American Basketball Association
The American Basketball Association ( ABA) was an American professional basketball league. It existed 1967-1976 in parallel with the National Basketball Association (NBA) and consisted of eleven teams. On June 17, 1976 merged ABA and NBA, with only four teams from the ABA were included in the NBA: Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers, San Antonio Spurs and the New Jersey Nets.
Founded by wealthy investors, the ABA survived longer than other competitors in the NBA ( for example, the NBL ). Since the beginning barely a player from the NBA wanted to change in the ABA, played there mostly weak players what the ABA earned a reputation as a " minor league ". Due to the colored game ball and the spectacular play of young players like Connie Hawkins and Julius Erving was also disparagingly as " Beach Basketball League " spoken by the ABA.
Attractive ABA was mainly for college dropouts, since the NBA at that time only allowed players to access the Draft, the college year made the statements. The ABA did not have this restriction, so players like Erving, Hawkins, Spencer Haywood and George Gervin changed even before graduating from college into the professional. 1974 was committed directly out of high school with Moses Malone even a player. A few years later, the NBA relaxed its draft regulations, paving the way for college dropouts like Magic Johnson and Shaquille O'Neal.
One of the few star players that the NBA turned their backs and were transferred to the ABA, Rick Barry was. Because of the current contract with the San Francisco Warriors but Barry had to sit a year before leaving for the Oakland Oaks aground in 1968/69 and won the ABA championship. Many college stars such as Kareem Abdul- Jabbar and Elvin Hayes changed but despite tempting contract deals still in the game more popular and stronger NBA.
In the seventies, the ABA was more than ever, known for its spectacular style of play. Outwardly man represented the ABA, in a measure, as only Michael Jordan should do for the NBA later: Julius Erving of the New York Nets. Its popularity was one of the main reasons why the ABA despite financial difficulties so long held and why the NBA was very interested in a merger.
The ABA numerous innovations into a basketball rules. Thus, the distance throw the winger was enhanced by the introduction of the three -point line. In 1979, three years after the merger, the NBA adopted this innovation, later moved NCAA and FIBA after. Similarly, the Slam Dunk Contest was invented in the ABA, the first took place in 1976. Today, he is a very popular with the fans part of the NBA All-Star Weekend.