He later coached in the National Basketball Association (NBA) with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Charlotte Hornets, and Denver Nuggets.

[2] He finished sixth in the league in field goal percentage (.507) that year, while recording career-highs in points (1,025), assists (282), and rebounds (415).

[6] He was then a college head coach at North Carolina A&T from 1977 to 1979, leading the team to two straight MEAC tournament championships.

[3] Littles got his first taste of NBA coaching when he was hired by the then-New Orleans Jazz in 1979 and moved with the team to Utah.

[2][8] He then moved over to the Cleveland Cavaliers in 1982 and was subsequently given the interim head coaching job when George Karl was dismissed before the end of the 1985–86 season.

[10] He was one of the candidates interviewed at the end of the season to be head coach of the Los Angeles Clippers;[14] however, the position ultimately went to Bob Weiss.

His number 14 was retired by his alma mater, and a bench outside Millis Athletic Convocation Center was later named in his honor in 2019.