ABA teams are based in the United States, with one traveling team from Japan. The league previously had international teams based in Canada, China and Mexico. League management infamously maintains low requirements for franchise ownership, and hundreds of ABA teams have either folded or defected to rival leagues.
The league was originally co-founded by Dick Tinkham and Joe Newman in 1999 as ABA 2000.[1] Tinkham had previously co-founded the Indiana Pacers in the original American Basketball Association, and Newman had been an advertising executive for the Pacers.[2] The National Basketball Association (NBA), owner of the ABA trademark after absorbing many of the original league's teams, sued Tinkham and Newman in December 1999.[3] The lawsuit was unsuccessful since the NBA had failed to actively use the ABA trademark, and the new league entered an agreement with the NBA to license the name for $50,000.[4]
The league began its inaugural 2000–01 season with eight teams: the Chicago Skyliners, Detroit Dogs, Indiana Legends, Kansas City Knights, Los Angeles Stars, Memphis Houn'Dawgs, San Diego Wildfire and Tampa Bay ThunderDawgs. Joe Newman founded the Indiana Legends to replace the Jacksonville Jackals, who were removed from the league after failing to secure a venue.[5]Mark Hamister purchased the rights to a Buffalo franchise for $75,000, but was also unable to secure a venue.[6][7] A proposed merger with the International Basketball League fell through in December 2000, which would have allowed the inaugural season to begin with additional teams.[8]
To attract fans, the ABA encouraged its teams to fill rosters with former NBA players and past college basketball stars that had local ties.[9][10] Former NBA champion and Florida native Darryl Dawkins was recruited as the first head coach of the Tampa Bay ThunderDawgs.[11]
The 2001–02 ABA season saw only three teams return from the inaugural season, with the Chicago Skyliners, Los Angeles Stars, Memphis Houn'Dawgs, San Diego Wildfire and Tampa Bay ThunderDawgs replaced by the Kentucky Pro Cats, Las Vegas Slam, Phoenix Eclipse and Southern California Surf.
Joe Newman folded the Indiana Legends after he was sued by eight former players in August 2002 for failing to pay their salaries.[12] Newman had claimed $1 million in losses over two seasons of ownership.[13]
The 2002–03 season was not played, as the league suspended operations for reorganization.[14] Jim Clark, owner of the Kansas City Knights, was named league president and COO in November 2002.[15]
The 2004–05 season saw franchise fees lowered from $50,000 to $10,000, and the bond requirement removed in order to attract new teams.[17] Teams were subsequently organized into regional groups to facilitate interest and reduce travel costs, with 37 clubs competing that season in three divisions. The Arkansas RimRockers won the 2004–05 ABA title in their first year of play, but then left with the Long Beach Jam to join the rival NBA Development League.
My idea of success and Newman's differ. I'd rather have fewer teams, that are stable and last, as opposed to having tons that continue to fold. It's not the amount of teams that a league has, it's the amount that finish.[20]
John Salley and Tom Doyle attempted a boardroom coup on behalf of shareholders, with ABA's Board of Directors voting to remove Joe Newman as CEO on January 31, 2007.[23] Newman sued Salley and Doyle, leading to a settlement in which he kept his job and forced their resignations from the league.[24]
Quentin Townsend, owner of the Atlanta Vision, was named league President and COO in April 2008.[27] He was later removed from those positions after being arrested in November 2008 for defrauding investors in a scheme to acquire an NBA Development League franchise.[28]
CBA absorption and continued instability, 2008–2013
NBA scouts stopped attending the league's games in January 2009, citing the amount of cancelled and forfeited contests.[31]
Several teams folded during the 2009–10 season, including the entire Pacific Northwest Division. The San Francisco Rumble forfeited their playoff game against the Southeast Texas Mavericks, as they could not afford to travel for the contest.[32]
Gilas Pilipinas, the Philippine national basketball team, competed in a series of exhibitions against ABA teams including the Clayton Showtime, Los Angeles Slam, Riverside Rainmakers, San Diego Surf and the West Coast All-Stars.[33] This April 2010 series was referred to as the ABA Friendship Games.
Dick Packer was named league President and COO in April 2010.[34]
At the conclusion of the 2013–14 season, over 350 franchises had folded since the league's inception.[38]
Former Arizona Scorpions owner Ron Tilley replaced Joe Newman as league President and CEO following Newman's retirement in July 2014.[39]
The league signed a two-year streaming deal with ESPN3 in August 2014 to broadcast regular season and playoff games beginning with the 2014–15 season.[40]
The 2019–20 season was ended prematurely and the playoffs cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[49]
The undefeated Jacksonville Giants captured their seventh and final championship in 2020–21, concluding the team's first perfect season and third in ABA history.[50]
A play-in tournament was implemented beginning with the 2021–22 season to determine which teams would advance to the divisional round of the playoffs.[51]
The Burning River Buckets and Indiana Lyons were declared co-champions of the 2022–23 season after storm damage rendered the venue for their championship game unplayable.[53]
The league employs a number of unconventional rules that are unique to the league:[54]
Four-point field goal: Shots made from behind the half-court division line are credited as 4 points.
3D rule: If a team commits a backcourt violation or turns the ball over in the backcourt, any field goal scored by the opposing team on the ensuing possession shall be awarded an additional point (2-point shots are credited as 3 points, 3-point shots are credited as 4 points, 4-point half-court shots are credited as 5 points).
Basket interference rule: Once the ball hits the rim, any play for the ball by a defender will not be considered goaltending.
Sixth foul rule: A player who has committed six fouls may stay in the game, but any foul they commit after that point in time results in an uncontested free throw for the opposing team by a player of their choosing, and the opposing team also retains possession.
3–10 & Out: Overtime begins with a single 3-minute period. If the score is still tied, a second untimed overtime period shall commence, and the first team to reach 10 points wins the game.
13th man rule: Each team is allowed an additional player to dress for games beyond their normal 12-man squad. This traditionally is a role filled by celebrities and dignitaries as publicity stunts, but teams have also used the rule to strengthen their roster for important games.
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams. The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada and is considered the premier professional basketball league in the world.
The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference. The team was founded in 1967 as an original member of the American Basketball Association (ABA) and became a member of the NBA in 1976 as a result of the ABA–NBA merger. They play their home games at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The team is named after the state of Indiana's history with the Indianapolis 500's pace cars and with the harness racing industry.
The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference. The team was founded as the Denver Larks in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association (ABA) but changed their name to the Rockets before the first season. The Rockets then changed their name again to the Nuggets in 1974. After the name change, the Nuggets played for the final ABA Championship title in 1976, losing to the New York Nets.
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Jason Frederick Kidd is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Widely regarded as one of the greatest point guards of all time, Kidd was a 10-time NBA All-Star, a six-time All-NBA Team member, and a nine-time NBA All-Defensive Team member. He won an NBA championship in 2011 as a member of the Dallas Mavericks and was a two-time gold medal winner in the Olympics with the U.S. national team in 2000 and 2008. He was inducted as a player into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. In October 2021, Kidd was honored as one of the league's greatest players of all time by being named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team.
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Artis Gilmore Sr. is an American former professional basketball player who played in the American Basketball Association (ABA) and National Basketball Association (NBA). Gilmore was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on August 12, 2011.
George F. McGinnis was an American professional basketball player who played 11 seasons in the American Basketball Association (ABA) and National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Indiana Hoosiers, earning third-team All-American honors in 1971, before starting his pro career in the ABA with the Indiana Pacers. A three-time ABA All-Star with the Pacers, McGinnis was named the ABA Most Valuable Player (MVP) in 1975 and won two ABA championships with the team. He was a three-time NBA All-Star with the Philadelphia 76ers. He was named to the ABA All-Time Team and inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Richard P. Tinkham was an American sports executive who was the co-founder of the American Basketball Association with Joe Newman.
The Premier Basketball League, often abbreviated to the PBL, is an American professional men's basketball minor league that began play in January 2008. The league folded after the 2017 season. It was announced that the league would be revived under new management for the 2020 season. The league announced due coronavirus outbreak the season would be put on hold.
Joshua Michael Pace is an American former professional basketball player who spent the majority of his ten-year career playing in the New Zealand National Basketball League. He also had successful stints playing college basketball for Syracuse and playing in the ABA for the Mavericks. He currently serves as an assistant coach for the Old Dominion Monarchs women's basketball team.
The ABA–NBA merger was a major pro sports business maneuver in 1976 when the American Basketball Association (ABA) combined with the National Basketball Association (NBA), after multiple attempts over several years. The NBA and ABA had entered merger talks as early as 1970, but an antitrust suit filed by the head of the NBA players union, Robertson v. National Basketball Ass'n, blocked the merger until 1976.
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The Indiana Pacers were founded on February 2, 1967, as an American Basketball Association franchise, and moved to the National Basketball Association in 1976. The Pacers were considered a dynasty in the ABA, winning three titles and six conference titles. The Pacers play in the Eastern Conference and Central Division, and they play their home games at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The Pacers have enjoyed some success in the NBA, most notably during the career of Reggie Miller. The Pacers have made the NBA Playoffs 27 out of 44 years, with one trip to the NBA Finals but have never won an NBA championship.
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