Larry Jones

Larry Richard Jones (September 22, 1941 – August 16, 2025) was an American professional basketball player who most notably played in the American Basketball Association (ABA), where he became the first player to reach 5,000 career points. He also had shorter stints in the rival National Basketball Association (NBA).

Born in Columbus, Ohio, Jones was the only child of Richard and Helen Jones. He attended East High School in Columbus, where he played basketball, though he only began playing regularly during his senior year. A 6 ft 2 in forward, he was not considered big enough by major colleges and was recruited by the University of Toledo, for whom he played in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) beginning in 1960. Toledo coach Ed Melvin repositioned him as a guard, and he became a major player for the Rockets. After making the All-MAC Second Team in 1961, Jones was a unanimous selection to the 1962 All-MAC First Team chosen by the conference's coaches. In Toledo's season opener against Butler on December 1, 1962, he scored 35 points but injured his wrist in a heavy fall in which he also hit his head.