# Eddie Jones (basketball)
**Eddie Jones** (born 1971) is an American former professional basketball player who played 14 seasons in the NBA as a shooting guard and small forward, most prominently for the [Los Angeles Lakers](https://www.edgepedia.org/los-angeles-lakers), Charlotte Hornets, and [Miami Heat](https://www.edgepedia.org/miami-heat), and was a three-time All-Star and three-time All-Defensive Second Team selection.[1](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/j/jonesed02.html) • [2](https://www.statmuse.com/nba/player/eddie-jones-1898/bio) • [3](https://www.nba.com/news/history-all-defensive-team) He led the league in steals in 1999-2000 and made the All-NBA Third Team that same season.[4](https://www.nba.com/news/history-season-review-1999-00) • [5](https://www.nba.com/news/history-all-nba-teams)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1971, Pompano Beach, Florida; 6 ft 6 in (198 cm), 190 lbs (86 kg) as a player[1](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/j/jonesed02.html) |
| Draft | Los Angeles Lakers, first round, 10th overall, 1994 NBA Draft[1](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/j/jonesed02.html) |
| Career | 14 seasons (1994-2008) with the Lakers, Hornets, Heat, Grizzlies, Mavericks, and Pacers[1](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/j/jonesed02.html) • [6](https://prabook.com/web/eddie.jones/1715703) |
| Career averages | 14.8 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.9 assists per game[1](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/j/jonesed02.html) |
| Honors | 3x All-Star (1997, 1998, 2000); 3x All-Defensive Second Team (1998, 1999, 2000); All-NBA Third Team (2000); NBA steals leader (2000)[2](https://www.statmuse.com/nba/player/eddie-jones-1898/bio) • [3](https://www.nba.com/news/history-all-defensive-team) • [5](https://www.nba.com/news/history-all-nba-teams) • [4](https://www.nba.com/news/history-season-review-1999-00) |
| Earnings | At least $101,254,222 in playing salary, including $14,863,778 in 2007[1](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/j/jonesed02.html) |
| Nicknames | E.J., Steady Eddie[1](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/j/jonesed02.html) |
## Early life and college
Jones was born in [Pompano Beach, Florida](https://www.edgepedia.org/pompano-beach-florida), and attended Ely High School there before playing college basketball at [Temple University](https://www.edgepedia.org/temple-university) under coach John Chaney.[1](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/j/jonesed02.html) He completed a Bachelor of Sports Management at Temple in 1994, the year the Lakers drafted him 10th overall.[6](https://prabook.com/web/eddie.jones/1715703) • [1](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/j/jonesed02.html)
## Los Angeles Lakers (1994-1999)
Jones spent his first four and a half seasons with the Lakers, where he became a two-time All-Star and one of the team's most popular players.[8](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-mar-11-sp-16319-story.html) In May 1998 he was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team for the first time, receiving the fourth-most votes at guard in balloting among head coaches, alongside [Mookie Blaylock](https://www.edgepedia.org/mookie-blaylock) while [Michael Jordan](https://www.edgepedia.org/michael-jordan) and [Gary Payton](https://www.edgepedia.org/gary-payton) led the backcourt voting.[9](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-may-07-sp-47264-story.html) He was an All-Star again in 1998, a season in which the Lakers placed four players on the All-Star Game roster.[2](https://www.statmuse.com/nba/player/eddie-jones-1898/bio) • [10](https://as.com/baloncesto/nba/el-dia-que-kobe-cambio-la-historia-de-los-lakers-n/)
**The 1999 trade.** On the March 1999 trade deadline the Lakers sent Jones and Elden Campbell to the [Charlotte Hornets](https://www.edgepedia.org/charlotte-hornets) in a five-player trade that brought [Glen Rice](https://www.edgepedia.org/glen-rice) and other players to Los Angeles. Lakers executive [Jerry West](https://www.edgepedia.org/jerry-west) said dealing Jones and Campbell, both drafted by the team in the 1990s, was the hardest thing he had ever done as a Laker executive.[8](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-mar-11-sp-16319-story.html) A Los Angeles Times columnist described Jones as perhaps the team's best defensive player on a squad that already played poor defense.[11](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-mar-13-sp-16924-story.html)
## Charlotte Hornets (1999-2000)
Jones played one full season in Charlotte, 1999-2000, and it was his most decorated. He averaged 20.1 points over 72 games while shooting 42.7 percent from the field and 37.5 percent from three-point range.[12](https://leagueleaders.com/nba/players/eddie-jones-224) He led the NBA in steals at 2.7 per game, made the All-Defensive Second Team for a third straight year, and was named to the All-NBA Third Team as a guard, and he was selected to his third All-Star Game.[4](https://www.nba.com/news/history-season-review-1999-00) • [3](https://www.nba.com/news/history-all-defensive-team) • [5](https://www.nba.com/news/history-all-nba-teams) • [2](https://www.statmuse.com/nba/player/eddie-jones-1898/bio)
## Miami Heat (2000-2005)
In August 2000, after a 31-day stretch of negotiations, a nine-player sign-and-trade agreement sent Jones from the Hornets to the Miami Heat on a maximum-salary contract reported to start at about $9.2 million, fulfilling his wish to play for coach [Pat Riley](https://www.edgepedia.org/pat-riley).[13](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-aug-01-sp-62467-story.html) He spent five seasons in Miami, scoring 17.4 points per game on 37.8 percent three-point shooting in his first Heat season, 2000-01.[14](https://cdn.nba.com/teams/uploads/sites/1610612748/2022/11/2022-23-Miami-Heat-Media-Guide.pdf) Across his Heat tenure he made 712 of 1,870 three-point attempts, 38.1 percent.[14](https://cdn.nba.com/teams/uploads/sites/1610612748/2022/11/2022-23-Miami-Heat-Media-Guide.pdf)
## Later career: Memphis, Dallas, Indiana
On August 2, 2005, Miami traded Jones to the [Memphis Grizzlies](https://www.edgepedia.org/memphis-grizzlies) along with Raul Lopez in a five-team trade that brought [Antoine Walker](https://www.edgepedia.org/antoine-walker), James Posey, Jason Williams, Andre Emmett, and the draft rights to Roberto Duenas to the Heat.[14](https://cdn.nba.com/teams/uploads/sites/1610612748/2022/11/2022-23-Miami-Heat-Media-Guide.pdf) He played for Memphis from 2005 to 2007, returned to Miami for a stint in 2007, finished the 2007-08 season with the [Dallas Mavericks](https://www.edgepedia.org/dallas-mavericks), and closed his career with the Indiana Pacers in 2008.[6](https://prabook.com/web/eddie.jones/1715703) • [1](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/j/jonesed02.html) He made $14,863,778 in 2007, the final year of his large contracts, and retired after the 2007-08 season.[1](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/j/jonesed02.html)
## Playing style and defensive reputation
Jones was a 6-foot-6 wing who combined perimeter defense with reliable three-point shooting, playing both shooting guard and small forward.[1](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/j/jonesed02.html) His three consecutive All-Defensive Second Team selections from 1998 through 2000 came in seasons when the first team included defenders such as Gary Payton, Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Tim Duncan, and [Kevin Garnett](https://www.edgepedia.org/kevin-garnett).[3](https://www.nba.com/news/history-all-defensive-team)
He never won an NBA championship and is not a member of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.[1](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/j/jonesed02.html)
## References
1. [Eddie Jones Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft Status and more, Basketball-Reference](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/j/jonesed02.html)
2. [Eddie Jones Bio, StatMuse](https://www.statmuse.com/nba/player/eddie-jones-1898/bio)
3. [Year-by-year NBA All-Defensive Teams, NBA.com](https://www.nba.com/news/history-all-defensive-team)
4. [Season Review: 1999-2000, NBA.com](https://www.nba.com/news/history-season-review-1999-00)
5. [Year-by-year All-NBA Teams, NBA.com](https://www.nba.com/news/history-all-nba-teams)
6. [Eddie Jones profile, Prabook](https://prabook.com/web/eddie.jones/1715703)
7. [Philadelphia Big 5 Honors & Awards, Temple Owls](https://owlsports.com/documents/download/2009/12/8/Pages_73-108%2C_History.pdf)
8. [As Clippers Tie Record Losing Streak, Lakers Break Up Winning Hand in Five-Player Trade With Charlotte, Los Angeles Times (March 11, 1999)](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-mar-11-sp-16319-story.html)
9. [Jones a Second-Teamer for His Defensive Play, Los Angeles Times (May 7, 1998)](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-may-07-sp-47264-story.html)
10. [El día que Kobe cambió la historia de los Lakers, AS](https://as.com/baloncesto/nba/el-dia-que-kobe-cambio-la-historia-de-los-lakers-n/)
11. [Where Have You Gone, Eddie Jones?, Los Angeles Times (March 13, 1999)](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-mar-13-sp-16924-story.html)
12. [Eddie Jones, League Leaders](https://leagueleaders.com/nba/players/eddie-jones-224)
13. [While the NBA Dormant Period Ends and a Leaguewide Reshuffling Begins Today, Los Angeles Times (August 1, 2000)](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-aug-01-sp-62467-story.html)
14. [2022-23 Miami Heat Media Guide, NBA.com](https://cdn.nba.com/teams/uploads/sites/1610612748/2022/11/2022-23-Miami-Heat-Media-Guide.pdf)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Other team and ball sports › Basketball and court team sports › Basketball players and coaches (biographies) › NBA players, 1996–2010 › NBA guards, 1996–2010*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license