.

Ozell Jones

Personal information
Born	(1960-11-20)November 20, 1960 St. Paul, Minnesota
Died	September 7, 2006(2006-09-07) (aged 45) Lancaster, California
Nationality	American
Listed height	6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)
Listed weight	235 lb (107 kg)
Career information
High school	Long Beach Polytechnic (Long Beach, California)
College	Wichita State (1979–1981) Cal State Fullerton (1982–1984)
NBA draft	1984 / Round: 4 / Pick: 90th overall
Selected by the San Antonio Spurs
Playing career	1984–1994
Position	Center / Power forward
Number	8, 20
Career history
1984–1985	San Antonio Spurs
1985–1986	Mulat Napoli
1986	Los Angeles Clippers
1986–1987	Cincinnati Slammers
1987	Miami Tropics
1987–1988	Quad City Thunder
1988	Miami Tropics
1989–1990	Tulsa Fast Breakers
1993–1994	Tri-City Chinook
1994–1995	Oklahoma City Cavalry
Career highlights and awards
CBA blocks leader (1990)
Stats  at NBA.com
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com

Death

On September 7, 2006, Ozell Jones was found by relatives shot dead in his apartment.[2] He was 45 years old. According to police reports, Jones bled to death from a single gunshot wound to the upper torso.[3] The investigation on this case currently remains open. He is buried in Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Long Beach, California.

Notable awards

• USBL Championship (1987)
• CBA All-Star (1990)[4]

References

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