ABA Alive and Well as Largest and Most Diversified Professional Sports League in the World

Written by Chad Bryan

On October 14, 1967, the Oakland Oaks took down the Anaheim Amigos 134-129. Andy Anderson of the Oaks would be the game’s leading scorer with 33 points, outdueling John Fairchild of the Amigos, who netted 30. However, more importantly, the American Basketball Association was officially underway.

Originally founded by California businessmen, Dennis Murphy and Gary

L. Davidson, the ABA was created as a direct competitor to the National Basketball Association. At the time, many upstart leagues were popping up to try to compete with the more established, but still seemingly vulnerable NBA. The ABA was the only one with any real staying power, operating from 1967 to 1976, at which time the NBA and ABA would merge.

Despite the best efforts of many within the NBA to dismiss the ABA as league full of no-talent upstarts, the league would attract players such as Julius “Dr J” Erving, Moses Malone, George “The Iceman” Gervin and Connie Hawkins. Still, the league had its staunch opponents as former Boston Celtics Head Coach Red Auerbach once noted that the iconic red, white, and blue ball that the ABA used belonged on the nose of a seal.

In its heyday, the ABA attracted broadcasters such as Bob Costas, Verne Lundquist, Warner Fusselle and Marty Brennaman. The local and regional demand was never in question, however none of the league’s cities were in top-twenty markets. This prevented the league from receiving a national television deal, which in turn led to financial problems as owners struggled to sell enough tickets to keep most franchises afloat.

In 1976, these struggles would culminate in an historic merger with the NBA, which would see four ABA teams, the Denver Nuggets, the New Jersey Nets, the Indiana Pacers and the San Antonio Spurs officially become members of the NBA. Other players from remaining ABA teams would be sprinkled into the NBA on various rosters as the ABA disbanded for the time being.

The ABA was created at a time when the NBA was not seen as all-inclusive and offered some African American players a more comfortable, laid-back environment in which to play. Its players had nicknames like Bad News, Jelly, Magnolia Mouth and Mr. Excitement. The league was much faster-paced than the NBA, which was seen as a half-court league while the ABA was known for its runand-gun style.

One player with an original nickname would go on to provide a one-of-a-kind moment of his own in front of a national audience. After the ABA had disbanded and during halftime of game 5 of the 1976-77 NBA Finals, a dunk contest was held which would be won by Darnell “Dr. Dunk” Hillman, a former member of the ABA’s Indiana Pacers. Hillman wasn’t technically a member of any team at the time as he had not officially signed his NBA contract. Hence, during the post-event interview, Hillman donned a “Bottle Shoppe” softball jersey. The Bottle Shoppe was a liquor store which is still in business today. Hillman was a leftfielder for the storesponsored softball team; thus, he wore the jersey of the only team he was a member of at the time. Hillman, who never received recognition from the NBA for winning the event, finally received his trophy on March 8, 2017, thanks to the Pacers.

The ABA would be revived in 2000 by Joe Newman along with the late Richard P. Tinkham. Tinkham co-founded the original league, along with the Indiana Pacers. Newman was the CEO of Joe Newman Advertising, Inc. as well as Alliance Broadcasting Group, Inc. The two would bring back a once-great league and grow it into what the ABA is known as today: the largest, most is known as today: the largest, most diversified professional sports league in the world.

The ABA’s impact continues to be felt in many ways, including in the success of its former teams. The Nets, Nuggets, Pacers and Spurs have numerous NBA playoff appearances between them. The Spurs are the only team to win an NBA Championship, which they’ve done five times in all. In 2003, for the first time, two former ABA squads would square off against each other in the NBA Finals. The Spurs would take down the Nets to win the series in six games, clinching the second of their five NBA titles. The ABA is also credited with the advent of the three-point shot, which was adopted by the NBA in 1979.

Perhaps, the American Basketball Association’s biggest impact is the legacy it unknowingly created, one that resonates throughout the communities where ABA basketball is still being played.