Marquette men’s basketball will add a 10th jersey to the rafters of Fiserv Forum this winter.
The team announced in a press release Friday morning that Jim Chones’ No. 22 jersey will be retired Feb. 18 when the Golden Eagles welcome Seton Hall to Milwaukee.
“We are excited about the opportunity to honor one of the greatest players in the program’s storied history,” Vice President & Director of Athletics Bill Scholl said. “He was dominant on the court during his tenure at Marquette and has been a tremendous ambassador for the program and university throughout his career.”
Marquette has not retired a jersey since 2007, when it hung Dwayne Wade’s No. 3 from the rafters of the Bradley Center.
Chones totalled 952 points and 583 rebounds during his 50-game Marquette playing career, and was named a consensus Associated Press, Converse and UPI All-American in 1972.
“Jim Chones has exemplified excellence, on and off the court, both during his Marquette career and in the decades that followed,” head coach Shaka Smart said. “What a fabulous testament to Relationships, Growth, and Victory.”
After leading the Golden Eagles to a 21-0 start in 1972, averaging a team-high 20.5 points and 11.9 rebounds, Chones would leave Marquette after being selected in the first round of the 1972 ABA Draft by the New York Nets.
Chones went on to play professionally for 10 years, spending time with five different ball clubs. He helped the Los Angeles Lakers win the NBA Championship in 1980, alongside another Marquette great who’s No. 15 jersey is forever etched in stone: Butch Lee.
Chones currently works as an analyst on the Cleveland Cavaliers Radio Network.
This story was written by Matthew Baltz. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter/X @MatthewBaltzMU.
