ABA's All-Time Team
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The ABA All-Time Team were chosen in 1997 on the occasion of the thirtieth anniversary of the founding of the American Basketball Association (ABA) to comprise the thirty best and most influential players of the ABA during its ten years and nine full regular seasons of operation, with respect not only to performance at the professional level but in consideration of sportsmanship, team leadership, and contributions to the growth of the league basketball and irrespective of positions played; only players to have played at least a portion of their careers in the ABA were eligible for selection, although performance in other leagues, most notably the National Basketball Association was ostensibly considered. Selected and announced beside the all-time team were a most valuable player and top head coach.
The team, announced in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States, on August 23, 1997, in conjunction with an ABA reunion, was compiled based upon unranked voting undertaken by fifty selected panelists, amongst whom were members of the print and broadcast news media to have reported on and announced games for the ABA, former referees (ten), former team owners (six), former league executives (including two former commissioners), and selected fans and statisticians; former players, even those to have held other positions within the league, were proscribed from voting.
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[edit] Players
[edit] Team
[edit] First team
Of the thirty players elected to the first team, three served primarily as point guards during their ABA service, eight as shooting guards, five as small forwards, eight as power forwards, and six as centers. The franchises most represented were the Virginia Squires (having also competed as the Washington Capitals and Oakland Oaks), with eleven first team players' having played at least one game for one or more iterations of the franchise; Utah Stars (having also completed as the Los Angeles Stars and Anaheim Amigos), eight players; Indiana Pacers, seven players; San Antonio Spurs (having also competed as the Texas and Dallas Chaparrals), six players; Denver Nuggets (having also competed as the Denver Rockets), five players; and Spirits of St. Louis (having also competed as the Carolina Cougars and Houston Mavericks), five players.
Five players elected to the first team—Rick Barry, Billy Cunningham, Julius Erving, George Gervin, and Moses Malone—were elected, one year thither, to the 50th Anniversary All-Time Team of the National Basketball Association.
[edit] Others receiving votes
Ninety-eight players received at least one vote. In addition to those who were selected, twelve players earned votes from at least twenty-five percent (12.5) of voters:
[edit] Most valuable player
Only four players received votes from the fify panelists as the league's all-time most valuable player; small forward Julius Erving was the clear winner of the award.
| Player | Position primarily played | ABA team(s) played for | Votes accrued [19] |
|---|---|---|---|
| Julius Erving | Small forward | Virginia Squires (1971-72—1972-73) New York Nets (1973-74—1975-76 |
46 |
| Mel Daniels | Center | Minnesota Muskies {1967-68, 1974-75) Indiana Pacers (1968-69—1973-74) |
2 |
| Artis Gilmore | Center | Kentucky Colonels (1971-72—1975-76) | 1 |
| Connie Hawkins | Power forward | Pittsburgh Pipers (1967-68—1968-69[9] | 1 |
[edit] Coaches
Seven coaches received votes from the at least one of the 50 panelists; having claimed 34 of the available votes, Bobby "Slick" Leonard was the clear winner of the all-time best head coach award. Larry Brown, having received 16 votes for the players team, also received six votes in view of his coaching.
Each of four franchises was represented by two coaches: the Denver Nuggets (having also competed as the Denver Rockets, the Kentucky Colonels, the Memphis Sounds (having also competed as the Memphis Tams, Memphis Pros, and New Orleans Buccaneers), and the San Antonio Spurs (having also competed as the Texas and Dallas Chaparrals).
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b Voting undertaken by news media covering the ABA was used to compile, after each season, two teams, each comprising two forwards, two guards, and one center, with the first to be composed at the best players at their respective positions and the second to be composed of the next best players.
- ^ a b Inasmuch as the selection panel comprised fifty individuals, each of whom was permitted to select, at most, thirty former players, each player was eligible to receive as many as fifty votes; Dampier, Daniels, Erving, Gervin, Gilmore, and Issel, then, were unanimous selections.
- ^ a b The Chaparrals franchise played as the Texas Chaparrals during the 1970-71 season and as the Dallas Chaparalls therebefore and thereafter.
- ^ Boone was traded during the 1970-71 season; he played 42 regular season games for the Chaparrals and 44 for the Stars.
- ^ Boone was traded during the 1976-77 season; he played 16 regular season games for the Stars and 62 for the Spirits
- ^ a b Brown was twice traded during the 1974-75 season; he played 10 regular season games for the Pacers, seven games for the Sounds, and finally 39 for the Stars.
- ^ Freeman was traded during the 1970-71 season; he played 42 regular season games for the Chaparrals and 24 for the Stars.
- ^ Gervin was traded during the 1973-74 season; he played 49 regular season games for the Squires and 25 for the Spurs.
- ^ a b The Pipers franchise played as the Minnesota Pipers after the 1967-68 season.
- ^ Lewis was traded during the 1974-75 season; he played six regular season games for the Sounds and then 63 for the Spirits.
- ^ Lucas was traded during the 1975-76 season; he played 28 regular season games for the Spirits and then 58 for the Colonels.
- ^ Netolicky was traded during the 1973-74 season; he played 19 regular season games for the Spurs and 56 games for the Pacers.
- ^ Brown was traded during the 1970-71 season; he played 29 regular season games for the Squires and 34 for the Rockets.
- ^ Jones was traded during the 1972-73 season; he played 13 regular season games for the Chaparrals and 67 for the Cougars.
- ^ Jones was traded during the 1973-74 season; he played 44 regular season games for the Cougars and 42 for the Rockets.
- ^ The Pipers franchise operated as the Pittsburgh Condors after the 1969-70 season.
- ^ The Conquistadors sports franchise operated after the 1975-76 season as the San Diego Sails.
- ^ a b Jones was traded twice during the 1975-76 season; he played 10 games for the Conquistadors/Sails, 15 games for the Colonels, and finally 51 games for the Spirits.
- ^ Inasmuch as the selection panel comprised fifty individuals, each of whom was given one vote for the league's all-time most valuable player, a player earning unanimous approval would have received 50 votes.
- ^ Inasmuch as the selection panel comprised fifty individuals, each of whom was given one vote for the league's all-time best head coach, a coach earning unanimous approval would have received 50 votes.
- ^ Brown was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2005 as a contributor.
- ^ The Stars franchise operated as the Utah Stars after the 1969-70 season.
