Tombstone
Formed:
Disbanded:
First Game:
Last Game: May 13, 1976
Seasons: 9
States & Provinces: 16 + District of Columbia
(CA, CO, DC, FL, IN, KY, LA, MN, MO, NC, NJ, NY, PA, TN, TX, UT, VA)
Leadership
Attendance
Trophy Case
Our Favorite Stuff
Connie Hawkins ABA
Graphic T-Shirt
Connie Hawkins’ long and storied pro basketball career began in 1961 with the Pittsburgh Rens of the short-lived American Basketball League. When that league folded, Hawkins joined the Harlem Globetrotters. In 1967, he joined a brand new pro league called the American Basketball Association (ABA). He returned to Pittsburgh, this time playing for the Pipers. In 1969, he joined the established league and played for three teams in that circuit before retiring in 1976.
*Old School Shirts will donate a portion of proceeds of this design to the Dropping Dimes Foundation for former ABA players and their families.
When you make a purchase through an affiliate link like this one, Fun While It Lasted earns a commission at no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support!
American Basketball Association Most Valuable Player
| YEAR | PLAYER | POSITION | TEAM |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1967-68 | Connie Hawkins | Forward-Center | Pittsburgh Pipers |
| 1968-69 | Mel Daniels | Center | Indiana Pacers |
| 1969-70 | Spencer Haywood | Forward-Center | Denver Rockets |
| 1970-71 | Mel Daniels | Center | Indiana Pacers |
| 1971-72 | Artis Gilmore | Center | Kentucky Colonels |
| 1972-73 | Billy Cunningham | Guard-Forward | Carolina Cougars |
| 1973-74 | Julius Erving | Forward | New York Nets |
| 1974-75 (co-winner) | Julius Erving | Forward | New York Nets |
| 1974-75 (co-winner) | George McGinnis | Forward-Center | Indiana Pacers |
| 1975-76 | Julius Erving | Forward | New York Nets |
Our Favorite Stuff
Marvin Barnes ABA
Graphic T-Shirt
Colorful and controversial, Marvin Barnes played two seasons in the American Basketball Association (ABA), both for the Spirits of St. Louis. His nickname, “Bad News,” was derived from his multiple off court adventures. Still, he was Rookie of the Year in 1975, an All-Star in both ABA seasons, and is a member of the All-Time ABA team. We went on to play eight more seasons of pro basketball in the NBA and beyond after the ABA closed in 1976.
*Old School Shirts will donate a portion of proceeds of this design to the Dropping Dimes Foundation for former ABA players and their families.
When you make a purchase through an affiliate link like this one, Fun While It Lasted earns a commission at no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support!
American Basketball Association Rookie of the Year
| YEAR | PLAYER | POSITION | TEAM |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1967-68 | Mel Daniels | Center | Minnesota Muskies |
| 1968-69 | Warren Jabali | Guard-Forward | Oakland Oaks |
| 1969-70 | Spencer Haywood | Forward-Center | Denver Rockets |
| 1970-71 (co-winner) | Charlie Scott | Guard-Forward | Virginia Squires |
| 1970-71 (co-winner) | Dan Issel | Center-Forward | Kentucky Colonels |
| 1971-72 | Artis Gilmore | Center | Kentucky Colonels |
| 1972-73 | Brian Taylor | Guard | New York Nets |
| 1973-74 | Swen Nater | Center | San Antonio Spurs |
| 1974-75 | Marvin Barnes | Forward-Center | Spirits of St. Louis |
| 1975-76 | David Thompson | Guard-Forward | Denver Nuggets |
American Basketball Association Franchise List
| FRANCHISE | YEARS ACTIVE | ABA CHAMPIONS |
|---|---|---|
| Anaheim Amigos | 1967-1968 | Never |
| Baltimore Hustlers/Claws* | 1975 | Never |
| Carolina Cougars | 1969-1974 | Never |
| Dallas Chaparrals | 1967-1970 & 1971-1973 | Never |
| Denver Nuggets | 1974-1976 | Never |
| Denver Rockets | 1967-1974 | Never |
| The Floridians | 1970-1972 | Never |
| Houston Mavericks | 1967-1969 | Never |
| Indiana Pacers | 1967-1976 | 1970, 1972 & 1973 |
| Kentucky Colonels | 1967-1976 | 1975 |
| Los Angeles Stars | 1968-1970 | Never |
| Memphis Pros | 1970-1972 | Never |
| Memphis Sounds | 1974-1975 | Never |
| Memphis Tams | 1972-1974 | Never |
| Miami Floridians | 1968-1970 | Never |
| Minnesota Muskies | 1967-1968 | Never |
| Minnesota Pipers | 1968-1969 | Never |
| New Jersey Americans | 1967-1968 | Never |
| New Orleans Buccaneers | 1967-1970 | Never |
| New York Nets | 1968-1976 | 1974 & 1976 |
| Oakland Oaks | 1967-1969 | 1969 |
| Pittsburgh Condors | 1970-1972 | Never |
| Pittsburgh Pipers | 1967-1968 & 1969-1970 | 1968 |
| San Antonio Spurs | 1973-1976 | Never |
| San Diego Conquistadors | 1972-1975 | Never |
| San Diego Sails | 1975 | Never |
| Spirits of St. Louis | 1974-1976 | Never |
| Texas Chaparrals | 1970-1971 | Never |
| Utah Stars | 1970-1975 | 1971 |
| Virginia Squires | 1970-1976 | Never |
| Washington Caps | 1969-1970 | Never |
American Basketball Association Shop
Editor's Pick
Loose Balls
The Short, Wild Life of the American Basketball Association
By Terry Pluto
What do Julius Erving, Larry Brown, Moses Malone, Bob Costas, the Indiana Pacers, the San Antonio Spurs and the Slam Dunk Contest have in common? They all got their professional starts in the American Basketball Association.
The NBA may have won the financial battle, but the ABA won the artistic war. With its stress on wide-open individual play, the adoption of the 3-point shot and pressing defense, and the encouragement of flashy moves and flying dunks, today’s NBA is still—decades later —just the ABA without the red, white and blue ball.
Loose Balls is, after all these years, the definitive and most widely respected history of the ABA. It’s a wild ride through some of the wackiest, funniest, strangest times ever to hit pro sports—told entirely through the (often incredible) words of those who played, wrote and connived their way through the league’s nine seasons..
When you make a purchase through an affiliate link like this one, Fun While It Lasted earns a commission at no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support!
##
