&sq=&lang=&file=File:Larry_Rivers.jpg) Rivers in 1973 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 6, 1949 Savannah, Georgia, U.S. |
| Died | April 29, 2023 (aged 73) Savannah, Georgia, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Beach (Savannah, Georgia) |
| College | Moberly Junior College Missouri Western State University |
| Position | Guard |
| Career history | |
| 1973–1986 | Harlem Globetrotters |
Larry Darnell Rivers (May 6, 1949 – April 29, 2023), also known as Gator Rivers, was an American basketball player, coach, business owner, and civil servant. He performed as a dribbler for the Harlem Globetrotters from 1973 to 1986, eventually taking over the main dribbler role from Curly Neal. As player-coach during his last year with the Globetrotters, he led the team's nationwide search for their first female player.
After stints with two other exhibition basketball teams, Rivers moved back to St. Joseph, Missouri, where he had attended college, and started the Gatorball Academy, teaching basketball skills to children. In 2008, he moved to his native Savannah, Georgia, where he had led the Beach High School basketball team to three state titles. In 2020, he was elected to the Chatham County Commission in Chatham County, Georgia and served in the District 2 seat from 2021 until his death.