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During the 1966-67 season, the National Basketball Association (NBA) had ten teams and was very slow to expand the league in the mid-60's with the opportunity to buy a franchise proved costly for the time. Businessmen in various cities decided to band together to form a league of their own and sustain the league, have it thrive in new markets, and hopefully force a merger between the two leagues.
The Inaugural SeasonThe first season of the ABA, 1967-68, had the following teams compete (team record in parentheses):
Eastern Division Pittsburgh Pipers (54-24) Minnesota Muskies (50-28) Indiana Pacers (38-40) Kentucky Colonels (36-42) New Jersey Americans (36-42)Western Division New Orleans Buccaneers (48-30) Dallas Chaparrals (46-32) Denver Rockets (45-33) Houston Mavericks (29-49) Anaheim Amigos (25-53) Oakland Oaks (22-56)The top teams at each division, the Pipers and Buccaneers, met in the first ABA Finals with the Pipers taking the title, beating the Buccaneers four games to three. Connie Hawkins of the Pipers won the MVP award that season.
Subsequent League Problems Over the YearsHowever, it wasn't all fun and games for the league as problems with attendance, the lack of television coverage, and a seeming constant relocation of certain franchises did not prove stable for the ABA over the years. For example, the Houston Mavericks relocated and became the Carolina Cougars, then the Spirits of St. Louis, and finally, the Utah Rockies. However, the Rockies franchise never played a regular season game as the ABA folded before their inaugural season.
In fact, in the ABA's last season of 1975-76, there was only one division, as opposed to an Eastern and Western division, that had nine teams in it. During the season, two franchises folded, leaving only seven franchises left at the very end.
The MergerFinally, after that 1975-76 season, the ABA agreed to merge into the NBA. Four teams from the ABA - Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers, New York Nets (eventually becoming the New Jersey Nets) and San Antonio Spurs - moved into the NBA. The three remaining franchises - Kentucky Colonels, Spirits of St. Louis, and Virginia Squires - disbanded and disappeared into the annals of basketball history.
ABA Innovation in Today's NBA GameWhen the ABA first started, it was looked upon as the "outlaw" basketball league because of its innovative nature towards the game. NBA legend, George Mikan, served as the ABA's first commissioner and introduced the three-point line, which is something the NBA did not have. It's somewhat ironic that Mikan, widely known as the NBA's first true big man would introduce a perimeter concept.
Mikan also thought of the (in)famous red, white, and blue ball so that it appeared to be more patriotic, but also for the ball to be easily seen by television cameras. Obviously, the three-point line is still in use, as well as the red, white, and blue ball as the "money" ball at the NBA's All-Star Weekend Three-Point Shootout.
Another NBA All-Star mainstay, the Slam Dunk Contest was first done at the last ABA-All Star game in Denver when the iconic Julius "Dr. J" Erving won the contest.
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