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	1964–1976
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
1975–1976	Wilkes-Barre Barons
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) All-EPBL Second Team (1966) 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 American professional basketball player. He is best known for his time in the American Basketball Association (ABA). In the ABA, he made history as the first player to score 5,000 career points. He also played for a short time in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

Larry Jones' College Basketball Journey

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 didn't think he was big enough. However, the University of Toledo recruited him. He played for them in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) starting in 1960.

Toledo's coach, Ed Melvin, changed Jones' position to guard. This helped Jones become a very important player for the 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, Jones hurt his wrist and hit his head during a game. He scored 35 points in that game. It turned out his wrist was broken, so he had to miss the rest of the 1962–63 season. This meant he could play an extra season later.

A year later, in December 1963, Jones helped Toledo win a huge game against New York University. At that time, NYU was ranked second in the country. Coach Melvin called Jones a "tremendous total player" because he was great at rebounding, passing, scoring, and defending. Jones was the team captain and the second-highest scorer in Toledo's history. In January 1964, he broke a knuckle after falling on ice. Before he could return, he was suspended for a short time due to personal challenges. All charges were later dropped, and he was able to play the last two games of the season. In 1964, he was recognized as an honorable mention All-American.

Larry Jones' Professional Basketball Career

Starting Out in Professional Basketball (1964–1967)

Larry Jones was first picked by the NBA's Los Angeles Lakers in the 1963 draft. However, he chose to play another year in college instead. He then entered the 1964 NBA draft again. This time, the Philadelphia 76ers picked 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 Professional Basketball League (EPBL). He scored about 20 points per game there. The Sixers called him back in March 1965 because some players were injured. After playing 23 games and averaging 5.7 points, Jones was released by the Sixers.

From 1965 to 1967, Jones continued to play for Wilkes-Barre in the EPBL. He was named to the All-EPBL Second Team in 1966. He also tried out for the Baltimore Bullets but was released before the season started. He then went back to the Barons.

Becoming a Star with the Denver Rockets (1967–1970)

When the American Basketball Association (ABA) started in 1967, Larry Jones contacted every team. Only the Denver Rockets responded. He signed a contract with them. Because of a dispute with his old league, he had to stay on the team plane during his first game in Pittsburgh to avoid legal issues.

Jones quickly became a key player for Denver and the ABA. He was known for his excellent jump-shooting. He was chosen for the All-ABA First Team three years 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, matching his own team 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, Jones 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 scored 30 points in the 1970 ABA All-Star Game. As the president of the ABA Players' Association, Jones helped ensure players' rights were recognized.

Even though he scored a lot, his teammate Spencer Haywood won the All-Star Game MVP award. Haywood also became the Rockets' highest-paid player, even though he was a rookie. Jones felt his contract was unfair compared to Haywood's. He protested and eventually got traded to another team.

Jones' time with Denver ended with him averaging 25.4 points and 4.2 assists per game. In June 1970, he was traded to the Floridians.

Later Years in the ABA (1970–1973)

Jones joined the Floridians, who had changed almost their entire team. Jones and his teammate Mack Calvin formed a high-scoring duo. They averaged 51.5 points together during the 1970–71 season. This was the highest-scoring backcourt in professional basketball history at that time.

Jones averaged over 20 points for the Floridians for two seasons. The team made it to the playoffs both years. However, the club had trouble attracting fans. After losing in the playoffs in April 1972, the team was shut down by the ABA. The Utah Stars then picked Jones in a special draft.

Jones didn't quite fit in with the Utah Stars. He was traded to the Dallas Chaparrals in December 1972. On February 11, 1973, Jones reached 10,000 career ABA points. He was the fourth ABA player to reach this goal that season. He scored 30 points in that game, helping the Chaparrals win in overtime.

After the season, the Chaparrals released Jones. No other ABA team signed him. Some people thought his role as the head of the Players' Association might have made teams hesitant to sign him.

Returning to the NBA and Retirement (1973–1975)

Larry Jones thought about ending his basketball career to study for a doctorate. But then, Gene Shue, the coach of his old NBA team, the Philadelphia 76ers, offered him a chance. The Sixers had a very tough season before, winning only 9 games. Jones wanted to prove he could still play at a high level. He scored double figures in many games and helped the Sixers improve their record. He even scored a career-best 22 points in an NBA game.

He finished the 1973–74 NBA season averaging 10 points per game. The Sixers released him in October 1974. In November, he joined the European Professional Basketball League. He played for and coached the Munich Eagles in Germany. He was one of the best players in that league, averaging 23 points and 7 assists per game. The league ended early in March.

Jones played one more game for the Wilkes-Barre Barons in 1975–76 before retiring.

Larry Jones' Coaching Career

After coaching in Europe, Larry Jones became an assistant coach for the Detroit Pistons in the NBA in 1976. He stayed with the Pistons for two seasons.

Later, he became the head coach of the Las Vegas Dealers in the Western Basketball Association in 1978. This league only lasted one season.

Jones then worked as a director for the Women's Professional Basketball League until it closed in 1981. His next coaching job was also in women's basketball. He coached his hometown team, the Columbus Minks, in the Women's American Basketball Association (WABA). The WABA played its only season in 1984. Jones coached the All-Star team in the league's final game.

Personal Life

After his basketball career, Larry Jones worked as a state corrections official 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 wants to help young people, just as his high school coach, Jackie Moore, helped him go from a struggling student to an honor student.

Career statistics

NBA/ABA

Source

Regular season

Playoffs

See also

In Spanish: Larry Jones para niños