American Basketball Association

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

American Basketball Association (ABA)
Logo ABA
Sport	Basketball
Founded	1967
No. of teams	11
Country(ies)	United States
Continent	FIBA Americas (Americas)
Ceased	1976
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.

1 League history
- 1.1 Commissioners
2 Teams
3 List of ABA championships
4 Prominent players
5 Season leaders
6 Awards
7 Succession
8 See also
9 References
10 External links

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.^[1] 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.^[2]

Teams

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

Franchise	Cities/Names	Years	Destiny
Anaheim Amigos Los Angeles Stars Utah Stars	Anaheim Amigos	1967–1968	Folded, 1975
	Los Angeles Stars	1968–1970
	Utah Stars	1970–1975
Dallas/Texas Chaparrals San Antonio Spurs	Dallas Chapparals	1967–1970	Joined NBA, 1976, as San Antonio Spurs
	Texas Chaparrals	1970–1971
	Dallas Chaparrals	1971–1973
	San Antonio Spurs	1973–1976
Houston Mavericks Carolina Cougars Spirits of St. Louis Utah Rockies	Houston Mavericks	1967–1969	Folded, 1976
	Carolina Cougars	1969–1974
	Spirits of St. Louis	1974–1976
	Utah Rockies	1976
Indiana Pacers	Indiana Pacers	1967–1976	Joined NBA, 1976, as Indiana Pacers
Kansas City/ Denver Larks/Rockets/Nuggets	Kansas City (unnamed)	1967	Joined NBA, 1976, as Denver Nuggets
	Denver Larks	1967
	Denver Rockets	1967–1974
	Denver Nuggets	1974–1976
Kentucky Colonels	Kentucky Colonels	1967–1976	Folded, 1976
Minnesota Muskies Miami Floridians Floridians	Minnesota Muskies	1967–1968	Folded, 1972
	Miami Floridians	1968–1970
	Floridians	1970–1972
New Orleans/Louisiana Buccaneers Memphis Pros/Tams/Sounds Baltimore Hustlers/Claws	New Orleans Buccaneers	1967–1970	Folded, 1975
	Louisiana Buccaneers	1970
	Memphis Pros	1970–1972
	Memphis Tams	1972–1974
	Memphis Sounds	1974–1975
	Baltimore Hustlers	1975
	Baltimore Claws	1975
New York/New Jersey Americans New York/New Jersey Nets	New York Americans	1967	Joined NBA, 1976, as New Jersey Nets
	New Jersey Americans	1967–1968
	New York Nets	1968–1976
Oakland Americans/Oaks Washington Capitals Virginia Squires	Oakland Americans	1967	Folded, 1976
	Oakland Oaks	1967–1969
	Washington Capitals	1969–1970
	Virginia Squires	1970–1976
Pittsburgh Pipers/Pioneers/Condors Minnesota Pipers	Pittsburgh Pipers	1967–1968	Folded, 1972
	Minnesota Pipers	1968–1969
	Pittsburgh Pipers	1969–1970
	Pittsburgh Pioneers	1970
	Pittsburgh Condors	1970–1972
San Diego Conquistadors/Sails	San Diego Conquistadors	1972–1975	Folded, 1975
San Diego Conquistadors/Sails	San Diego Sails	1975	Folded, 1975

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

For more information, see ABA All-Time Team.^[3]

Season leaders

*	Elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame

Scoring leaders

Season	Player	Team(s)	Games played	Points	PPG
1967–68	Hawkins, ConnieConnie Hawkins*	Pittsburgh Pipers	70	1875	26.8
1968–69	Barry, RickRick Barry*	Oakland Oaks	35	1190	34.0
1969–70	Haywood, SpencerSpencer Haywood	Denver Rockets	84	2519	30.0
1970–71	Issel, DanDan Issel*	Kentucky Colonels	83	2480	29.9
1971–72	Scott, CharlieCharlie Scott	Virginia Squires	73	2524	34.6
1972–73	Erving, JuliusJulius Erving*	Virginia Squires	71	2268	31.9
1973–74	Erving, JuliusJulius Erving* (2)	New York Nets	84	2299	27.4
1974–75	McGinnis, GeorgeGeorge McGinnis	Indiana Pacers	79	2353	29.8
1975–76	Erving, JuliusJulius Erving* (3)	New York Nets	84	2464	29.3

Rebounding leaders

Season	Player	Team(s)	Game played	Offensive rebounds	Defensive rebounds	Total rebounds	RPG
1967–68	Daniels, MelMel Daniels	Minnesota Muskies	78	502	711	1213	15.6
1968–69	Daniels, MelMel Daniels (2)	Indiana Pacers	76	383	873	1256	16.5
1969–70	Haywood, SpencerSpencer Haywood	Denver Rockets	84	533	1104	1637	19.5
1970–71	Daniels, MelMel Daniels (3)	Indiana Pacers	82	394	1081	1475	18.0
1971–72	Gilmore, ArtisArtis Gilmore*	Kentucky Colonels	84	421	1070	1491	17.8
1972–73	Gilmore, ArtisArtis Gilmore* (2)	Kentucky Colonels	84	449	1027	1476	17.6
1973–74	Gilmore, ArtisArtis Gilmore* (3)	Kentucky Colonels	84	478	1060	1538	18.3
1974–75	Nater, SwenSwen Nater	San Antonio Spurs	78	369	910	1279	16.4
1975–76	Gilmore, ArtisArtis Gilmore* (4)	Kentucky Colonels	84	402	901	1301	15.5

Assists leaders

Season	Player	Team(s)	Games played	Assists	APG
1967–68	Brown, LarryLarry Brown*	New Orleans Buccaneers	78	506	6.5
1968–69	Brown, LarryLarry Brown* (2)	Oakland Oaks	77	544	7.1
1969–70	Brown, LarryLarry Brown* (3)	Washington Caps	82	580	7.1
1970–71	Melchionni, BillBill Melchionni	New York Nets	81	672	8.3
1971–72	Melchionni, BillBill Melchionni (2)	New York Nets	80	669	8.4
1972–73	Melchionni, BillBill Melchionni (3)	New York Nets	61	453	7.4
1973–74	Smith, AlAl Smith	Denver Rockets	76	619	8.1
1974–75	Calvin, MackMack Calvin	Denver Nuggets	74	570	7.7
1975–76	Buse, DonDon Buse	Indiana Pacers	84	689	8.2

Steals leaders

Season	Player	Team(s)	Games played	Steals	SPG
1973–74	McClain, TedTed McClain	Denver Rockets	84	250	2.98
1974–75	Taylor, BrianBrian Taylor	New York Nets	79	221	2.80
1975–76	Buse, DonDon Buse	Indiana Pacers	84	346	4.12

Blocks leaders

Season	Player	Team(s)	Games played	Blocks	BPG
1973–74	Jones, CaldwellCaldwell Jones	San Diego Conquistadors	79	316	4.00
1974–75	Jones, CaldwellCaldwell Jones (2)	San Diego Conquistadors	76	246	3.24
1975–76	Paultz, BillyBilly Paultz	San Antonio Spurs	83	253	3.05

Awards

Main article: List of American Basketball Association awards and honors

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.

References

^ "ESPN Classic: Mikan was first pro to dominate the post". http://espn.go.com/classic/obit/s/2005/0602/2074322.html. Retrieved 2007-12-04.
^ "Dave DeBusschere Bio". NBA.com. http://www.nba.com/history/players/debusschere_bio.html. Retrieved 2008-03-09.
^ RememberTheABA.com ABA All-Time Team Page (as selected at 30 year ABA anniversary event)

External links

Remember the ABA

American Basketball Association seasons

Seasons	1967–68 1968–69 1969–70 1970–71 1971–72 1972–73 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76

Playoffs	1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976

All-Star Games	1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976

Champions Awards and honors

American Basketball Association teams

Anaheim Amigos (1967–1968)
Baltimore Claws (1975)
Carolina Cougars (1969–1974)
Dallas Chaparrals/Texas Chaparrals (1967–1973)
Denver Rockets/Denver Nuggets (1967–1976)
Houston Mavericks (1967–1969)
Indiana Pacers (1967–1976)
Kentucky Colonels (1967–1976)
Los Angeles Stars (1969-1970)
Memphis Pros/Memphis Tams/Memphis Sounds (1970–1975)
Miami Floridians/The Floridians (1968–1972)
Minnesota Muskies (1967–1968)
Minnesota Pipers (1968–1969)
New Jersey Americans/New York Nets (1967–1976)
New Orleans Buccaneers (1967–1970)
Oakland Oaks (1967–1969)
Pittsburgh Condors (1970-1972)
Pittsburgh Pipers (1967–1968; 1969–1970)
San Antonio Spurs (1973–1976)
San Diego Conquistadors (1972–1975)
San Diego Sails (1975)
Spirits of St. Louis (1974–1976)
Utah Stars (1970–1975)
Virginia Squires (1970–1976)
Washington Caps (1969–1970)

American Basketball Association champions

1967–68 Pittsburgh Pipers 1968–69 Oakland Oaks 1969–70 Indiana Pacers 1970–71 Utah Stars 1971–72 Indiana Pacers 1972–73 Indiana Pacers 1973–74 New York Nets 1974–75 Kentucky Colonels 1975–76 New York Nets