GREENVILLE, Pa. – Jim Chones, former American Basketball Association (ABA) and National Basketball Association (NBA) player, will be at Thiel College on Friday, Nov. 16 at 8 p.m. in the Lutheran Heritage Room of the Howard Miller Student Center to discuss a multitude of topics with students, including the transition to life after collegiate athletics, goal setting and improving students' marketability after college.

 “Jim Chones was a pioneer of his day, being only the second NCAA student-athlete to leave college early for the NBA,” says Ricardo Franklin, co-director of the Thiel College’s Office of Multicultural Affairs. “I think his presentation at Thiel will help redefine some of our students' thoughts on how they should attack their classroom work as well as their performances on the athletic field.”

Chones is the coordinator of sports and leagues for the City of Bedford Heights, Ohio. He and his wife are the proud parents of daughters Kareeda, now working for the Milwaukee Bucks of the NBA in sales/marketing, and Kaayla, a Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) draftee (Washington Mystics, 2004), and triplet sons Kameron (a student at Brown University), Kendall and Kyle (both attending Colgate University).

A first-round pick by the New York Knicks in 1972, Chones had a 10-year career in the ABA and NBA, winning a title with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1980 after five seasons as a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers. In 1991, Chones was selected by Cavaliers fans as the center for the “Classy Cavs Team,” covering the first 20 years of Cleveland Cavaliers history.

Chones, born in Racine, Wis., played basketball for three years at Marquette University before embarking on his professional career. He was only the second NCAA player to declare for the NBA draft prior to his graduating year. A 1972 All-American selection, Chones scored 952 points and totaled 583 rebounds under legendary head coach Al McGuire. 

The presentation is being sponsored by the Office of Multicultural Affairs at Thiel. It is free and open to the public.

For more information, contact Franklin at 724-589-2010.

-30-