American Basketball Association (2000–present)
The American Basketball Association, often abbreviated as ABA, is a semi-professional men's basketball league that was founded in 1999. The current ABA has no affiliation with the original American Basketball Association that merged with the National Basketball Association (NBA) in 1976. The name, however, is still owned by NBA Properties, who sent a cease and desist letter over use of the name in 2009. No further legal action has been made by NBA Properties.[1]
History
The current ABA was started up by Joe Newman and Richard Tinkham. Tinkham was an executive with the Indiana Pacers when they were in the original ABA. They licensed the ABA name from the NBA.[2]
2000–2003
The league first began play in 2000 with eight teams. During this time, the league focused mainly on teams in larger cities. To attract fans, the ABA had rosters with former National Basketball Association (NBA) players and past college basketball stars with local ties.[3][4] The league suspended operations during the 2002-2003 season for reorganization. After returning one season to help rebuild, league focus was changed, from a few teams in large cities to many teams in large and medium cities, set up in regional groups. This was due in part to lowering the franchise fees down to $10,000 from $50,000 and not requiring a bond to start a team. This allowed many cities to have teams that otherwise wouldn't and cut costs for operating a team. However, many unprepared and under-financed ownership groups would become owners. The result is that each season, many new teams would be created, but many of them would cease operations during the season.
2004–2006
The 2004-2005 season was the first under this new format, with 37 teams playing that season. Each season, the number of teams grew, with both successful teams and teams that didn't complete the season. The ABA had over 50 teams playing in a season. Some stories of successful expansion franchises were the Arkansas RimRockers in 2004 and the Rochester Razorsharks in 2005. Both won an ABA title in the team's inaugural season.
2006–2007
The 2006-2007 season saw the cost for a new expansion franchise raised to $20,000,[5] but many still sold for $5,000 - $10,000 and less, in some cases going as low as $1.[6][7] One notable 2006-2007 expansion franchise was the Vermont Frost Heaves, owned by Sports Illustrated writer Alexander Wolff. Also in 2006-2007, former NBA player John Salley was named league commissioner, and Maryland Nighthawks owner Tom Doyle was named chief operating officer.
Following the league's first public offering in 2006, it was reported that Joe Newman was voted out of his position as league CEO.[8] A form filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission in February 2007 claimed the ABA Board of Directors removed Newman as league CEO on January 31, 2007. It went on to state that Newman's actions as league CEO would be reviewed to ensure that they were performed with the Board's permission.[9] The same filing also claimed that Newman and other shareholders plotted to remove Tom Doyle, John Salley, and David Howitt from the Board and elect Paul Riley as its director. Newman denied his removal ever occurred, and continued as acting CEO.[10] The lawsuits were settled in March 2007 with Doyle's and Salley's resignations from the league Board of Directors.
The 2006-2007 season saw many franchises fail to travel to road games or play a full schedule. When a weather problem required a postponement of a playoff game between the defending champion Rochester Razorsharks and the Wilmington Sea Dawgs, instead of letting the two teams reschedule, the league wanted to force Rochester to forfeit. Rochester instead withdrew from the league.[11] This incident, coupled with the CEO v. COO intrigue, caused to some league owners to become frustrated with the instability of the league and separate to form the Premier Basketball League (PBL).
2007–2009
The 2007-2008 season saw nearly twenty teams fold within its first five weeks, and several remaining teams left the ABA to join other existing leagues. According to Our Sports Central, only around 35% of the games were actually played in the 2007-08 season. The teams that played the highest percentage of games were Vermont, the Manchester (NH) Millrats, and the Quebec Kebs. Those three teams would leave to the PBL at the conclusion of the season.[12][13] Another team that only played home games was Beijing Aoshen Olympic. This team was kicked out of the Chinese Basketball League and played home games in Singapore. Beijing would pay $3000 and fly teams to Singapore for a 2-game homestand. Early teams complained on Our Sports Central that they were forced to stay in a hotel that doubled as a brothel. Joe Newman CEO forced Beijing to find a new hotel on hearing this news. Later teams stayed in a Holiday Inn.
The league's most successful franchise by attendance, the Halifax Rainmen, left the ABA, citing frustration with teams not showing up for games, as well as a biased ranking system. Numerous sportswriters essentially referred to the ABA as a joke, and not to be taken seriously.[14]
The 2008-2009 season saw the league conduct interleague play with the Continental Basketball Association.
2009–2010
The 2009-2010 season was scheduled to have over 50 teams. The season ended with several teams folding, starting in early December, including the entire northwest division. The league playoffs also had several games cancelled due to teams unable to afford travel, including a semi-final playoff game.[15] The playoffs ended with Southeast Texas Mustangs defeating Kentucky Bisons in a three game series.
On April 25, 2010 as part of their ABA Global initiative, the ABA hosted the 2010 ABA Friendship Games, where the Philippine National Basketball Team competed against teams from the ABA.[16]
2010–2011
The 2010-2011 season was expected to field over 60 teams. It was also announced that a new Canadian Division would be formed in 2010. A team based out of Toronto will join the ABA prior to a formation of the Canadian Division when more Canadian teams have been formed.[17] In the summer the league announced the first Haitian pro-basketball team, Haiti International Team (H.I.T.) commanded by Harold Whaley who is also the VP of Special Projects in the ABA, based in South Florida.[18] The league planned to host over 800 games combined amongst the teams.[19]
In the end though, it was the same as previous seasons, with many teams disappearing before the season and during the season. Fewer than 50 full-time teams played games. The 2011 ABA All-Star Game resulted in a 123-122 Eastern conference win over the West, in front of a crowd of 4,488 at the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida. The playoffs started the next weekend, with the last four teams playing a double elimination tournament at the home of Southeast Texas Mavericks, who won their second ABA title two games to none over the Gulf Coast Flash.[20] The league will now form the Women's American Basketball Association, a new women's basketball league. It does not relate to the original Women's American Basketball Association, another league which existed for one whole season in 2002.[21] The new league's first squad will be located in Greenville, North Carolina.[22]
Current clubs
Atlantic South Division
| Team |
Location |
Arena (Capacity) |
| Atlanta Aliens |
Doraville, Georgia |
Forrest Fleming Arena (600) |
| Atlanta Experience |
Atlanta, Georgia |
Clark Atlanta University |
| Columbus Riverballers |
Columbus, Georgia |
Frank J. Lumpkin Jr. Center (4,500) |
| East Point Jaguars |
East Point, Georgia |
Atlanta Sports Academy |
| Georgia Gwizzlies |
Austell, Georgia |
South Cobb Recreational Center |
| Gulf Coast Flash |
Gulfport, Mississippi |
Gulfport High School |
| Heartland Heat |
Avon Park, Florida |
|
| Jacksonville Giants |
Jacksonville, Florida |
Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena |
| Mobile Bay Hurricanes |
Mobile, Alabama |
Davidson High School |
| Orlando Kings |
Orlando, Florida |
Downtown Recreation Center |
| Panama City Dream |
Panama City, Florida |
|
| Savannah Storm |
Savannah, Georgia |
Savannah High School |
California/Northwest Division
| Team |
Location |
Arena (Capacity) |
| Alaska Quake |
Anchorage, Alaska |
Begich Middle School |
| Bay Area Matrix |
Clayton, California |
Concord-Clayton YMCA |
| Calgary Crush |
Calgary, Alberta |
|
| California Sea Kings |
Salinas, California |
Hartnell College Fieldhouse |
| East Bay Pit Bulls |
Livermore, California |
Las Positas College |
| Modesto Hawks |
Modesto, California |
The Salvation Army |
| Port City Pirates |
Stockton, California |
Stockton Arena |
| Richmond Rockets |
Richmond, California |
Richmond Memorial Auditorium (3,000) |
| Sacramento Heatwave |
Folsom, California |
Folsom High School |
| San Francisco Rumble |
San Francisco, California |
Kezar Pavilion |
| Seattle Mountaineers |
Seattle, Washington |
Green River Community College, Big Picture School, Renton High School |
| Washington Rampage |
Marysville, Washington |
Totem Lake Middle School |
Canada Division
Colonial Division
Great Lakes Division
Mid-Atlantic Division
| Team |
Location |
Arena (Capacity) |
| Athens Razors |
Athens, Georgia |
Clarke Central High School |
| Carolina Cheetahs |
Greensboro, North Carolina |
Fleming Gymnasium (2,320) |
| Carolina Cougars |
Rocky Mount, North Carolina |
Everett Gymnasium (1,200) |
| Carolina Jaguars |
Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina |
McLendon–McDougald Gymnasium (3,050) |
| East Carolina Trojans |
Greenville, North Carolina |
|
| Fayetteville Flight |
Fayetteville, North Carolina |
Cumberland County Crown Coliseum |
| South Carolina Warriors |
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina |
Myrtle Beach Convention Center (8,000) |
| Tennessee Mad Hatters |
Johnson City, Tennessee |
Legion Recreation Center |
Mid-Central Division
Northeast Division
Rocky Mountain Division
South Central Division
SoCal Division
Southwest Division
Other Teams Playing
2012 Announced Expansion
Defunct teams
Former teams that joined other leagues
- Arkansas RimRockers - joined NBA Development League, folded
- Bellingham Slam - now in International Basketball League
- Bluegrass Stallions - joined Premier Basketball League, folded
- Charlotte Krunk - joined Continental Basketball Association as Atlanta Krunk, went to Premier Basketball League as Augusta Groove, folded
- Chicago Throwbacks - joined Premier Basketball League, folded
- Corning Bulldogs - joined Eastern Basketball Alliance as Elmira Bulldogs, folded
- Detroit Panthers - joined Premier Basketball League, folded
- Florida Pit Bulls - joined Continental Basketball Association as East Kentucky Miners, rejoined ABA, then folded
- Georgia Knights - now in Universal Basketball Association as Georgia Lions
- Halifax Rainmen - joined Premier Basketball League, moved to National Basketball League of Canada
- Heartland Prowl - now in Continental Basketball League[23]
- Indiana Alley Cats - joined Continental Basketball Association, folded
- Indiana Diesels - now in Premier Basketball League
- Jacksonville JAM - joined Premier Basketball League, expelled from league midway through 2008 season
- Lake Michigan Admirals - now in Premier Basketball League
- Long Beach Jam - now in NBA Development League as Bakersfield Jam
- Manchester Millrats - joined Premier Basketball League[12], moved to National Basketball League of Canada as Saint John Mill Rats
- Maryland Marvels - now in Eastern Basketball Alliance
- Maryland Nighthawks - joined Premier Basketball League, moved to Atlantic Coast Professional Basketball League as Washington GreenHawks, folded
- Northeast Pennsylvania Breakers - joined United States Basketball League, folded after one season there
- Northwestern Indiana Magical Stars - now in Premier Basketball League as Northwest Indiana Stars
- Oklahoma Cavalry - joined Continental Basketball Association, changed name to Lawton-Fort Sill Cavalry, moved to Premier Basketball League, folded
- Pittsburgh Xplosion - joined Continental Basketball Association, folded
- Quad City Riverhawks - joined Premier Basketball League, folded
- Quebec Kebs - joined Premier Basketball League, moved to National Basketball League of Canada
- Reading Railers - joined Premier Basketball League, folded
- Rio Grande Valley Silverados - joined Continental Basketball Association for one season, moved to Beaumont and rejoined the ABA as the Southeast Texas Mustangs. Team now known as the Southeast Texas Mavericks, and as of April 2011, pursuing a franchise in the NBA Development League.
- Rochester Razorsharks - now in Premier Basketball League
- Rockford Riverdawgs - now in Independent Basketball Association
- Rock River Fury - joined Premier Basketball League as Rockford Fury then folded.
- San Jose SkyRockets - joined Continental Basketball Association as Minot SkyRockets, folded
- SoCal Legends - joined Continental Basketball Association, folded
- Tri-City Suns - joined Atlantic Coast Professional Basketball League, folded
- Vancouver Dragons - joined Continental Basketball Association, folded
- Vermont Frost Heaves - joined Premier Basketball League, folded in January 2011
- Waco Wranglers - now in United Basketball League as Texas Wranglers
- Wilmington Sea Dawgs - joined Premier Basketball League then moved to Continental Basketball League then moved to the Tobacco Road Basketball League
Championship Game results
Championship Game Appearances by Team
Championship Game Winning Percentage by Team
All-Star Game results
Awards
Player of the Year
Coach of the Year
Executive of the Year
MVP - Championship Game
MVP - All-Star Game
- 2000-2001 - None Announced
- 2001-2002 - None Announced
- 2003-2004 - None Announced
- 2004-2005 - None Announced
- 2005-2006 - None Announced
- 2006-2007 - Modie Cox, Buffalo Silverbacks
See also
References
- ^ Give–and-go, or take-and-run?
- ^ Wolff, Alexander (2005-12-14), Jumping into the ABA with the Vermont Frost Heaves, Sports Illustrated, http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/writers/alexander_wolff/12/09/frost.heaves/index.html, retrieved 2010-08-17
- ^ Stephens, Eric (December 27, 2000). "Stars Shine in ABA Debut Before 5,347". Los Angeles Times. http://articles.latimes.com/2000/dec/27/sports/sp-5217. Retrieved July 17, 2011.
- ^ Rovell, Darren (August 20, 2000). "ABA 2000 plays the name game". ESPN.com. http://www.espn.go.com/gen/s/rovell/aba2000.html. Retrieved July 17, 2011.
- ^ Iverson's mom has own ABA team, Associated Press, 2006-08-25, http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/14519865/, retrieved 2010-08-17
- ^ Ruben, Mike (2009-01-15), Housing Authority Brings Pro Basketball to State, State Journal, http://www.statejournal.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=50006&catid=283, retrieved 2010-08-17
- ^ Becker, Michael (2006-07-26), Firing Away at the ABA, Los Angeles Times, http://articles.latimes.com/2006/jul/26/sports/sp-aba26, retrieved 2010-08-17
- ^ http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=3423259
- ^ http://biz.yahoo.com/e/070207/abkb.ob8-k.html
- ^ ABAlive.com - Home of the American Basketball Association
- ^ George, Rachel (2007-03-24). "Sea Dawgs are unlikely hosts". Wilmington Star News. http://www.starnewsonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070324/NEWS/703240374/-1/State. Retrieved 2008-05-21.
- ^ a b "Premier Basketball League Welcomes Vermont Frost Heaves And Manchester Millrats". Our Sports Central. 2008-05-09. http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=3637863. Retrieved 2008-05-09.
- ^ "Quebec Kebs Join Premier Basketball League". Our Sports Central. 2008-05-21. http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=3644389. Retrieved 2008-05-21.
- ^ Walling, Alex (2008-03-28). "ABA stands for Amateur Basketball Association". TSN.ca. http://www.tsn.ca/columnists/alex_walling/?id=232465&lid=sublink09&lpos=headlines_columnists-alex_walling. Retrieved 2008-09-09.
- ^ Clark, Ryan (2010-03-18), SETX Mavericks' playoff opponent forfeits game, Beaumont Enterprise, http://www.beaumontenterprise.com/sports/local/setx_mavericks__playoff_opponent_forfeits_game.html, retrieved 2010-07-14
- ^ Navarro, June (2010-04-27), Smart Gilas five nips San Diego, Philippine Daily Inquirer, http://sports.inquirer.net/amateur/amateur/view/20100427-266644/Smart-Gilas-five-nips-San-Diego, retrieved 2010-07-14
- ^ ABA Returns To Canada In 2011, American Basketball Association, 2010-08-04, http://www.hometeamsonline.com/teams/default.asp?u=ABALIVE&t=c&s=basketball&p=newsstory&newsID=10774, retrieved 2010-08-17
- ^ ABA Announced Haitian expansion team
- ^ ABA season schedule
- ^ http://abalive.com/aba-featured-news/setx-mavericks-win-back-to-back-aba-national-championships/
- ^ http://abalive.com/aba-featured-news/aba-to-form-new-womens-professional-basketball-league-waba/
- ^ http://abalive.com/aba-featured-news/greenville-nc-to-be-first-waba-team/
- ^ Continental Basketball League Welcomes the HEARTLAND PROWL, Continental Basketball League, 2011-03-28, http://cblhoopsonline.com/news/180-continental-basketball-league-welcomes-the-heartland-prowl, retrieved 2011-03-30
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