A new league tips off.
The original American Basketball Association begins play with a bold identity and willingness to experiment.
ABA HISTORYTHE LEAGUE THAT
THE LEAGUE THAT
CHANGED THE GAME.
Explore the original ABA era and the innovations, personalities, and high-flying style that helped shape the modern game.
Basketball gets louder.
The red-white-blue ball, faster pace and entertainment-first presentation become symbols of the ABA era.
Four clubs join the NBA.
The Nets, Nuggets, Pacers and Spurs move into the NBA after the ABA's final season.
The ideas remain.
Three-point shooting, player personality and above-the-rim entertainment became central parts of modern basketball culture.
01 · THE ARCTHREE-POINT
THREE-POINT
REVOLUTION.
The original ABA prominently featured the three-point shot decades before long-range shooting became one of basketball's defining strategies.
3Stretch the floor.
Change the geometry.
Change the geometry.
STAR POWERPERSONALITIES
PERSONALITIES
BIGGER THAN THE BOX SCORE.
The ABA era produced stars whose style, athleticism and personality helped make professional basketball feel more expressive.
AUTO · HOVER · SWIPE
FULL PHOTO
JULIUS ERVINGNew York Nets · ABA icon
FULL PHOTO
RICK BARRYOakland Oaks · ABA champion & scoring star
FULL PHOTO
ARTIS GILMOREKentucky Colonels · interior force
FULL PHOTO
GEORGE GERVINVirginia Squires · effortless scorer
FULL PHOTO
MOSES MALONEUtah Stars / Spirits · young phenom
Desktop: hover for the full portraitMobile/tablet: swipe · tap a player for a contained full-photo view
ABOVE THE RIMTHE GAME
THE GAME
LEFT THE FLOOR.
Dunks, flair and athletic theater made the ABA feel faster, louder and closer to the entertainment-driven game fans recognize today.
ABOVE
THE RIM
THE RIM
HISTORICAL NOTE The original American Basketball Association operated from 1967 to 1976. Today’s American Basketball Association is a separate modern league. This page highlights the original ABA’s lasting influence on basketball while the Clay County Storms compete in today’s ABA.
