Renato William Jones

Renato William Jones (born October 5, 1906 in Rome, Italy; died April 22, 1981 in Munich, Germany), also known as R. William, or simply William Jones, was a popularizer of basketball in Europe and in Asia.

He was one of the founding fathers of the Fédération Internationale de Basketball Amateur (FIBA) in 1932 and served as the first Secretary-General from 1936, where he help organized the inclusion of basketball to the Olympic Games. Later, he was made secretary general of the International Council of Sport and Physical Education in 1958.

He was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1964, FIBA Hall of Fame in 2007 and also as patron of the Amateur Basketball Association of England in 1973.

He is perhaps most widely known for his decision at the 1972 Olympic Basketball Final, where the United States was facing the Soviet Union and had won the game 50-49, to order the officials to put 3 seconds back on the clock for a clock malfunction, allowing the Soviet team to score and win 51-50. Jones had no authority to make a ruling during a game, but his power in the sport was such that the officials complied with the order. He was quoted later as saying "The Americans have to learn how to lose, even when they think they are right."

Tournaments

The World Cup for Champion Clubs Intercontinental cup William Jones and the annual international basketball tournament, the William Jones Cup, held in Taipei, Taiwan, was named after him, in honor to his contribution to the world of basketball.