Larry Jones (basketball)
Larry Jones | |
|---|---|
| Born | Larry Richard Jones 22 September 1941 Columbus, Ohio, U.S. |
| Died | 16 August 2025 (aged 83) |
| Occupation(s) | Professional basketball player, coach |
| Years active | 1964–1976 (player), 1976–1984 (coach) |
| Known for | First ABA player to reach 5,000 career points; ABA all-time leading scorer |
Larry Richard Jones (September 22, 1941 – August 16, 2025) was an American professional basketball athlete, primarily recognized for his tenure in the American Basketball Association (ABA), where he became the inaugural player to accumulate 5,000 career points. He also had short stints in the competing National Basketball Association (NBA).
Early life and collegiate career
Born on September 22, 1941, Jones was the sole offspring of Richard and Helen Jones. His basketball journey began at East High School in Columbus, Ohio, where he only started playing consistently during his senior year. Standing at , he was considered undersized by prominent college programs and ultimately committed to the University of Toledo, a member of the Mid-American Conference (MAC), starting in 1960. Under coach Ed Melvin, Jones was transitioned into a guard role and emerged as a vital contributor to the Rockets.
In 1962, he earned unanimous selection to the All-MAC First Team, having been named to the Second Team the year prior. During Toledo’s season opener in December 1962, Jones sustained a wrist fracture but still managed to score 35 points before opting to redshirt the remainder of the season, thereby extending his eligibility.
Jones played a pivotal role in December 1963 when Toledo secured a significant upset over the second-ranked New York University. Coach Melvin lauded him as an "exceptional all-around player – excelling in rebounding, playmaking, scoring, and defense," following an average exceeding 27 points across four games. Serving as team captain and ranking as Toledo’s second-highest scorer historically, Jones fractured a knuckle in January 1964 and faced suspension in February due to undisclosed disciplinary matters. The suspension was linked to a paternity suit that was eventually dismissed, which cleared his reputation and allowed him to return for the final two contests.
Jones received honorable mention status among the All-Americans in the 1964 Newspaper Enterprise Association list.
Initial years (1964–1967)
Jones was originally chosen by the NBA's Los Angeles Lakers in the fifth round (43rd overall) of the 1963 NBA draft, but opted to complete another collegiate season (see College career). He re-entered the draft in 1964 and was selected in the third round (20th overall) by the Philadelphia 76ers. Throughout the 1964–65 NBA season, he spent time with the Wilkes-Barre Barons of the Eastern Professional Basketball League (EPBL), averaging 20 points per game before being recalled by Philadelphia due to injuries on their roster. He posted an average of 5.7 points over 23 games that season prior to being released.
Between 1965 and 1967, Jones competed in the EPBL with Wilkes-Barre, earning All-EPBL Second Team honors in 1966. He briefly joined the pre-season roster of the Baltimore Bullets but was cut in October 1966 and returned to Wilkes-Barre.
Denver Rockets tenure (1967–1970)
Following the establishment of the American Basketball Association in 1967, Jones reached out to every franchise; only the Denver Rockets responded and signed him for $10,000. Despite facing legal opposition from the Eastern League, he quickly became a cornerstone for both Denver and the ABA, securing three straight selections to the All-ABA First Team from 1967 through 1970. During the 1968–69 ABA season, he scored over 30 points in 23 consecutive games, including setting a club record with a 52-point performance against the Houston Mavericks. He became the first player in ABA history to surpass 2,000 points in a single season with a league-leading total of 2,133 points. Denver was eliminated in the first round of playoffs.
On January 15, 1970, Jones made history as the first ABA player to reach 5,000 career points by scoring 23 against the Dallas Chaparrals. That season he averaged 24.9 points during regular play and elevated his output to 26.6 points per game throughout Denver’s playoff run to the Western Conference finals. At the 1970 ABA All-Star Game, he led all scorers with 30 points but did not receive MVP honors, which went instead to teammate Spencer Haywood.
Disparities between Haywood’s $1.9 million contract and Jones’s $23,000 salary sparked contract disputes. In protest, Jones demanded a trade and was subsequently dealt by Denver in June 1970 along with Greg Wittman and a second-round draft pick to the Miami Floridians. In exchange, Denver acquired Don Sidle, Larry Cannon, and a first-round draft pick.
Jones concluded his period with Denver averaging 25.4 points alongside 4.2 assists across 226 regular-season contests and posting averages of 25.1 points with 5.6 assists over 20 playoff appearances.
Later ABA tenure (1970–1973)
Jones became part of the Floridians as they sought to recover from a disappointing 23–61 record. Teaming up with Mack Calvin, the duo formed the most prolific scoring backcourt in professional basketball during the 1970–71 ABA season, combining for an average of 51.5 points per game. Over two seasons, Jones maintained an average exceeding 20 points per game, playing a key role in guiding the team to the playoffs. Despite this, the franchise faced persistent attendance challenges, and their playoff campaign ended with a first-round defeat by the Virginia Squires in April 1972, which turned out to be the franchise’s final contest. The ABA then acquired and disbanded the Floridians, conducting a dispersal draft that allowed struggling teams to select players from both the Floridians and the Pittsburgh Condors. Jones was chosen third overall by the Utah Stars.
Jones found it difficult to integrate into Utah’s lineup, positioned as the fourth guard behind several sharpshooters and facing criticism for his defensive weaknesses and lack of teamwork. In December, he was traded one-for-one for Bob Warren to join the Dallas Chaparrals. On February 11, 1973, Jones crossed the 10,000-point threshold in his ABA career—becoming only the fourth player to do so—and recorded a season-high 30 points during an overtime victory against the San Diego Conquistadors.
At season’s conclusion, Dallas placed Jones on waivers but no team claimed him. It was speculated that his leadership role as head of the Players' Association deterred franchises from signing him. Jones himself noted that despite being the all-time leading scorer in ABA history, no team approached him with offers at reduced salaries.
Return to NBA and retirement (1973–1975)
Contemplating retirement to pursue a doctorate in counseling, Jones instead signed with his former NBA team, the Philadelphia 76ers, under coach Gene Shue. The Sixers had just completed a historically poor 9–73 season. Determined to prove doubters wrong, Jones averaged double-digit points and started eight of ten games between November and December, helping spark a 9–15 improvement. Notable performances included scoring 20 points in an overtime win over the Houston Rockets and achieving a personal best of 22 points against the Kansas City-Omaha Kings. He concluded the 1973–74 season with an average of 10 points per game before being released in October 1974.
In November, Jones entered the European Professional Basketball League draft and signed on as player-coach for the Munich Eagles. He excelled individually, ranking second in scoring with an average of 23 points per game and leading the league with seven assists per contest until operations ceased after 30 games in March.
During the 1975–76 season, Jones briefly appeared in one game for the Wilkes-Barre Barons of the Eastern Basketball Association.
Coaching career
Following his coaching role in Europe, Jones joined the Detroit Pistons as an assistant coach under Herb Brown in 1976. He remained on staff through Brown’s dismissal in 1977 but was not retained for the following season when new head coach Dick Vitale assembled his own coaching team, including Richie Adubato.
Jones then took on head coaching duties for the Las Vegas Dealers during the Western Basketball Association’s only season in 1978–79 before that league folded. Afterwards, he served as director of player personnel for the Women's Professional Basketball League until it disbanded in 1981.
He coached at Franklin University during the 1982–83 campaign and later led his hometown Columbus Minks in the Women’s American Basketball Association (WABA). The WABA operated only briefly in late 1984; Jones coached its All-Star squad in its final game prior to folding.
Personal life and death
Following the conclusion of his basketball career, Jones took on a role as a state corrections administrator based in Columbus. He was married and fathered two daughters along with one son. In his hometown, he organized complimentary summer basketball camps, attributing his own academic progress to the mentorship of high school coach Jackie Moore and striving to offer comparable support to young people. Additionally, Jones served as a substitute educator and obtained a master's degree in education from Ohio State University.
Jones was honored with induction into the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame in 2011. He shared 38 years of marriage with Wanda Harewood-Jones and had two children. He was also stepfather to Twala, who passed away in 2014.
Jones passed away on August 16, 2025, at the age of 83.
NBA/ABA
Source
Regular season
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Philadelphia | 23 | 15.6 | .307 | .712 | 2.5 | 1.7 | 5.7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Denver (ABA) | 76 | 40.6 | .427 | .190 | .776 | 7.9 | 3.6 | 22.9 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Denver (ABA) | 75 | 40.6 | .465 | .240 | .778 | 6.6 | 3.4 | 28.4 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Denver (ABA) | 75 | 40.4 | .434 | .248 | .791 | 5.2 | 5.7 | 24.9 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Florida (ABA) | 84 | 43.0 | .467 | .363 | .802 | 5.4 | 4.6 | 24.3 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Florida (ABA) | 66 | 34.2 | .531 | .300 | .804 | 4.7 | 3.2 | 17.6 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Utah (ABA) | 27 | 16.6 | .438 | .364 | .817 | 2.3 | 1.6 | 6.2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dallas (ABA) | 53 | 23.7 | .468 | .261 | .832 | 3.4 | 3.1 | 10.0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Philadelphia | 72 | 60 | 26.1 | .423 | .838 | 2.6 | 3.2 | 1.2 | 0.3 | 10.0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career (NBA) | 95 | 60 | 23.5 | .400 | .815 | 2.5 | 2.8 | 1.2 | 0.3 | 9.0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career (ABA) | 456 | 36.7 | .459 | .277 | .791 | 5.4 | 3.9 | 21.2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career (overall) | 551 | 60 | 34.4 | .453 | .277 | .793 | 4.9 | 3.7 | 1.2 | 0.3 | 19.1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| All-Star (ABA) | 4 | 2 | 26.8 | .524 | .333 | .731 | 6.5 | 4.3 | 16.0
Playoffs
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