| American Basketball Association (1967-1977) |
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For the league that began in 1999, see American Basketball Association (2000-) . The American Basketball Association ('''ABA''') was a professional Basketball league founded in 1967 , and eventually merged, in part, with the National Basketball Association (NBA). LEAGUE HISTORY The original ABA was founded in 1967, competing with the well-established , Denver Nuggets , Indiana Pacers and San Antonio Spurs . Two other clubs, the Kentucky Colonels and the Spirits Of St. Louis were disbanded upon the merger. A third, the Virginia Squires , had folded less than a month earlier, missing out on the opportunities that a merger might have provided. The ABA distinguished itself from its older counterpart with a more wide-open, flashy style of offensive play, as well as differences in rules (a 30-second Shot Clock –as opposed to the NBA's 24-second clock–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 freewheeling style of the ABA eventually caught on with fans, but the lack of a national Television contract and protracted Financial losses would spell doom for the ABA as an independent circuit. In its last year of existence, (1976), the ABA pioneered the now-popular Slam Dunk contest at its All-star Game in Denver . NBA great George Mikan was the first commissioner of the ABA, where he introduced both the 3-point line and the league's Trademark red, white and blue basketball. LIST OF ABA TEAMS PROMINENT PLAYERS OF THE ABA ABA CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES RESULTS SEE ALSO EXTERNAL LINKS |
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