Biography

BIOGRAPHY

Kai Jones was born on January 19, 2001, in Nassau, Bahamas. He is a forward/center in the NBA. At age 15, Jones played organized basketball for his first time, being drawn to the sport after having a growth spurt. On October 15, 2018, Jones committed to play college basketball for Texas. He chose to join the Longhorns over offers from several other NCAA Division I programs, including Arizona, Kansas, and Oregon. Jones was a member of the Bahamian junior national team at the 2017 Centrobasket Under-17 Championship in the Dominican Republic. His team finished seventh place out of eight teams. Coach Shaka Smart said that Jones had the best work ethic of any big man he coached. Despite this, Jones struggled to get playing time early in his freshman season. He gradually saw more playing time as the season progressed, finishing with eight points on 4–5 shooting from the field in just 10 minutes of the Longhorns’ 73–71 win over McNeese State on November 30. As a freshman, Jones averaged 3.6 points and 3.2 rebounds per game. 

On January 26, 2021, he registered his first double-double, with 15 points and 10 rebounds in an 80–79 loss to Oklahoma. Jones was named Big 12 Sixth Man of the Year and to the All-Big 12 honorable mention. As a sophomore, he averaged 8.8 points and 4.8 rebounds per game. On March 24, 2021, Jones declared for the 2021 NBA draft. He was drafted 19th by the Charlotte Hornets.