Larry Jones (basketball) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Larry Jones

Personal information
Born	(1942-09-22) September 22, 1942 (age 82) Columbus, Ohio, U.S.
High school	East (Columbus, Ohio)
Listed height	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Listed weight	180 lb (82 kg)
Career information
College	Toledo (1960–1964)
NBA Draft	1964 / Round: 3 / Pick: 20th overall
Selected by the Philadelphia 76ers
Pro career	1964–1974
Coaching career	1976–1984
Career history
As player:
1964–1965	Philadelphia 76ers
1965	→Wilkes-Barre Barons
1965–1967	Wilkes-Barre Barons
1967–1970	Denver Rockets
1970–1972	Floridians
1972	Utah Stars
1972–1973	Dallas Chaparrals
1973–1974	Philadelphia 76ers
1975	Munich Eagles
As coach:
1976–1978	Detroit Pistons (assistant)
1978–1979	Las Vegas Dealers
1984	Columbus Minks
Career highlights and awards
4× ABA All-Star (1968–1971) 3× All-ABA First Team (1968–1970) First-team All-MAC (1962)
Career NBA and ABA statistics
Points	10,505 (19.1 ppg)
Rebounds	2,725 (4.9 rpg)
Assists	2,030 (3.7 apg)

Larry Jones (born September 22, 1942) is a former professional basketball player from the United States. He is best known for playing in the American Basketball Association (ABA). He was the first player in the ABA to score 5,000 career points. He also played for a short time in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

College Career Highlights

Larry Jones started playing regularly for East High in Columbus, Ohio, during his final year. He was 6 feet 2 inches tall and played as a forward. Major colleges thought he wasn't tall enough. So, he was recruited by the University of Toledo. He played for them in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) starting in 1960.

Toledo coach Ed Melvin changed his position to a guard. Larry then became a very important player for the Toledo Rockets. In 1962, he was chosen by all the conference coaches for the All-MAC First Team. He had been on the Second Team the year before.

In December 1962, Larry injured his wrist during a game. He scored 35 points in that game, even with the injury. It turned out his wrist was fractured, so he had to miss the rest of the 1962–63 season. This allowed him to play an extra season later.

A year later, in December 1963, he helped Toledo win a big upset against New York University. At the time, NYU was ranked second in the country. His coach described him as a "tremendous total player." Larry was great at rebounding, making plays, scoring, and defending. He averaged over 27 points in the four games before this one.

As the Toledo captain, Larry was the second-highest scorer in the team's history. He faced some challenges during his final college season. However, he was able to return and play the last two games of the season. In 1964, he received an honorable mention for the All-American selection.

Professional Basketball Journey

Starting Out in the NBA and Eastern League (1964–1967)

Larry Jones was first picked by the NBA's Los Angeles Lakers in the 1963 NBA draft. However, he decided to play another college season instead. He then entered the 1964 NBA draft again. The Philadelphia 76ers chose him in the third round.

During the 1964–65 season, the Sixers sent him to the Wilkes-Barre Barons. This team was in the Eastern League. He scored 20 points per game there. The Sixers called him back to Philadelphia in March 1965 because other players were injured. He played 23 games for the Sixers, averaging 5.7 points. After the season, he was released by the team.

From 1965 to 1967, Larry continued to play in the Eastern League with Wilkes-Barre. He also joined the Baltimore Bullets for their pre-season in 1966. But he was released and went back to the Barons.

Becoming an ABA Star with the Denver Rockets (1967–1970)

When the American Basketball Association (ABA) started in 1967, Larry reached out to all the new teams. The Denver Rockets were the only team to respond. He signed a $10,000 contract with them.

Larry became a very important player for Denver and for the ABA. He was known for his excellent jump-shooting. He was chosen for the All-ABA First Team three times in a row, from 1967 to 1970. During the 1968–69 season, he scored 30 points or more in 23 games in a row! This included a game where he scored 52 points, which was a club record. In that game, he also became the first ABA player to score over 2,000 points in a single season. He finished that season as the league's top scorer with 2,133 points.

On January 15, 1970, Larry became the first player in the ABA to reach 5,000 career points. He scored 23 points against the Dallas Chaparrals to reach this milestone. In the 1969–70 season, he averaged 24.9 points. He also averaged 26.6 points during the playoffs. The Rockets made it to the West finals that year.

Larry was the top scorer in the 1970 ABA All-Star Game with 30 points. He also had 6 rebounds and 5 assists. He was the president of the ABA Players' Association (ABAPA). He and the ABAPA made sure the players' association was recognized by the ABA owners before the game started.

Even though he scored a lot, Larry's teammate Spencer Haywood won the All-Star Game MVP award. Haywood, a rookie, also became the Rockets' highest-paid player. Larry was traded to the Floridians in June 1970. He finished his Denver career averaging 25.4 points and 4.2 assists.

Later ABA Career (1970–1973)

Larry joined the Floridians, who were rebuilding their team. Larry and his teammate Mack Calvin scored a combined average of 51.5 points during the 1970–71 season. This was the highest-scoring backcourt ever in professional basketball. Larry averaged over 20 points for the Floridians for two seasons. They reached the playoffs both years.

However, the club had problems with attendance. The ABA eventually bought the team and closed it down. In June, a special draft was held for the Floridians' players. The Utah Stars picked Larry with the third choice.

Larry didn't quite fit in with the Utah Stars. He left the team in December and was traded to the Dallas Chaparrals. On February 11, 1973, Larry reached 10,000 career ABA points. He was the fourth ABA player to reach this milestone that season. He scored a season-high 30 points in that game.

At the end of the season, Larry was released by the Chaparrals. No other ABA team signed him. Some thought it was because he had been the head of the Players' Association.

NBA Return and Retirement (1973–1975)

Larry thought about ending his basketball career to study more. But then, Gene Shue, coach of his old NBA team, the Philadelphia 76ers, offered him a chance. The Sixers had a very tough season before, with a 9–73 record. Larry wanted to prove people wrong who thought he was "too old."

He scored double figures in many games. He started eight out of ten games between November and December. The Sixers won five times during this period. He scored 20 points in a win against the Houston Rockets. He also had an NBA career-best 22 points in a win over the Kansas City-Omaha Kings. He finished the 1973–74 NBA season averaging 10 points per game. He was released by the Sixers in October 1974.

In November, he joined the European Professional Basketball League (EPBL). He was signed by the Munich Eagles in Germany. He was both a player and a coach for the team. He was one of the best players in the league. He averaged 23 points (second best) and 7 assists (league-leading) per game. The season ended early in March.

Coaching Career

After his experience coaching in Europe, Larry Jones became an assistant coach for the Detroit Pistons in 1976. He stayed with the Pistons for two NBA seasons. He left in 1978 when the new coach hired different assistants.

Larry then became the head coach of the Las Vegas Dealers. This team was part of the Western Basketball Association. The league only lasted one season (1978–79).

Next, Larry worked as the director of player personnel for the Women's Professional Basketball League. This league also closed in 1981. His next coaching job was in women's basketball too. He coached his hometown team, the Columbus Minks. They played in the Women's American Basketball Association (WABA). The WABA played only one season in 1984. Larry coached the All-Star team in the league's final game.

Personal Life

After his basketball career, Larry Jones worked for the state corrections department in Columbus. He is married and has two daughters and one son. He runs free summer basketball camps for young people in his hometown. He says his high school coach, Jackie Moore, helped him go from a "poor student to an honor student." Larry wants to help young people in the same way.

Career Statistics

NBA and ABA Regular Season Stats

NBA and ABA Playoff Stats

Images for kids

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  Larry Jones playing basketball.

See also

In Spanish: Larry Jones para niños