The original American Basketball Association (ABA) was a major men's professional basketball league from 1967 to 1976. The ABA ceased to exist with the American Basketball Association–National Basketball Association merger in 1976, leading to four ABA teams joining the National Basketball Association and to the introduction of the 3-point shot in the NBA in 1979.
David O'Neil Thompson is an American former professional basketball player. He played with the Denver Nuggets of both the American Basketball Association (ABA) and National Basketball Association (NBA), as well as the Seattle SuperSonics of the NBA. He was previously a star in college for North Carolina State, leading the Wolfpack to its first NCAA championship in 1974. Thompson is one of the six players to score 70 or more points in an NBA game. Thompson was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1996.
William John Cunningham is an American former professional basketball player and coach, who was nicknamed the Kangaroo Kid. He spent a total of 17 seasons with the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers, and two seasons as a player with the Carolina Cougars of the ABA.
Stephen Howard "Snapper" Jones was an American basketball player in the American Basketball Association (ABA) and National Basketball Association (NBA), who later become a television analyst. He was a three-time ABA All-Star. Jones' brother Nick also played in the ABA and NBA. During his time in the ABA, Jones picked up the moniker "Snapper" but he never revealed how it came to be.
Melvin Joe Daniels was an American professional basketball player. He played in the American Basketball Association (ABA) for the Minnesota Muskies, Indiana Pacers, and Memphis Sounds, and in the National Basketball Association for the New York Nets. Daniels was a two-time ABA Most Valuable Player, three-time ABA Champion and a seven-time ABA All-Star. Daniels was the All-time ABA rebounding leader. Daniels was enshrined into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012.
Stewart "Stew" Johnson is an American former professional basketball player. A 6'8" tall forward/center from Murray State University, that was born in New York City, Johnson was selected by the New York Knicks in the third round of the 1966 NBA draft. However, Johnson never played in the NBA, joining the rival American Basketball Association instead.
Edward "Chuck" Williams is a retired American basketball player who competed in both the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the rival American Basketball Association (ABA). A 6' 2" guard from the University of Colorado, he played eight professional seasons (1970–1978), spending time with multiple teams including the Pittsburgh Condors (ABA), the Denver Nuggets, the San Diego Conquistadors (ABA), the Kentucky Colonels (ABA), the Memphis Sounds (ABA), the Baltimore Claws (ABA), the Virginia Squires (ABA) and the Buffalo Braves (NBA).
Larry Joe Kenon is an American former professional basketball player.
James Jones is an American former professional basketball player who was a six-time All-Star in the American Basketball Association (ABA).
Frederick L. Lewis is a retired American basketball player. He played professionally in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and American Basketball Association (ABA). He is the only player to start his career in the NBA, and play all 9 full ABA seasons (1967-1976) until the NBA/ABA merger, then sign back with the NBA.
John Michael Roche is a retired American professional basketball player in both the American Basketball Association (ABA) and the National Basketball Association (NBA). The 6'3", 170 lb (77 kg) guard's career spanned from 1971 to 1982.
Gerald Govan is a retired American professional basketball player. He played nine seasons in the American Basketball Association (ABA), from 1967 to 1976.
William R. Knight is an American former professional basketball player and executive. Playing with the Indiana Pacers in both the American Basketball Association (ABA) and later the National Basketball Association (NBA), he was both an ABA and NBA All-Star. He played college basketball with the Pittsburgh Panthers, who retired his No. 34.
Wilbert Jones is an American former professional basketball player.
The Memphis Tigers men's basketball team represents the University of Memphis in NCAA Division I men's college basketball. The Tigers have competed in the American Athletic Conference since 2013. As of 2020, the Tigers had the 26th highest winning percentage in NCAA history. While the Tigers have an on-campus arena, Elma Roane Fieldhouse, the team's local popularity is such that it has played home games off campus since the mid-1960s. The Tigers moved to the Mid-South Coliseum at the Memphis Fairgrounds in 1966, and then to downtown Memphis at The Pyramid, initially built for the team in 1991 and later home to the NBA's Memphis Grizzlies. In 2004, the Grizzlies and Tigers moved together to another downtown venue, FedExForum. ESPN Stats and Information Department ranked Memphis as the 19th most successful basketball program from 1962 to 2012 in their annual 50 in 50 list.
Carl John Neumann, nicknamed "Johnny Reb", was an American professional basketball player and coach. At 6'6" and 200 pounds, he played at the shooting guard and small forward positions.
Michael Kenneth Green is an American retired professional basketball player. After playing at Louisiana Tech, Green played in the American Basketball Association (ABA) and the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1973-1980 and was an All-Star in 1975.
The merger of the American Basketball Association (ABA) with the National Basketball Association (NBA), after multiple attempts over several years, occurred in 1976. 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.
Lee Davis is a retired basketball player who played for eight seasons in the American Basketball Association (ABA). A center and forward during his career, he played for five different ABA teams.
at NBA.com