Longshots The Life & Times Of The American Basketball Association

[@jmj7599]

I loved the ABA. As a 9 and 10 year old Jersey kid in '75 and '76, who lived and breathed basketball, I was mesmerized by Dr. J, Super John, Billy Paultz, etc. At that time, Channel 9 televised some of the Nets games. I don't think I ever missed one. Even had a red white and blue basketball. Wish I still had it. Great memories. Thanks for the documentary!

[@kvb44]

You were extremely lucky to have been able to watch those games. In Seattle, we had no TV coverage of the ABA. 😢

[@isaiahbing2192]

Loved The ABA!!!! Wow 🤩 All The Best Players!!! Julius Erving Roger Brown Artis Gilmore!!!! Dan Issel David Thompson!!! The Ice 🧊 Man!!!!

[@Rockhound6165]

Sports fans have a lot to be thankful for from these "rebel" leagues. The players especially. The ABA, WHA, USFL brought concepts like free agency and big money to the athletes and wide open games for the fans. Sadly in my area we had zero exposure to the ABA as the closest team was the Nets. But I knew what it was as I read the sports pages as a kid. And everybody had a red, white, and blue ball.

[@johnwx25]

Check out remembering the ABA. ABA led NBA in all time exhibition games. ABA all stars vs NBA all stars did happen twice.

[@Riles3152]

In certain ways, the ABA was so ahead it's time.

[@lenny1680]

The incredible memories. I got to see Dr J dunking over Artis Gilmore. Such fun.

[@chrino21]

The NBA really missed a chance at greatness when they decided to "win" the merger. An American Conference with ABA rules and ball, and a National Conference staying "traditional" would have fanned passionate flames of rivalry for decades. Throw the newer NBA teams (Cleveland, Seattle, Atlanta, etc) in with the 6 remaining ABA teams, and you've got a spectacle! Could have kept the intense ABA rivalry (Indiana & Kentucky) alive, too. The Finals really would have been fun with "home court rules". It's really sad the opportunity they missed.

[@paullindstrom7635]

If the ABA could've just got a TV contract much would've been different. I feel that the Kentucky Colonels would still be around to this very day for one..

[@jimcarter4425]

Exhibition games were played at high school gyms. The idea was to expose folks in rural areas to entertainment options they had never seen. Regular season games were played on regulation floors in arenas owned by colleges and local and state governments. In the inaugural season, Anaheim and Pittsburgh played in arenas that were nearly new. New Jersey's got a face-lift and the Minnesota club played in a huge, modern facility. Of course, the "story" sounds more interesting with the over-the-top anecdotes.

[@josh-rz3uq]

Wrong. Several teams played regular season and even playoff games in high school gyms. Look it up on basketball-reference, boomer.

[@briggscharleton6139]

Great times. I got to see the Dr. play with the Nets at Nassua Coliseum. If I remember correctly channel 9 WOR used to televise their away games.

[@hughleftwich4167]

The ABA had a lot of good players I remember some of the exhibition games nba-aba and ABA was winning some of those games I also remember the NBA Aba all-Star games I get sad when I think about what could have been

[@GaryButler-j3b]

Those NBA ABA all star games were played at a high level. No show boating like all star games today. Both leagues has something to prove!

[@3243_]

​@@GaryButler-j3b Heck, Wilt Chamberlain and Artis Gilmore briefly swung at each other in the 1972 game.

[@kevinswihart6867]

Personally, I believe Red Aurbach kept the ABA from securing a national broadcast contract, keeping them from most of the nation's attention. The ABA teams where mostly in small market citiies and only shown locally. It killed them. Fun Fact: the ABA had a better record against the NBA in exhibition games !

[@FJC464]

Yes he was against expansion as well which in the long run hurt both leagues and all the players whose stats didn't count because he was so stubborn.

[@markjackson6431]

this is soooo 1970s but it’s cool

[@jeffboyce2426]

I FOLLOWED GEORGE ICEMAN GERVIN SINCE ICE WAS PLAYING FOR THE VIRGINIA SQUIRES JANUARY 1973 AND I WAS AT THE HALL OF FAME WHEN ICE WAS INDUCTED MAY 1996 AND I LOOK LIKE JAMES JIMMY SI CAPTAIN LATE SILAS WOW WHAT A LIFE I'VE LIVED

[@richdouglas2311]

Note that the 3-point shot was actually the product of Abe Saperstein (owner of the Harlem Globetrotters) and the league he owned, the American Basketball League. For a thorough examination (by first-person accounts) of the ABA, please see Terry Pluto's "Loose Balls." It's an amazing book. Hawkins was NOT involved in any scandal, but blacklisted by the NBA anyway. He was the best player in the league during its beginning. Eventually, he won an anti-trust lawsuit against the NBA for blackballing him. He was given to the Phoenix Suns (who lost Kareem in a coin toss). He was a very old 27 when he entered the NBA, but still became an All-Star. The ball was beautiful, so much better than the NBA ball. Not because of the colors; the ball itself was better. It was a Rawlings RSS, the best basketball ever made. At that time, the NBA ball was made by Wilson, and the leather would peel all over it. Red really under-describes the ABA. Julius Erving was not the greatest player in basketball history. (It's an argument between Michael and Wilt.) But he is the most important. He was the key to the ABA's survival until its absorbing into the NBA. Then he kept the NBA on life support until Magic and Bird came along. "The Doctor" started at the Rucker Tournament. The announcer was struggling with what to call him--Black Magic, The Claw, etc. But elsewhere, a teammate of his had become The Lawyer, and Julius had begun being called The Doctor. So, he went over to that announcer and said, "Just call me 'The Doctor.'" The rest is history. The Spirits were amazing. The Silnas brothers settlement with the league was even more amazing. It was eventually worth hundreds of millions. My grandfather worked for one of the owners of the San Diego Sails. He had a chance to grab a game ball, but didn't. I'm sad to this day.

[@vskingkong]

Dr J forever

[@nicholasleach352]

He was the man of the ABA

[@basketballspinner]

When Pistol Pete played Dan Issel in college, The Pistol would have 50 and LSU would lose to Kentucky by 20.

[@eternal1blue]

Julius Erving did play for Atlanta for 2 preseason games ABA filed suit and won just think DrJ Pistol Pete Lou Hudson Walt Bellamy on the same team

[@hughleftwich4167]

The NBA needs arrival League I thought of talented basketball players in the United States and overseas and all the money that goes around it would be beautiful to have another League to play against the NBA at the end of the year I believe it was all about money the greed of the NBA wouldn't let it happen they wanted to keep the money all to themselves

[@buicklincoln]

A rival league would be a great thing. The competition that the AFL brought to the NFL and the ABA brought to the NBA proved beneficial to the senior leagues. Both leagues adopted rules and styles of play that the upstart leagues were using. If a new rival to the NBA emerges, I hope they bring back the old rules regarding traveling and carrying the ball while dribbling.

[@aubreywallace7918]

M,J who.? Ill never put Jordan b4 my ABA peeps.DT MBarnes M.M.G.mc guinnes While NBA,,,Boreinfans to Not watch.i turned down tics to garden to Go NASSAU,COL.😂😂

[@johnwx25]

Costas ruins it

[@RayManzarekRocks]

From its small towns and even smaller gymnasiums, the ABA was minor league through and through. #GoodRiddance