The red, white, and blue ball. It looked like a beach toy. Most traditionalists in 1967 thought it was a joke, a gimmick destined to fail within months. But that ball became the symbol of a rebellion. When we talk about the American Basketball Association, we aren’t just talking about a defunct sports league. We’re talking about the reason the modern NBA actually has a soul.
If you watch a game tonight and see a deep step-back three or a high-flying alley-oop, you're watching the ghost of the ABA. Honestly, the NBA of the 60s was kinda boring. It was a slow, methodical game dominated by big men standing in the paint. The ABA changed the geometry of the court. It was loud. It was flashy. It was, at times, completely broke.
The 1967 Coup: How the American Basketball Association Started
The league didn't start because people wanted "better" basketball. It started because a group of businessmen wanted a piece of the NBA’s pie and were tired of being told no. Guys like Dennis Murphy and Gary Davidson basically realized that the NBA’s restrictive expansion rules left massive markets like Indianapolis, Louisville, and Denver wide open.
They needed a hook. Something to pull people away from the established stars.
George Mikan, the legendary big man, was hired as the first commissioner. His presence gave them instant credibility, but his biggest contribution was the three-point line. The NBA hated it. They called it a "home run" gimmick. But the ABA knew that a shot from 25 feet out changed how defenders had to move. It opened up the floor. It allowed smaller, faster players to become stars.
Dr. J and the Birth of the Modern Superstar
You can't talk about the ABA without talking about Julius Erving. Before Dr. J, dunking was mostly an act of utility—you put the ball in the hoop because you were tall. Erving made it an art form. He lived above the rim.
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When Erving was playing for the Virginia Squires and later the New York Nets, the ABA was playing a different sport than the NBA. While the "senior league" was focused on fundamentals, the American Basketball Association was selling highlights before highlights were even a thing. People would show up just to see what Dr. J would do during warmups.
The talent wasn't just Erving, though. Think about the names that defined that era:
- Rick Barry, who jumped ship from the NBA to the ABA in a massive legal scandal.
- Artis Gilmore, a 7'2" mountain of a man who dominated the paint for the Kentucky Colonels.
- George "The Iceman" Gervin, whose finger roll was so smooth it felt illegal.
- Connie Hawkins, a playground legend who finally got his chance to shine in Pittsburgh.
It was a melting pot of styles that the NBA eventually had to absorb just to survive.
The Three-Point Line and the "Home Run" Mentality
The ABA understood something the NBA didn't: fans want to be entertained. They introduced the three-point shot in their very first season. Critics mocked it. They said it wasn't "real" basketball.
The line was exactly 23 feet, 9 inches from the center of the hoop. It turned games into high-scoring shootouts. A ten-point lead wasn't safe anymore. This forced coaches to rethink strategy entirely. You couldn't just park a center in the middle and wait. You had to guard the whole floor. It’s funny looking back now, seeing how the NBA took until 1979 to finally adopt it. They were over a decade late to the party.
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Financial Chaos and the "Spirit of St. Louis"
Let's be real: the ABA was a mess. Teams moved cities in the middle of the night. Paychecks bounced like the red, white, and blue balls. The Floridians once had "ball girls" in bikinis because they couldn't get people to watch the actual game.
One of the most legendary stories involves the "Spirit of St. Louis." When the 1976 merger finally happened, four teams were absorbed into the NBA: the Nets, Nuggets, Pacers, and Spurs. Two teams—the Kentucky Colonels and the Spirit of St. Louis—were left out.
The owners of the Spirit, Ozzie and Daniel Silna, negotiated a deal that seemed crazy at the time. Instead of a flat buyout, they took a share of the "visual media" rights for the four merging teams... forever. They basically held the NBA hostage for decades, collecting hundreds of millions of dollars for a team that didn't exist anymore. It’s arguably the greatest business move in sports history.
The Legacy of the 1976 Merger
When the American Basketball Association finally folded into the NBA, it wasn't a surrender. it was an infusion of DNA. The NBA was struggling with attendance and a perceived "dryness." Bringing in the ABA teams—and their stars—saved the league.
The 1976 Slam Dunk Contest was the ABA's parting gift. Held in Denver, it featured Erving taking off from the free-throw line. It was the moment the world realized that basketball could be spectacle. The NBA didn't just take the players; they eventually took the three-point line, the All-Star Weekend festivities, and the fast-break style of play.
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Why We Still Feel the ABA Today
If you look at the way the Golden State Warriors play, or how Giannis Antetokounmpo runs the floor, you are seeing the direct lineage of the ABA. It was a league of freedom. It allowed for individual expression in a way the rigid NBA of the 1960s never would have permitted.
The ABA didn't have the TV contracts. It didn't have the fancy arenas. But it had the "cool" factor. It was the counter-culture of sports. It was the leather jacket to the NBA's suit and tie.
Misconceptions About the "Minor" League
A lot of people think the ABA was a "second-tier" league in terms of talent. That's just wrong. By the mid-70s, many experts believed the ABA's top teams could beat the NBA's top teams. In exhibition games between the two leagues, the ABA actually won the majority of the matchups. They weren't just flashy; they were good.
The league fell apart because of bad management and lack of a national TV deal, not because the product on the court was inferior. The NBA knew this. That's why they were so aggressive about bringing those four specific franchises into the fold.
Actionable Insights for Basketball Historians and Fans
If you want to truly understand the roots of the modern game, don't just watch NBA "Greatest Games" from the 80s. You have to go further back.
- Watch the footage: Seek out the 1976 ABA Slam Dunk Contest. It’s grainy, but the energy is unmistakable. It’s the blueprint for everything that came after.
- Study the Silna deal: If you’re into the business side of sports, look up the legal specifics of the Spirit of St. Louis buyout. It’s a masterclass in leverage.
- Track the "ABA" influence: Next time you watch a game, count how many "three-point plays" (not fouls, but actual shots) occur. Remember that without the ABA, that line might not exist today.
- Visit the Hall of Fame: Pay attention to the ABA wing in Springfield. The stories of guys like Mel Daniels and Roger Brown are just as important as the stories of Russell or Chamberlain.
The American Basketball Association was a beautiful, chaotic, neon-colored experiment. It proved that basketball could be more than just a game of height—it could be a game of flight. Every time you see that blue and red ball in a souvenir shop, remember that it represents the most successful rebellion in the history of American sports.
Next Steps for Deep Research
- Check the archives: Look for the book Loose Balls by Terry Pluto. It is widely considered the definitive oral history of the league, featuring unfiltered stories from players, coaches, and owners.
- Follow the money: Research the "ABA dispersal draft" to see how players who weren't on the four merged teams ended up shaping the NBA rosters of the late 70s.
- Explore the "Colony" teams: Investigate the Kentucky Colonels and why, despite having a championship roster and a massive fan base, they were left out of the merger. It remains one of the biggest "what-ifs" in basketball history.