Gene Littles

Eugene Scapes "Gene" Littles (born June 29, 1943) is a retired American basketball player and current coach. He played professional basketball for six years.

Littles played college basketball at High Point University where he was the all-time leading scorer in High school history, and a NAIA All-American. Afterward Littles was selected in the 5th round of the 1969 NBA Draft by the New York Knicks and in the 1969 ABA Draft by the Dallas Chaparrals. Littles opted to play in the American Basketball Association (ABA).

Littles played for five seasons with the Carolina Cougars (1969–74). He was named to the All-Rookie Team in 1970. He then played for one season (1974–75) with the Kentucky Colonels. With Kentucky, Littles was a member of the Colonels team that won the 1975 ABA Championship.

After his playing career, Littles got into coaching, and became an assistant with the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Littles then served as the Head Basketball Coach at North Carolina A&T from 1977-1979. Littles led the team to two stright MEAC Tournament Championships. He got his first taste of NBA head coaching when George Karl was dismissed at the end of the 1985–86 season. The Cavaliers next year hired Lenny Wilkens, however.

In 1990, Littles got a second NBA head coaching job, with the Charlotte Hornets — replacing Dick Harter. He lasted as season and a half with the recent-expansion Hornets, until he was replaced with Allan Bristow at the end of the 1990–91 season. Littles later became an assistant with the Denver Nuggets, and served as an interim coach during the 1994–95 season, in between Dan Issel and Bernie Bickerstaff.

1. ^ DatabaseBasketball.com Gene Littles page