Larry Rivers (basketball)

Larry "Gator" Rivers
Rivers in 1973
Personal information
Born(1949-05-06)May 6, 1949
Savannah, Georgia, U.S.
DiedApril 29, 2023(2023-04-29) (aged 73)
Savannah, Georgia, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Career information
High schoolBeach (Savannah, Georgia)
CollegeMoberly Junior College
Missouri Western State University
PositionGuard
Career history
1973–1986Harlem 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.