ABA Basketball Highlights - 1971 Dr. J Rookie Season! 1968 and 1970 Finals

[@TUFF-TJ]

The red, white and blue ball spinning in the air is a beautiful sight

[@bradtdarius]

I was a teenager , in Cincinnati, during the ABA days, and had a radio that could pick up WHAS from Louisville, so I could listen to some ABA games. And, read about them in the newspaper's Sport Section. Was able to follow the Colonels and the Pacers pretty well, then. And, from to time, the Squires. I'd already been familiar with Connie Hawkins, Roger Brown (high school rivals), Doug Moe, Art Heyman...these 4 competed against each other as New York schoolboys;Bill Keller, from watching him in college. Tom Thacker, who I'd met randomly, as an 11 year old while with friends on a playground. Dr. J, Charlie Scott, John Roche, Artis Gilmore, Dan Issel, Louie Dampier, "Fat" Lever, George McGinnis...I'd followed them during their college days [Sports Illustrated did a really good job of covering college ball, and players, regardless of division, back then]. Saw Rick Barry, Billy Cunningham , and "Jumpin' "Joe Caldwell...NBA favorites...play in the ABA, too. Great times to be an aspiring player, full of dreams and imagination.The lack of national attention made me more interested in the League. I miss the ABA.

[@DennisHurst-f2q]

Man you know your topic , damn impressive, I remember some of those people ❤

[@dennisdezarn5895]

Was there another Fat Lever? The one I know wasn't in the ABA. But maybe it's a butterfly effect thing and I grew up in another dimension. Another dimension. Another dimension. Another dimension. Well now don't you tell me to smile you stick around I'll make it worth your while...

[@lincolnfromct34]

I met Larry Brown many years ago. He talked to me like I was the most important person in the world. What a gentleman. I’ve been a huge Larry Brown fan ever since.

[@josecarranza7555]

It turned you gay?

[@DennisHurst-f2q]

I guess he’s just a perfectionist and hard to please , he’s a great coach

[@luckybestwash]

Weird to see the ABA making better use of the 3 point line than the NBA did 15 or 20 years later. In reality they're playing current NBA ball.

[@ytgc-royalewarex5190]

Not to mentioned, the 3 point line in ABA was deeper compared to the one that been adopted in NBA, 3 years after the merger. If I'm not mistaken, the distance in the ABA league was 25 ft(while NBA is 23 ft 9 in) so it was way challenging for shooter to make it out

[@hughcapetien]

Connie Hawkins had the biggest hands in the game! Austin "Red" Robbins, Jacky Moreland, Doug Moe, Gerald Govan, Larry Brown, James Jones were great for the New Orleans Bucs. Old coach Babe McCarthy was a quite a character.

[@brianarbenz7206]

I loved the ABA while growing up in Colonel and Pacer country. Let's hear it for a great league!

[@robertsprouse9282]

The ABA's players with a few exceptions, were not as good as the NBA's in the first few years. But, as the NBA expanded, that began to change..and as the ABA got deeper pocketed owners, it really began to change. Yep, as the NBA added four teams in the 1970's, the ABA shrunk by four clubs and with LARRY KENON, BILLY KNIGHT, DAN ISSEL, ARTIS GILMORE, MOSES MALONE, MO LUCAS, BOBBY JONES, CALDWELL JONES, etc, and of course THE DOCTOR..when the merger occurred in 1976, the ABA's new NBA arrivals, were right there on equal footing; maybe even better, in some cases. In that 1977 first post-merger ALL STAR GAME, 9 of the 24 players had ABA experience in the '75-76 FINAL ABA SEASON..That is nine of about 60-65 EX- ABA'ers in the NBA in '76-77= 1 in 7 ex-ABA players, none who started their careers in the NBA..WHILE ONLY 15 of approx.190 non-ABA GUYS that were named NBA ALL-STARS that season began in the NBA AND again, played in the NBA in the last pre-merger season. ONE EXCEPTION BEGAN IN THE NBA BUT WAS AN ORIGINAL ABA'ER AFTER HE WAS IN THE NBA= RICK BARRY= 1 in 12.6 NBA'ers= NBA ALL-STARS.. You figure it out. The players were: EAST- starters JULIUS ERVING, GEORGE MC GINNIS, and Bench- GEORGE GERVIN.. WEST STARTERS DAVID THOMPSON, BOBBY JONES, AND DAN ISSEL..(all from DENVER) Bench- DON BUSE, BILLY KNIGHT, AND MAURICE LUCAS.. FIVE OF THE TEN STARTERS..FOUR OF WHOM WERE IN THE ABA the previous season, with one in the ABA two years before= McGINNIS..were named to start in the game, bringing ABA experience. BILL WALTON NBA'er injured, was replaced by ex-ABA-er, DON BUSE..even so.. ABA'ERS ORIGINALLY NAMED= 8, OUT OF 60-65 EX-ABA'ers= still 1 in 8 players.. Counting only NBA'ers originally named and replaced with an EX-ABA'er= 16 of 190= still worse= 1 in 12 pre-merger NBA players..than pre-merger ABA'ers.. Here are the EX-ABA'ers who were not selected but who had solid or even good years: LARRY KENON, ARTIS GILMORE, BRIAN TAYLOR, RON BOONE, MOSES MALONE, BILLY PAULTZ, LOUIE DAMPIER, AND DAVE TWARDZIK.. DOC ERVING WAS THE MVP.. In the NBA FINALS, PORTLAND HAD TWARDZIK AND LUCAS, PHILLY HAD DOC, CALDWELL JONES, AND GEORGE McGINNIS..all starters.. DENVER won their MIDWEST DIVISION, had the second best record in the league tied with PHILLY, behind the LAKERS 53 WINS..SAN ANTONIO WON 44 AND MADE THE PLAYOFFS. INDY HAD 36 in 82 games, with basically the same team that won 39 in 84 games in the ABA in '75., virtually the same winning pct, just a little less.. AND the STRIPPED DOWN NYORK NETS(MOVED TO NJ IN '77-78) had 22 wins with only three halfway major in their prime ex-ABA'ers on their roster out of nine exes who played, none were not remotely superstars= AL SKINNER, JAN VAN BREDA KOLFF, AND "SUPER JOHN" WILLIAMSON who was hurt and soon had to retire.. KIM HUGHES was a decent sub.. the other ex-ABA'ers were bit players, who were stars in their prime, but were at the end of their careers..= HALL OF FAMER MEL DANIELS, and RICH JONES, AND PAULTZ, DOC, AND TAYLOR were all on different teams.. all three of the latter were '75-76 CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON NETS STARTERS in the ABA..LARRY KENON had been on the team in '74-75.. LOOK AT THE REGULST SEASON FIRST AND SECOND TEAMS= ONE DAVID THOMPSON was on the FIRST TEAM, THREE WERE ON THE SECOND TEAM- ERVING, GEORGE GERVIN, AND McGINNIS were on the Second Team.. The ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAMS- FIRST TEAM.. BOBBY JONES, BUSE(led the NBA IN STEALS AND ASSISTS); SECOND TEAM.. TAYLOR AND DON CHANEY who began in the NBA.. EX-ABA COACH TOM NISSALKE was the HEAD COACH OF THE YEAR.. You tell me.. Its indisputable..

[@ericlyons4413]

What team did you pull for? Me, the Pacers.

[@elwin38]

I was too young for the ABA but this was a damn good league. My oldest brother used to go to the games when Memphis had a team so he saw these stars. Seeing how Utah inherited a good LA Stars team who took the Pacers to 6 games(without Zelmo Beaty). Seeing Docs rookie year with the Squires. To me, the real downfall of the Squires started was when Charlie Scott left shortly before the season(71-72) was over.

[@kenneth7826]

Guys I am like you......A huge ABA fan....long live the ABA.....😎😆😁😉😀

[@mattnewbery7870]

I love how the first LA Stars home game was played in Anaheim, which was the team's original home as the Amigos. The court still had the Orange and Brown Amigos colors on it.

[@master-kq3nw]

anaheim amigos and mascot bandit.great team,

[@3243_]

Thank you for posting this rare footage.

[@lloydkline6946]

Connie hawkin hands bigger than George big hands McGinnis dr.j hugh hands. Jabbar could not stop connie hawkin close to the basket

[@chrisrose6014]

Dr. J's rookie season with Virginia as 1971-72

[@armorybrunotjr.3204]

Big story about why owner Earl Foreman moved the ailing Washington Caps to Virginia: the NBA and ABA began their first attempt to merge, and then-Baltimore Bullets owner Abe Pollin wanted to Foreman to move from D.C. because his franchise was too close to Baltimore. The Caps were drawing flies in the archaic Washington Coliseum. So Foreman decided to move the team to Norfolk, where he renamed the team the Virginia Squires. Also, Pollin was planning to bring an NBA franchise to to the Washington area.

[@coreyeatmon5101]

All right hand. 15 years advanced the game so much.

[@krustymadrid4953]

all those unsold seats aba a whole new style of basketball

[@jeremydowell7308]

love all the glass in them shots

[@chriszenko6355]

I wish the would have let the ABA teams join the NBA intact instead of the expansion draft way they did it

[@mitchellpearson6894]

Dr j the goat

[@tech561]

I loved the Indiana Pacers game video and comments!

[@timdub70]

New Orleans had two future coaches-Larry Brown and Doug Moe.

[@master-kq3nw]

Buccanerss great nickname for team

[@barrye5376]

Roger Brown one of the all-time Greats - highly underrated!!

[@eboooo]

Barry E it's a shame he didn't play in the NBA he probably had a few years left imo

[@robertsprouse9282]

@@eboooo, I think he played a few games well past his prime after the merger, with Detroit before age forced retirement.

[@ericlyons4413]

@@robertsprouse9282 Roger Brown never played in the NBA. He retired after the 1974-75 season.

[@robertsprouse9282]

@@ericlyons4413, I went back and looked in my hoops encyclopedias, the softbound one and the hardback, and he was listed in 1976 on the Detroit roster but never suited up and never played a minute for them. So, I stand corrected. I was thinking of seeing his name under their players, which it was, and then crossed him in my head with ABA veteran Ralph Simpson (not R. Sampson) the Michigan Stater that had played with the Denver Nuggets the season before the merger in '76, and then concluded his career with Detroit and Denver among a few others in the NBA. Thanks for correcting me. I would have gone on making that mistake because I was pretty convinced Brown did what a few ABA'ers did, play very briefly after the merger. Of course, the guy that I loved in the ABA, RON BOONE did play and extend his playing streak record with the pre-Sac. KINGS. He was a solid player, as fundamentally sound and played every nite, loved him as a player both in the NBA AND ABA.. Again, thanks for the headsup and the info.

[@ericlyons4413]

@@robertsprouse9282 I was a big ABA fan growing up. And I was also a fan of the Utah Stars. Ron Boone was awesome. I believe that he and Freddie Lewis should both be in the Hall of Fame. And speaking of the ABA, I wrote a book about it. I'm hoping to save some money selling T-shirts this year to offset the publishing costs. And many of the T's are of my self-drawn illustrations from the book. My plan is to get it published a year from now...a resolution.

[@dedrickmcconnell621]

Doc in his Squires days was at his fastest!

[@karl6852]

Doc footage starts at 51:00 and continues until the very end. Some great early inside moves with the Squires.

[@RICHBLACKCOCK]

I liked the ABA more than the NBA then. faster paced. cool hair, & the RED WHITE & BLUE ball. only the knicks in the early 70`s were in the NBA. the BALTIMORE BULLETS wer fun to watch also with pearl!!!!!!

[@michaelmaxwell1523]

Great!! Saw some Doc footage used in HBO's 'Long Shots' but had a lot I never seen before!! Yo Doc!

[@jacobjones2787]

I remember my uncle's had old vhs tapes of ABA basketball. Doc made you say who's that

[@trapezemusic]

That is a last second, three-point set shot by Larry Brown at the 11:24 mark. Priceless!

[@mikep6979]

Damn there was nobody in the Pittsburgh arena for game one.

[@andyr1313]

Too bad there isn't footage of Oaks vs.Pacers in 1969. Even without Rick Barry, this was a killer team. Larry Brown, Doug Moe, Warren Jabali, Jim Eakins, and Jim Hadnot. Too bad they drew about 1500- 2000 a game...

[@josemariamesa5460]

Pls post more of these if possible,a.b.a. was hardly covered.

[@master-kq3nw]

fantastic video.good old aba league

[@jamesthomas788]

Dr.J was originally drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks when Jabber and Oscar Robertson were playing for the Bucks,but chose to sign with the Virginia Squires instead don't know why. But if he had chosen to play for the Bucks,they would have been unbeatable they would have had a dynasty on same level of the Celtics.

[@alexrichrevue5731]

The official story is they had Doc’s draft rights as an underclassman- but Doc wanted to be close to home and stay near NYC area - hence he went to Lou Carnasecca- the then coach of the NY Nets of ABA- but the Nets didn’t want a junior from college- then Ray Forman- owner of Virginia Squires offered Doc a huge amount of money at the time - 250k a season to play for the Squires.

[@1990758]

Thought he got drafted by the Atlanta Hawks

[@alexrichrevue5731]

1990758 Milwaukee held Doctor’s NBA draft rights but Julius , as the story goes, became disillusioned with the Virginia Squires before the 1972-73 season (the Squires financial situation was shaky and Roy Foreman couldn’t fulfill Julius’ request to “renegotiate” Doc’s contract - Doc had one helluva rookie season and realized he was worth a Brinks truck)- Julius, who knew Pistol Pete Maravich very well- illegally jumped to the NBA to play with the Atlanta Hawks. Doc and Pistol Pete played a few exhibitions together- that spawned visions of a dynamic spectacular guard/forward combo that would’ve set the NBA on fire - imagine a fast break with Doc/Pistol - or even a two man give and go/back door in the half court???!!😂 Clearly there was opposition to that - Julius sued and lost - the courts ordered him back to the ABA Squires - he had another fantastic season then the Squires ended up “trading” Julius to the Nets for cash and draft rights-- and the rest is... history. The NBA was still a stodgy league at the time but knew very well what Doc brought to the game- but resisted the renegade ABA style of play - but eventually gave in by the time the league merger in the summer of 1976- by then of course, the Legend of Dr.J was known the world over!! And Doc’s first NBA ALLStar game - he played alongside Pistol. Look up the 1977 NBA ALLStar game- Doc tore it up - including an extraordinary windmill one hand highflying stuff in the face of Kareem Abdul Jabber!!🏀

[@1990758]

@@alexrichrevue5731 I read every article there is about dr. J don't remember half the stuff I was born and raised in Philadelphia Pennsylvania I've been watching the NBA since the 60s

[@1990758]

@@alexrichrevue5731 the article I read said he didn't play one game exhibition game with the Atlanta Hawks

[@TheVikings1976]

Where the heck did you get a copy of this on such great condition. Pretty awesome!!!

[@kickersuelle]

I bought it off a guy who specialized in rare Videos in 1995 or so. On VHS of course. I think I met him in a "Rival League chat room" on Compuserve in the fledgling days of the Internet.

[@michaelzhou2644]

The 1968 Pipers film must be narrated by Ray Scott.

[@dancingdog60]

Pro Keds!

[@billsav57]

The officials in that Pittsburgh-New Orleans series look like they were moonlighting from Target.

[@jasonlassiter9229]

Sounds like Don Criqui doing the narrating. Does anyone recognize if it’s Criqui?

[@kickersuelle]

Fastforward to 49:52. to answer your question :)

[@josevasquez6350]

BACK in the DAY when you had to WRAPP YOUR OWN FEET AN ANKLES NOBODY DID IT FOR YOU.. TUFF TIMES IN THE LEAGUE...

[@Shahmar]

Lol I remember they used to push the idea that the NBA was a better league but the more that I watch these ABA videos the more that I see that was a LIE! 9 years what took the NBA 25 to build. They would have eventually ran the them out of business.

[@gturcott1]

Fish that saved Pittsburg

[@Head318Hunter]

Things sure were red back then.

[@eboooo]

R.O.A. it was the communists

[@fairfaxcat1312]

Michael Eyob lol

[@sheilabrown6136]

came from spanish harlem to nassau coleseum to see aba

[@elwin38]

"Spanish Harlem"---Aretha Franklin. There was the original 50's version too i liked! But i was too young when the ABA was around.

[@warrenbryant554]

How you look no older then 30

[@kincamell2]

Much Gratitude Peace to Connie Hawkins

[@freddytorres3609]

that was the most incredible dunking contest ive ever seen...those dunks were amazing not even vince carter can do those dunks!!..(i dont know how my ass is not getting jealous from all the shit that is comming out of my mouth LOL

[@jonathanhairston5019]

Volume is too low

[@pallen49]

' Pro-Keds '?...Holy smokes..I never knew they were the sponsor shoes for the ABA?...I remember having Pro-Keds as a kid..but all that time I thought they were just cheap knock offs of Converse or Nike ..lol

[@1990758]

Darryl Dawkins had some red bottom prokeds

[@ericlyons4413]

If you look at some old ABA pictures and basketball cards, many players wore Chuck Taylor's... I where them to this day.

[@warrenbryant554]

I wish these players can go into a time maverick play in today era

[@victorpena3129]

They would get crushed

[@ytanonymity3585]

@Victor Peña nah more like they would quickly adapt and play much better fundamental than today player

[@warrenbryant554]

Depends they was three point specialists dunkers street ball players with style Victor Pena they was the ones save the NBA doctor j Moses iceman

[@ErnestTeeBass]

I must have had my rose colored glasses on

[@javusbonmon6937]

👍📺👏🏀🏀🏀

[@abevillanueva1974]

no trainer...gotta tape up your own feet!

[@fairfaxcat1312]

Is Don Criqui at the mike?

[@robertsprouse9282]

In order: 1. RAY SCOTT(the anncr. not the player, who appeared later in this video.)2. Don Criqui(Buffalo. NY guy who cut his teeth in New Orleans with the Saints[I believe with the Bucs, too.] and CBS ABA coverage before GARY BENDER took it over), 3. MARTY BRENNAMAN(later made his name with the CINCY REDS, FATHER OF TOM B.). That was a blast, great fun to watch..

[@dancingdog60]

Great stuff! Wow, look at those half-empty arenas. No wonder the league folded. That's really too bad. I wish the league had stayed around as basketball eventually became more popular. Back here it was probably the number 3 sport behind football. With baseball being still the number one pro sport at the time in America. Even the merger didn't initially help basketballs popularity. I remember the NBA final being shown on tape delay. It wasn't until Larry Bird and Magic Johnson brought the league back to life again.

[@pallen49]

The good old days of no ' palming ' aka ' carrying '. To me that is THEE biggest glaring differences of the fundamentals of basketball back then, compare to modern basketball nowadays, sadly...

[@DNSKansas]

Hmmmm....Dr. J did not want to play with Kareem and Oscar for the defending NBA champions. Shows he was all about the Benajmins.

[@d820m]

probably because he didn't want Oscar yelling at him for his flashy dunks and all (Oscar was notorious for yelling at/cussing out teammates)

[@fairfaxcat1312]

Darrian Mitchell The Big O may have been the greatest player in the history of the game. It would seem that nobody would want to have anything to do with him. Most arrogant and demanding guy out there it would seem to someone like me watching from afar.

[@d820m]

Zelmo Beaty (who was no slouch as a player himself) once said, I would have loved to have played with Oscar because he would have made me a much better player, but he was such a perfectionist it would been impossible to reach his level...the way he'd scream at Wayne Embry ..."you dummy! Catch the damn ball! I put that right in your hands, how could you drop that one!"

[@scottdavidson7001]

Going to the Nets allowed him to go home.

[@garyt4551]

David.....I think it's more like him wanting to provide for his mother! Pius ,He left as a junlor, wouldn't he have had to sit out a year before playing in the NBA??

[@RICHBLACKCOCK]

oh DOC & the SQUIRES playing at THE SCOPE!!!! in VIRGINIA!!!!