The ABA and the Merger
A rebel league with a red-white-and-blue ball, a high-flying style, and a merger that reshaped the NBA map.
The American Basketball Association launched in 1967 with a mandate to be different: a red, white, and blue ball, a three-point line more than a decade before the NBA adopted one, and a faster, more improvisational style built around athleticism over structure.
Julius 'Dr. J' Erving became the ABA's signature star, popularizing above-the-rim dunking as a showcase skill rather than a rare highlight. The league's showcase event, the Slam Dunk Contest, debuted at the 1976 ABA All-Star Game and outlived the league itself once the NBA adopted it.
Financial strain on both sides led to a 1976 merger: four ABA franchises (the Nets, Nuggets, Pacers, and Spurs) joined the NBA, while the rest folded or were bought out. The merger brought a faster style, a three-point shot the NBA would eventually adopt in 1979, and a new wave of stars into the established league.
Landmark moments in this era
Dr. J Brings Above-the-Rim Basketball
Julius Erving's dunks and aerial creativity gave the ABA its signature style and its biggest star.
The ABA-NBA Merger
Four ABA franchises and the three-point shot's future in the NBA both trace back to this 1976 agreement.