The Nuggets lost one of the franchise’s foundational pieces last week.

Larry Jones died at age 83 Saturday. Jones was a member of the Denver Rockets in the team’s first season in the American Basketball Association. The Columbus, Ohio, native went on to become the first player in ABA history to score 5,000 career points.

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After a productive senior season at Columbus East, Jones stayed in Ohio and attended the University of Toledo where he earned all-conference honors twice. The Philadelphia 76ers selected Jones in the third round of the 1964 draft, and he spent his early days as a professional playing for the Wilkes-Barre Barons in the Eastern Professional Basketball League from 1965-67.

When the ABA formed in 1967, Jones had a decision to make. He had an offer from the Los Angeles Lakers to play in the NBA, while Denver was the only team in the ABA to offer the 6-foot-2 guard a contract. Geography did the Rockets a favor.

“When I got to St. Louis, I had to make a decision,” Jones told the Columbus Dispatch in 1987. “I-70 to Denver, or Route 66 to L.A. I decided to go to Denver. It was closer.”

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Jones was an All-ABA selection and All-Star in all three of his seasons in Denver. He finished fourth in the MVP race in his first season with the Rockets, and placed third in the 1968-69 season, when he won the scoring title. He averaged 25.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists across three seasons in Denver.

After Denver, Jones’ career continued with the Miami Floridians. After that team was disbanded, Jones had a short stint with the Utah Stars before being traded to the Dallas Chaparrals. Jones career concluded after a return to the 76ers, a year in Germany with the Munich Eagles and one more game in Wilkes-Barre.

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Following his playing career, Jones got into coaching. He worked as an assistant to Herb Brown with the Detroit Pistons. He also worked as the coach of the Las Vegas Dealers in the Western Basketball Association before the league dissolved. From there, he got involved with the Women’s Professional Basketball League and Women’s American Basketball Association. His final coaching job came with his hometown Columbus Minks in the WABA.