Ervin, United Brooklyn dedicate season to deceased coaching legend

Gary Ervin spent the early part of this week honoring coach Sid Jones. Monday the former Robeson and Arkansas guard spent two hours at J. Foster Phillips funeral home in Jamaica, Queens for Jones’ wake. Tuesday he was back on the court suiting up for Jones’ United Brooklyn.

“Things like that, I’m emotional, he said. “It’s hard for me to do everything. I paid my respects and tried to rest up for the game.”

Jones, the legendary streetball coach, died of bone and pancreatic cancer Thursday at the age of 60 and was laid to rest Tuesday, the same day his United Brooklyn team took the court at Nike Pro City at Baruch College. Ervin did everything he could to propel his squad to a win, but it fell 115-107 to the defending champion Franchise, which is playing in memory of its own coach, streetball great John Strickland. Jones is the third streetball legend to die this year, along with Strickland and Troy (Escalade) Jackson.

Joseph Staszewski

United Brooklyn huddles up during its game against Franchise.

Robert Cole

United Brooklyn's Gary Ervin scored 36 point in defeat.

“It’s very emotional,” said Ervin, who has known Jones longer than the last four years playing for him. “At the end of the day I love to play this sport, but it’s bigger than basketball right now. That’s like a father figure to me. I want to win this for him more than anything.”

He scored a game-high 36 points and tried to put United Brooklyn on his back in the final minute as it looked to erase an 11-point fourth quarter deficit. Ervin scored 10 straight points including a long 3-pointer and a 3-point play to cut the lead to 102-99 with 3:30 remaining, but it wasn’t enough to give his team an emotional victory after Jones’ unexpected death.

“I thought everything was fine,” Ervin said. “It was unbelievable. I just remember saying a couple of words to him after our win outside and him leaving. My last words were, ‘I love you, Sid. I love you, Sid.’"

Jones' passing took many of his players by surprise last week, especially since he was still on the bench with them. Nike Pro City director Ray Diaz said the streetball coach for more than 30 years didn’t want to let people know how bad his condition was.

“He didn’t want people to make a big fuss over him,” Diaz said. “He wanted people to treat him the way they always have.”

Jones didn’t get into coaching for any personal accolades, but was generous with his time to help others and teach life lessons. He guided his team, which played in all the city’s major streetball leagues, to six titles at Pro City, the one he’s been a part of the longest. Winning wasn’t the ultimate goal, but making sure that his players understood what it meant to be good men, something he embodied himself.

Diaz remembered that when he got the job to run Nike Pro City in 1997 someone told him to call Jones. He immediately agreed to pick up Diaz and take him on a tour of Brooklyn and different leagues so he could meet people involved with streetball and some of the coaches and players.

“He was a giver, a very special person,” said Fred Mobley, who took over for Jones after coaching with him for more than 25 years. “Always looking out for everybody.”

The last few days have been trying on Jones’ players, that include Eugene Lawrence, Kavon Jones and Vernon Goodridge among others, and his coaching staff. Mobley felt it got to them a bit Tuesday night, but if the way Ervin played was any indication, they will use it as a rallying cry moving forward.

“It was very emotional for a lot of the guys,” Mobley said. “All of the guys have been playing for him for many years. It was tough.”

jstaszewski@nypost.com