American Basketball Association

For the league that began in 1999, see American Basketball Association (2000–present).

American Basketball Association (ABA)

File:ABA logo.gif Logo ABA
Sport	Basketball
Founded	1967
Ceased	1976
No. of teams	11
Country	United States
Continent	FIBA Americas (Americas)
Last champion(s)	New York Nets (2nd title)
Most titles	Indiana Pacers (3 titles)

The American Basketball Association (ABA) was a professional basketball league founded in 1967. The ABA ceased to exist with the ABA–NBA merger in 1976.

League history

The original ABA was founded in 1967, competing with the well-established National Basketball Association, until the ABA–NBA merger in 1976. According to The NBA Encyclopedia, its long-term goal was to force a merger with the more established league. ABA officials told potential owners that they could get an ABA team for half of what it cost to get an NBA expansion team at the time. When the merger occurred, ABA officials said, their investment would more than double.

Ultimately, four ABA teams were absorbed into the older league: the New York Nets, Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers, and San Antonio Spurs. Two other clubs, the Kentucky Colonels, and the Spirits of St. Louis, were disbanded upon the merger. A third, the Virginia Squires, had folded less than a month earlier, missing out on the opportunities that a merger might have provided.

The ABA distinguished itself from its older counterpart with a more wide-open, flashy style of offensive play, as well as differences in rules - a 30-second shot clock (as opposed to the NBA's 24-second clock, though the ABA did switch to the 24 second shot clock for the 1975-76 season) and use of a three-point field goal arc. Also, the ABA used a colorful red, white and blue ball, instead of the NBA's traditional orange ball. The ABA also had several "regional" franchises, such as the Virginia Squires and Carolina Cougars, that played "home" games in several cities.

The ABA also cleverly went after four of the best referees in the NBA: Earl Strom, John Vanak, Norm Drucker and Joe Gushue, getting them to "jump" leagues by offering them far more in money and benefits. In Earl Strom's memoir "Calling The Shots," Strom conveys both the heady sense of being courted by a rival league with money to burn -- and also the depression that set in the next year when he began refereeing in the ABA, with lesser players performing in inadequate arenas, in front of very small crowds. But the emergence of the ABA boosted the salaries of referees just as it did the salaries of players.

The freewheeling style of the ABA eventually caught on with fans, but the lack of a national television contract and protracted financial losses would spell doom for the ABA as an independent circuit. In 1976, its last year of existence, the ABA pioneered the now-popular slam dunk contest at its all-star game in Denver.

One of the more significant long-term contributions of the ABA to professional basketball was to tap into markets in the southeast that had been collegiate basketball hotbeds (including North Carolina, Virginia and Kentucky). The NBA was focused on the urban areas of the Northeast, Midwest and West Coast. At the time, it showed no interest in placing a team south of Washington, D.C.

Commissioners

• George Mikan 1967–1969
• James Gardner 1969 (interim)
• Jack Dolph 1969–1972
• Bob Carlson 1972–1973
• Mike Storen 1973–74
• Tedd Munchak 1974–75
• Dave DeBusschere 1975–76

NBA great George Mikan was the first commissioner of the ABA, where he introduced both the 3-point line and the league's trademark red, white and blue basketball. Mikan resigned in 1969. Dave DeBusschere, one of the stars of the New York Knicks championship teams, moved from his job as Vice President and GM of the ABA's New York Nets in 1975 to become the last commissioner of the ABA and facilitate the ABA-NBA merger in 1976.

Teams

Of the original 11 teams, only the Kentucky Colonels and Indiana Pacers remained for all nine seasons without relocating or changing team names.

• Anaheim Amigos (1967–1968; charter member of ABA; supplanted by Los Angeles Stars)
• Baltimore Claws (1975; folded prior to start of final ABA season and ABA-NBA merger)
• Baltimore Hustlers (1975; renamed Baltimore Claws)
• Carolina Cougars (1969–1974; supplanted by Spirits of St. Louis)
• Dallas Chaparrals (1967–1970; 1971–1973; charter member of ABA; moved and became San Antonio Spurs)
• Denver Larks (1967; renamed Denver Rockets)
• Denver Nuggets (1974–present; formerly Denver Rockets; joined NBA in ABA-NBA merger)
• Denver Rockets (1967–1974; charter member of ABA; became Denver Nuggets)
• The Floridians (1970–1972; folded in 1972)
• Houston Mavericks (1967–1969; charter member of ABA; supplanted by Carolina Cougars)
• Indiana Pacers (1967–present; charter member of ABA; joined NBA in ABA-NBA merger)
• Kansas City (1967)
• Kentucky Colonels (1967–1976; charter member of ABA; folded as part of ABA-NBA merger)
• Los Angeles Stars (1968–1970; supplanted by Utah Stars)
• Louisiana Buccaneers (1970; renamed New Orleans Buccaneers, but became Memphis Pros before season began)
• Memphis Pros (1970–1972; supplanted by Memphis Tams)
• Memphis Sounds (1974–1975; supplanted by Baltimore Hustlers)
• Memphis Tams (1972–1974; supplanted by Memphis Sounds)
• Miami Floridians (1968–1970; supplanted by The Floridians)
• Minnesota Muskies (1967–1968; charter member of ABA; supplanted by Miami Floridians)
• Minnesota Pipers (1968–1969; supplanted by Pittsburgh Pipers)
• New Jersey Americans (1967–1968; charter member of ABA; supplanted by New York Nets)
• New York Nets (1968–present; joined NBA in ABA-NBA merger)
• New Orleans Buccaneers (1967–1970; charter member of ABA; supplanted by Memphis Pros)
• Oakland Americans (1967; renamed Oakland Oaks)
• Oakland Oaks (1967–1969; charter member of ABA; supplanted by Washington Caps)
• Pittsburgh Condors (1970–1972; folded in 1972)
• Pittsburgh Pioneers (1970; renamed Pittsburgh Condors)
• Pittsburgh Pipers (1967–1968; 1969–1970; charter member of ABA; supplanted by Minnesota Pipers in 1968 and Pittsburgh Condors in 1970)
• San Antonio Gunslingers (1973; renamed San Antonio Spurs)
• San Antonio Spurs (1973–present; joined NBA in ABA-NBA merger)
• San Diego Conquistadors (1972–1975; expansion team; supplanted by San Diego Sails)
• San Diego Sails (1975; folded in ABA's final season before ABA-NBA merger)
• Spirits of St. Louis (1974–1976; folded in ABA-NBA merger)
• Texas Chaparrals (1970–1971; supplanted by Dallas Chaparrals)
• Utah Rockies (1976; folded as part of ABA-NBA merger)
• Utah Stars (1970–1975; folded in ABA's final season before ABA-NBA merger)
• Virginia Squires (1970–1976; folded at conclusion of ABA's final season but before ABA-NBA merger)
• Washington Caps (1969–1970; supplanted by Virginia Squires)

List of ABA championships

Main article: List of ABA champions

Year	Western Division champion	Games	Eastern Division champion	Playoffs MVP
1967–68	New Orleans Buccaneers	3–4	Pittsburgh Pipers	Connie Hawkins C, Pittsburgh
1968–69	Oakland Oaks	4–1	Indiana Pacers	Warren Jabali G, Oakland
1969–70	Los Angeles Stars	2–4	Indiana Pacers	Roger Brown F/G, Indiana
1970–71	Utah Stars	4–3	Kentucky Colonels	Zelmo Beaty C, Utah
1971–72	Indiana Pacers	4–2	New York Nets	Freddie Lewis G, Indiana
1972–73	Indiana Pacers	4–3	Kentucky Colonels	George McGinnis F/C, Indiana
1973–74	Utah Stars	1–4	New York Nets	Julius Erving F, New York
1974–75	Indiana Pacers	1–4	Kentucky Colonels	Artis Gilmore C, Kentucky

With the ABA cut down to seven teams by the middle of its final season, the league abandoned divisional play.

Year	Winner	Games	Runners-up	Playoffs MVP
1975–76	New York Nets	4–2	Denver Nuggets	Julius Erving F, New York

Prominent players of the ABA

• Marvin Barnes
• Rick Barry
• Zelmo Beaty
• Ron Boone
• Hubie Brown
• Larry Brown
• Roger Brown
• Don Buse
• Mack Calvin
• Darel Carrier
• Jim Chones
• Billy Cunningham
• Louie Dampier
• Mel Daniels
• Julius "Dr. J" Erving
• Donnie Freeman
• George "Ice Man" Gervin
• Artis Gilmore
• Jerry Harkness
• Connie Hawkins
• Spencer Haywood
• Dan Issel
• Warren Jabali
• Bobby Jones
• Jimmy Jones
• Larry Jones
• Freddie Lewis
• Maurice Lucas
• Moses Malone
• George McGinnis
• Doug Moe
• Bob Netolicky
• Billy Paultz
• Charlie Scott
• James Silas
• David "Skywalker" Thompson
• Willie Wise

For more information, see ABA All-Time Team.

Season leaders

Scoring leaders

Season	Player	Team(s)	Games played	Points	PPG
1967–68	Connie Hawkins	Pittsburgh Pipers	70	1875	26.8
1968–69	Rick Barry	Oakland Oaks	35	1190	34.0
1969–70	Spencer Haywood	Denver Nuggets	84	2519	30.0
1970–71	Dan Issel	Kentucky Colonels	83	2480	29.9
1971–72	Charlie Scott	Virginia Squires	73	2524	34.6
1972–73	Julius Erving	Virginia Squires	71	2268	31.9
1973–74	Julius Erving	New York Nets	84	2299	27.4
1974–75	George McGinnis	Indiana Pacers	79	2353	29.8
1975–76	Bob Carpenter	Oshkosh All-Stars	84	2464	29.3

Rebounding leaders

Season	Player	Team(s)	Game played	[[Offensive rebounds]]	[[Defensive rebounds]]	Total rebounds	PPG
1967–68	Mel Daniels	Minnesota Muskies	78	502	711	1213	15.6
1968–69	Mel Daniels	Indiana Pacers	76	383	873	1256	16.5
1969–70	Spencer Haywood	Denver Nuggets	84	533	1104	1637	19.5
1970–71	Mel Daniels	Indiana Pacers	82	394	1081	1475	18.0
1971–72	Artis Gilmore	Kentucky Colonels	84	421	1070	1491	17.8
1972–73	Artis Gilmore	Kentucky Colonels	84	449	1027	1476	17.6
1973–74	Artis Gilmore	Kentucky Colonels	84	478	1060	1538	18.3
1974–75	Swen Nater	San Antonio Spurs	78	369	910	1279	16.4
1975–76	Artis Gilmore	Kentucky Colonels	84	402	901	1301	15.5

Succession

In 1999, a new league calling itself the ABA 2000 was established. The new league uses a similar red, white and blue basketball as the old ABA, but unlike the original ABA, it does not feature players of the same caliber as the NBA, nor does it play games in major arenas nor on television as the original ABA did.

See also

• ABA's All-Time Team
• List of defunct sports leagues
• Loose Balls written by Terry Pluto
• Semi-Pro, a comedy about the ABA starring Will Ferrell, of the fictional Flint Tropics.

External links

• Remember the ABA
• ABA Memorabilia