The ABA is long gone, but it remains the soul of the NBA

July 14, 2024

Quick Update

Some of the ABA’s marquee players:

Spencer Haywood

1969-70

Julius Erving

1971-76

Artis Gilmore

1971-76

Dan Issel

1970-76

Three-time MVP

One-time MVP

Mel Daniels

1967-76

Ron Boone

1968-76

Freddie Lewis

1967-76

Rick Barry

1968-72

Two-time MVP

ABA career

1972-74: Virginia Squires

1974-76: San Antonio Spurs

Scoring by season

ABA career

1967-76: Kentucky Colonels

Scoring by season

Career statistical leaders (Players in red are members of the Hall of Fame):

13,726

12,823

12,153

11,739

11,662

11,660

11,544

10,620

10,538

10,498

9,494

7,169

7,119

6,155

5,518

5,426

5,406

5,165

5,142

4,995

4,044

3,067

3,044

2,883

2,786

2,569

2,509

2,420

2,389

2,315

Louie Dampier

Dan Issel

Ron Boone

Mel Daniels

Julius Erving

Freddie Lewis

Don Freeman

Mack Calvin

Stew Johnson

Roger Brown

Mel Daniels

Artis Gilmore

Gerald Govan

Red Robbins

Bob Netolicky

Dan Issel

Billy Paultz

Byron Beck

Jim Eakins

Ira Harge

Louie Dampier

Mack Calvin

Bill Melchionni

Freddie Lewis

Jimmy Jones

Ron Boone

Larry Brown

Chuck Williams

Warren Jabali

Roger Brown

“[The ball] was something you could see from the balcony, you could see it on television. When you shot it, it left a red, white and blue streak − like a rainbow.”

George Mikan, the first commissioner of the ABA

With the exception of two teams — the Pacers and Colonels — every ABA

franchise moved or changed names. How each franchise evolved:

Anaheim Amigos, 1967-68

Los Angeles Stars, 1968-70

Utah Stars, 1970-75

Dallas Chaparrals, 1967-70

Texas Chaparrals, 1970-71

Dallas Chaparrals, 1971-73

San Antonio Spurs, 1973-76

Houston Mavericks, 1967-69

Carolina Cougars, 1969-1974

Spirits of St. Louis, 1974-76

Indiana Pacers, 1967-76

Kentucky Colonels, 1967-76

Denver Larks, 1967

Denver Rockets, 1967-74

Denver Nuggets, 1974-76

Minnesota Muskies, 1967-68

Miami Floridians, 1968-70

Floridians, 1970-72

New Orleans Buccaneers, 1967-70

Louisiana Buccaneers, 1970

Memphis Pros, 1970-72

Memphis Tams, 1972-74

Memphis Sounds, 1974-75

Baltimore Hustlers, 1975

Baltimore Claws, 1975

New York Americans, 1967

New Jersey Americans, 1967-68

New York Nets, 1968-76

Oakland Americans, 1967

Oakland Oaks, 1967-69

Washington Caps, 1969-70

Virginia Squires, 1970-76

Pittsburgh Pipers, 1967-68

Minnesota Pipers, 1968-69

Pittsburgh Pipers, 1969-70

Pittsburgh Pioneers, 1970

Pittsburgh Condors, 1970-72

San Diego Conquistadors, 1972-75

San Diego Sails, 1975

In 1976, four ABA teams — the Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers, New York Nets and San Antonio Spurs — merged with the NBA. The terms of the merger required each team to pay the NBA $3.2 million and ABA teams would receive no money from national television contracts for the first three seasons. The four ABA teams also could not participate in the 1976 draft.

“While some people thought the ABA was fleeced by the merger, it turned out to be one of the great business bargains of all time.”

Mike Goldberg, former ABA legal counsel

The dispersal draft

In 1976 the NBA hosted a draft to select players from the Kentucky Colonels

and the Spirits of St. Louis, the two ABA franchises that were not included in the merger.

Chicago Bulls

Portland Trail Blazers

Kansas City Kings

Detroit Pistons

Portland Trail Blazers

New York Knicks

Buffalo Braves

Indiana Pacers

Houston Rockets

San Antonio Spurs

New York Nets

Kansas City Kings

Artis Gilmore

Maurice Lucas

Ron Boone

Marvin Barnes

Moses Malone

Randy Denton

William Averitt

Wil Jones

Ron Thomas

Louie Dampier

Jan van Breda Kolff

Mike Barr

Kentucky Colonels

Spirits of St. Louis

Kentucky Colonels

Spirits of St. Louis

In the first NBA All-Star

Game after the merger,

10 of the 24 players

were former ABA players.

Of the 84 players in the ABA at the time of the merger, 63 played in the NBA during the 1976-77 season.

Three of the players who were part of the dispersal draft became Hall of Famers —

Artis Gilmore, Moses Malone and Louie Dampier.

The ABA had a few indelible impacts on NBA play. Some of the lasting effects:

“In my mind, the NBA has just become a bigger version of the ABA. They play the style of game that we did. They sell their stars like we did.”

Julius Erving

The three-point shot

George Mikan, the first commissioner of the ABA, introduced the three-point shot

and adopted the rule and distances of the defunct American Basketball League.

“We called it the home run, because the three-pointer was exactly that. It brought fans out of their seats.”

George Mikan

Total three-point field goals made in 1967-68, the inaugural season of the ABA. The Denver Rockets made the fewest — only 25 in the 78-game season.

Three-pointers made by Louie Dampier, the ABA’s all-time leader in that category as well as the league’s all-time points leader.

The slam dunk contest

The first slam dunk contest took place during halftime of the 1976 ABA All-Star Game.

Julius Erving emerged victorious, defeating Artis Gilmore, Larry Kenon,

George Gervin and David Thompson.

“The slam dunk contest went right to the heart of the ABA. The dunk was a bigger play in the ABA than it is today’s NBA. It was a statement of your manhood and your talent.”

Dan Issel

SOURCES: Basketball-reference.com, remembertheaba.com, “Loose Balls” by Terry Pluto

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