American Basketball Association (ABA)

History: 1968-1976 (9 seasons)

American Basketball Association (ABA)

History 1968-1976 (9 seasons)

Leagues / Basketball / ABA

Founded in 1967, the ABA distinguished itself from its older NBA counterpart with a more wide-open, flashy style of offensive play, as well as differences in rules—a 30-second shot clock and use of a three-point field goal arc, pioneered in the earlier ABL. Also, the ABA used a colorful red, white and blue ball, instead of the NBA's traditional orange ball. 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. The league succeeded in forcing a merger with the NBA in the 1976 offseason. Four ABA teams were absorbed into the older league: the New York Nets, Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers, and San Antonio Spurs.

League Champions

Year Team Coach

1976 New York Nets K. Loughery

1975 Kentucky Colonels H. Brown

1974 New York Nets K. Loughery

1973 Indiana Pacers S. Leonard

1972 Indiana Pacers S. Leonard

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#1 Draft Pick

Year Player Team

1975 David Thompson Squires

1974 Tom McMillen Squires

1973 Dwight Lamar Conquistadors

1972 John Gianelli Condors

1971 Jim McDaniels Stars

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League Executives

Tenure Name Title

1976 Dave DeBusschere Commissioner

1975 Tedd Munchak Commissioner

1974 Mike Storen Commissioner

1973 Bob Carlson Commissioner

1970-72 Jack Dolph Commissioner

1969 James Carson Gardner Commissioner

1968 Dennis Murphy League Founder

1968-69 George Mikan Commissioner

League Champions

#1 Draft Pick

League Executives

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