K. C. Jones played basketball with the world championship Celties for nine seasons. As of July first he will become assistant coach for the Crimson basketball team.

Preparing for the interview with him. I put on a clean shirt, and took the subway ride to the Mutual of New York office on Boylston Street, overlooking the Boston Common. I walked in, and saw all these business types-insurance salesmen.

Insurance is a tough business, and its salesmen are some of the shrewdest. What's a nice guy doing selling insurance?

K. C. wasn't in, so I talked to one of his associates who told me about the business. "Kid," he said, "It takes a combination of things to be a good insurance salesman-knowledge, attitude, skill, and good habits. K. C. has all of these."

A few minutes later K. C. arrived from lunch, and I began my interview with a great line. "Aw, hi, You're Mr. Jones," I said.

Continuing my precise reportorial technique. I asked him what his initials stood for.

"Nothing," he said.

"Nothing?" I queried.

"No, it's a Texas-style name, you know like J. C. or J. P."

K. C.'s first contact with basketball was in McGregor, Texas, where he began to play in pickup games. From then on, he was never too far away from a basketball.

In a San Francisco high school. K. C. played on the first string, and was about to graduate and go on to work when he was given an athletic scholarship by the University of San Francisco. "I had had no thoughts of going to college. I didn't have the money, and in our high school the idea of going to college wasn't impressed on us," he said.

"But, I went to college," he added.

In his sophomore year, he roomed with another basketball player, Bill Russell. K. C. and Bill were to become All-Americans for the University of San Francisco winning 55 consecutive games and two NCAA championships.

After duty in the Army, K. C. played some professional football for the Glants in San Francisco, but quit to join the Celtics in 1958. "I had a great love for the game and couldn't leave it then. When I retired, I went through the walls for three months because I wasn't out on the court." Jones said.

"When I joined the Celtics, many people said that I couldn't play the pros because I couldn't shoot. So I concentrated on the things which I did well, especially defense," K. C. said.

"But I also had to try a lot harder because I was black. You had to come up with something extra just to be noticed. And the exploitation of black athletes is still happening-taking all and giving nothing back. How many times, for instance, do you see a black man endorsing a product?" K. C. asked.

K. C. Jones will become the first black man to ever coach a Crimson team full-time. "We both think very much alike, and he is the best available man for any staff," coach Harrison said yesterday.

It's appropriate that the game which is played in the cities, by those who have to live in them, will now have one black man to help coach at Harvard.