Former Olympian Marion Jones Signs with Tulsa Shock

Originally Published: Mar 10, 2010 9:20 AM CDT

Dave Carty
Oklahoma Sports Staff Writer

TULSA, Oklahoma -- Former world champion track and field athlete Marion Jones has agreed to a contract with the Tulsa Shock of the WNBA.

Tulsa Shock head coach Nolan Richardson made the announcement Wednesday morning at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Tulsa. Jones worked out with the Shock on March 6 and proved enough to Richardson for the team to sign her.

“Working her out the other day, she gave me some things you can’t teach,” said Richardson. “She had heart. You can’t teach heart.”

“This is a dream fulfilled for me,” said Jones. “The game has grown tremendously. So the fact that I would get a chance to play and compete with the best female athletes in the world is an honor for me.”

Team president Steve Swetoha spoke briefly and WNBA president Donna Orender was also in attendance.

Though known as a track and field athlete, Jones has a lengthy background in basketball.

Jones was originally drafted in the third round by the Phoenix Mercury in the 2003 WNBA Draft, but has not played a game in the league.

Jones was member of North Carolina’s 1994 women’s basketball college national championship team, coincidentally the same year Richardson coached his University of Arkansas men to a college basketball title. The familiarity between the two helped make the signing a possibility for the franchise.

“I knew that if I got an opportunity to work out for him that it might be a really good fit,” said Jones. “I certainly would like to thank coach Richardson and the coaching staff for even just giving me the opportunity, giving me a look.”

Over the past few months, Jones trained with the San Antonio Silver Stars to get up to playing speed – not an easy task for someone removed from the game for so long, let alone after having a child in the middle of 2009.

“You could be the fastest person in the world and you step on the basketball court and you’re heaving like a 90-year-old man,” said Jones, drawing laughter from the media in attendance.

Jones rose to fame in the sports world by winning five medals during her Olympic career but has since forfeited all medals after admitting to using performance-enhancing drugs. As a result of that drug use, the International Olympic Committee banned her from participating in the 2008 Summer Olympics.

The 34-year-old served six months in prison and 200 hours of community service for perjury relating to her drug use and involvement in a check-fraud scam.

Jones’ mood throughout was positive and humorous throughout, but also poignant, as when she thanked her husband and three children for their support in allowing her to pursue the often-demanding schedule of a professional athlete.

“There have been a lot of sacrifices that we’ve all had to make,” Jones said. “We have three little ones at home so as you can imagine his hand are full with mommy traveling and even over these next few months with the schedule tripling and quadrupling.

“You can’t do it without the people who love you.”