Loose Balls: The Short Wild Life of the American Basketball Association is a sports book originally published in 1990 by Simon & Schuster. The book, a history of the original American Basketball Association, was written by sportswriter Terry Pluto, although much of his writing is limited to introductions and summaries of each season. Most of the dialogue is from former players, league executives, and journalists, among others.
Almost the entire book is told by former players, executives, and journalists, all of whom are listed at the beginning as the "Cast of Characters." Some of those interviewed include:
In the book, the writing is set so that a topic is introduced by Pluto, and then one of the "cast members'" names is highlighted, followed by their memories on the subject. The book covers the entire history of the ABA, from the league's founding in 1967 through the ABA–NBA merger in 1976.
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The American Basketball Association (ABA) was a popular men's professional basketball league from 1967 to 1976. The ABA merged into the National Basketball Association (NBA) in 1976, resulting in four ABA teams joining the NBA and the introduction of the NBA 3-point shot in 1979.
William P. Melchionni is an American former National Basketball Association (NBA) and American Basketball Association (ABA) player. A three time All-Star, Melchionni is one of only four players to win NBA and ABA championships.
The Carolina Cougars were a basketball franchise in the American Basketball Association that existed from 1969 through 1974. The Cougars were originally a charter member of the ABA as the Houston Mavericks in 1967. The Mavericks moved to North Carolina in late 1969 after two unsuccessful seasons in Houston at the Sam Houston Coliseum.
Douglas Edwin Moe is an American former professional basketball player and coach. As a head coach with the Denver Nuggets in the National Basketball Association (NBA), he was named the NBA Coach of the Year in 1988.
The Long Beach Chiefs were an American basketball team based in Honolulu, Hawaii (1961–62) and Long Beach, California (1962–63) that was a member of the American Basketball League.
James "Fly" Williams is an American former professional basketball player. He played in the American Basketball Association (ABA) for the Spirits of St. Louis and for multiple teams in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA). A street basketball player from New York, he once scored 100 points in an IS8 League game in 1978.
Nathaniel Barnett Jr. is an American retired basketball player. He played collegiately for the University of Akron and was selected by the Houston Rockets in the 7th round of the 1975 NBA draft. Later, he played for the Indiana Pacers (1975–76) in the ABA.
Lester Revell Selvage was an American professional basketball player.
Mark "Mike" Storen Jr. was an American sports executive in basketball, baseball, and football. After graduating from the University of Notre Dame and a stint in the US Marines, he began his career with the Chicago Zephyrs and became their promotions director after their move to Baltimore. He subsequently served as the first general manager of the Indiana Pacers from 1967 to 1969, before assuming the positions of GM and part-owner of the Kentucky Colonels. He became the commissioner of the American Basketball Association (ABA) in 1973, and played an instrumental role in the league's merger with the National Basketball Association (NBA) three years later.
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.
Neil A. Johnson is a retired American basketball player born in Jackson, Michigan.
The 1975–76 American Basketball Association season saw the Spirits of St. Louis, led by Marvin Barnes, Moses Malone, Ron Boone and Caldwell Jones, drop to sixth place in the ABA, with a record of 35–49. As a result, the Spirits missed the playoffs in their second and final season.
Art Kim was an American basketball executive.
Donald Schupak is a New York business executive, investor, philanthropist, and attorney who is best known for his involvement with the Spirits of St. Louis during the 1976 ABA-NBA merger. The purchase of the Spirits by the NBA including Schupak's resulting ownership interest was called the best sports deal of the century by Sports Illustrated. He has served as chairman, chief executive officer, chief operating officer and strategy consultant for a number of public and private companies, including Horn & Hardart and IBM.
Golden Hall is a 3,200-seat indoor arena in San Diego, California, built in 1964. Golden Hall is located within the San Diego Concourse complex at 1 Civic Center Plz San Diego, CA 92101 and is primarily utilized as a homeless shelter today.