The American Basketball Association(ABA) was a possessional basketball league found in 1967. It was known for its red, white and blue basketball. The ABA existed for nine full seasons from 1967 to 1976,During that time, the ABA competed with the established National Basketball Association (the NBA) for players, fans, and the media attention. In June 1976, the two rival pro leagues finally made peace. Four of the strongest ABA teams, the New York Nets, Denver Nuggets,Indiana Pacers, and San Antonio Spurs joined the NBA and survived. The other remaining ABA teams such as the Kentucky Colonels, the Spirits of St. Louis, and the Virginia Squires disappeared with the ABA itself.
The ABA are more wide-open and have different kinds of rules, such as a 30-second shot clock (as opposed to the NBA's 24-second clock, though the ABA did switch to the 24 second shot clock for the 1975-76 season) and use of a three-point field goal arc. Also, the ABA used a colorful red, white and blue ball, instead of the NBA's traditional orange ball. The ABA also had several "regional" franchises, such as the Virginia Squires and Carolina Cougars,that played "home" games in several cities.
The freewheeling style of the ABA eventually caught on with many fans, but the lack of a national televison contract and financial losses lead the end of the ABA . In 1976, its last year of existence, the ABA pioneered the popular Slam Dunk Contest at its All-Star Game in Denver.
Very nice, Steven. The ABA was a "professional" league, not a "possessional" league, and I'd like to see you find links that go beyond wikipedia, but this is informative and an interesting topic for all sports fans.
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