Kristian Ferrell
The American Basketball Association (ABA) was a short-lived but influential professional basketball league. It was known for its rebellious spirit and colourful, disco-era fashion sense. The ABA's players were known for their stylistic risk-taking, with players no longer feeling the need to dress traditionally. This freedom of expression extended beyond their clothing choices, as the league also encouraged original gameplay and a more wide-open, flashy style of play. The ABA's impact on basketball fashion was so significant that it even paved the way for the style of the modern-day NBA.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Ball colour | Red, white and blue |
| Uniforms | White collars and bell bottoms |
| Style | Flashy, wide-open, unscripted |
| Player expression | Original gameplay, stylistic risk-taking |
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What You'll Learn
The red, white and blue basketball
The American Basketball Association (ABA) introduced the red, white, and blue basketball, which became the league's trademark. The ball was 29.5 inches in diameter and made of quality composite leather. It was the official ball of the ABA and was used in the 1960s and 1970s. The ball was recently brought back and is available for purchase.
The ABA was a rival league to the more established National Basketball Association (NBA). It was founded by Dennis Murphy and started with 11 teams. The league aimed to distinguish itself from the NBA with a more wide-open, flashy, and unscripted style of offensive play, as well as differences in rules, such as the introduction of the three-point shot and a 30-second shot clock.
The ABA also had a unique sense of style and fashion, with players and coaches dressing up in ways that expressed their freedom and empowered them. For example, some coaches wore white collars and bell bottoms, while players wore suits that inspired their fashion choices off the court as well. This sense of style and freedom to express themselves extended to their gameplay, with the ABA known for its fast-paced and entertaining style of play.
The red, white, and blue ball was introduced by the first commissioner of the ABA, NBA great George Mikan, along with the three-point shot. Mikan resigned in 1969, and the league eventually merged with the NBA in 1976. The ABA's ball, style of play, and sense of fashion left a lasting impact on the NBA, with the league adopting some of the ABA's innovations and style elements.
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Game-worn uniforms
While it is challenging to find game-worn uniforms from the American Basketball Association (ABA), they do exist and are highly sought after by collectors. These collectors have spent decades and significant sums of money acquiring these uniforms, so they are unlikely to be interested in selling them. As a result, game-worn ABA uniforms are incredibly expensive, with prices ranging from $700 to $800. However, with the recent "retro" trend, some ABA replica "throwback" uniforms are being mass-marketed to the public. For example, Reebok offers more affordable alternatives, although these replicas do not accurately represent the original ABA uniforms.
The ABA's unique style of gameplay and expression extended beyond the court and into the realm of fashion. This freedom of expression influenced the fashion choices of both players and coaches, with some recalling the "style factor" of the era, including white collars and bell bottoms. The impact of the ABA's fashion sense on the NBA is evident, with players like Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics showcasing versatile fashion senses that mirror their on-court performance.
The ABA's influence on basketball fashion extended beyond the clothing itself. The league's emphasis on freedom and expression empowered players to break free from traditional dress codes and embrace their unique styles. This mindset shift contributed to the evolution of basketball fashion, allowing players to express themselves through their clothing choices both on and off the court.
The ABA's legacy in basketball fashion is also reflected in the stories and memories shared by those associated with the league. For example, Houston reminisced about the style of the era, recalling the white collars and bell bottoms. He also noted how his father, a coach at the University of Tennessee, influenced his own sense of style, including a preference for suits and white collars. This intergenerational influence on fashion showcases the lasting impact of the ABA's style.
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The introduction of the 3-point line
The American Basketball Association (ABA) was the first professional basketball league to introduce the 3-point line. George Mikan, the first commissioner of the ABA and a five-time NBA champion with the Minneapolis Lakers, came up with the idea for the three-point shot. Mikan believed that the 3-pointer would ""give the smaller player a chance to score and open up the defence to make the game more enjoyable to fans". He also likened it to a "home run", saying that it "brought fans out of their seats".
The three-point shot was first tested at the collegiate level in 1945, in a game between Columbia and Fordham. However, it was not kept as a rule. There were a few other one-game experiments in the following years, but the three-point shot was not officially introduced until the ABA popularised it. During the 1970s, the ABA used the three-point shot, along with the slam dunk, as a marketing tool to compete with the more established NBA.
The NBA eventually acquired the ABA in 1976 but did not implement the three-point shot league-wide until the 1979-80 season, three years after the merger. The NBA adopted the three-point line on a one-year trial basis, and it has since become a permanent feature of the league. The distance from the basket to the three-point line varies by competition level. In the NBA, the arc is 23 feet 9 inches (7.24m) from the centre of the basket, while in other competitions such as the FIBA, WNBA, NCAA, and NAIA, the arc is 6.75m (22 ft 1.75 in) from the centre.
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The wide-open, flashy style of play
The American Basketball Association (ABA) was a major professional basketball league that operated for nine seasons from 1967 to 1976. Throughout its existence, the ABA was in direct competition with the more established National Basketball Association (NBA).
The ABA distinguished itself from its older counterpart with a more wide-open, flashy, and frantic style of offensive play. The league was more focused on entertainment and adopted a streetwise style of play, with players letting every kind of freak flag fly—from Afros on their black players to handlebar mustaches on their white ones.
The ABA displayed more running, wide-open offenses with less physical defenses. The lanes in the ABA tended to be less clogged because defenses had to respect the threat of the 3-point basket. This style of play was made possible by rules introduced by the league, such as the three-point shot and a 30-second shot clock. The three-point shot, in particular, was considered radical and world-ending by the NBA, which later adopted it.
The ABA also introduced the Spencer Haywood Hardship Rule, which became the framework for the current NBA draft eligibility system, allowing players to declare for the NBA after being one year removed from their high school graduation.
The freewheeling style of the ABA eventually caught on with fans, but the lack of a national television contract and financial losses led to its demise as an independent circuit. In 1976, the ABA merged with the NBA, with four ABA teams (the New York Nets, Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers, and San Antonio Spurs) joining the older league.
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The merger with the NBA
The American Basketball Association (ABA) and the National Basketball Association (NBA) were direct competitors. The ABA was the most successful rival to the NBA, with 11 teams in the Eastern and Western Divisions. The NBA was the younger of the two leagues, having played only 21 seasons when the ABA was founded.
The ABA distinguished itself from the NBA with a more wide-open, flashy style of offensive play, and differences in rules. The ABA introduced the three-point shot, a multi-coloured ball, and the first slam dunk contest.
The ABA and NBA entered merger talks as early as 1970, but an antitrust lawsuit filed by the NBA Players Association, known as Robertson v. National Basketball Ass'n, blocked the merger until 1976. The NBA engaged in talks for a merger as it was seen as particularly vulnerable to a challenge, with only 12 teams at the time the ABA was founded.
The ABA–NBA merger was a major pro-sports business manoeuvre when the leagues combined in 1976. The NBA agreed to accept four of the remaining six ABA teams: the Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers, New York Nets, and San Antonio Spurs. The remaining two ABA teams, the Kentucky Colonels and the Spirits of St. Louis, folded, with their players entering a dispersal draft.
The terms of the merger required each team to pay the NBA $3.2 million, and ABA teams would receive no money from national television contracts for the first three seasons. The four ABA teams also could not participate in the 1976 draft.
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