Larry “Gator” Rivers was a longtime member of the Harlem Globetrotters known for his dribbling skills.
- Died: April 29, 2023 (Who else died on April 29?)
- Details of death: Died at a hospital in Savannah, Georgia of cancer at the age of 73.
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Larry “Gator” Rivers’ legacy
Rivers started out playing basketball at Savannah’s Alfred E. Beach High School. He helped lead the team to victory in 1967 at the first integrated Georgia High School Association basketball tournament, becoming the first all-Black team to win that state tournament. He went on to play at Moberly Junior College and Missouri Western State University before beginning his professional career.
Rivers had dreamed of joining the Globetrotters since seeing one of their games as a child, and as soon as he graduated from college, he tried out for the team in 1973. He later recalled showing off his talent by dribbling around obstacles in a crowded supply closet. He won his spot on the team and went on to play for and later coach the Globetrotters through 1986. Rivers became well-known for his showmanship as a dribbler with the Globetrotters.
Following his Globetrotters career, Rivers founded the non-profit Gatorball Academy, a basketball-based mentoring program for young people in Savannah. In 2020, he made a successful run for Georgia’s Chatham County Commission.
Notable quote
“When I went to the movies when I was seven years old and saw [former Globetrotter] Marques Haynes, I knew that was what I was going to do. I took my ball with me everywhere, dribbled it every place.” —from a 1982 interview for the New York Daily News
Tributes to Larry “Gator” Rivers
Full obituary: Savannah Morning News
