The big four sports organizations in North America are Major League Baseball, The National Football League, the National Hockey League and the National Basketball Association. Rival leagues have come — the WFL, the XFL, the WHA, the ABL, etc. — and gone, but only one plucky challenger has had any real effect on their sport: the American Basketball Association which played its first game on this date in 1967, a contest between the Anaheim Amigos and the Oakland Oaks. (Oakland won 134-129).
As is usual with these upstart leagues, ownership was often shaky and fan support was sparse. Despite the presence of star players like Rick Barry, Julius Irving, and George “the Iceman” Gervin, changes of team names and locations were frequent. The Anaheim Amigos became the Los Angeles Stars and then the Utah Stars; the Oakland Oaks morphed into the Washington Capitals and then the Virginia Squires. The most extreme case of instability was the case of the New Orleans Buccaneers/Louisiana Buccaneers/Memphis Pros/Memphis Tams/Memphis Sounds/Baltimore Hustlers/Baltimore Claws.
The plan of franchise owners was to force a merger with the NBA which was feeling the influence of the higher salaries that the arrival of the ABA had produced. Only a few teams endured to reap the benefits of this plan. In 1976 the ABA folded with four teams — the Indiana Pacers, New York Nets, San Antonio Spurs, and Denver Nuggets — joining their older competitor. Though the league had died, a few of their innovations were attractive enough to be adopted by the NBA: the 3-point arc, the slam-dunk contest, and market penetration into states that had hitherto been college basketball hothouses.
Not sure if you knew this, but a fun fact: the Spirits of St. Louis were also brought into the NBA in a sweetheart of a deal.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/monteburke/2014/01/07/the-nba-finally-puts-an-end-to-the-greatest-sports-deal-of-all-time/#1869b5564f0b
It’s an incredible foresight by them to maintain that slim percentage of the tv revenue, field no team, and watch the checks pour in.
Great stuff Gerry and know that I am a huge CFL/NHL down here south of the Great White North! The site is awesome as I am a 7th grade social studies down here and am also wrapping up my dissertation in curriculum and instruction.
You keep writing these and I’ll keep offering anything I uncover!
Brian Hayes
Algonquin, Illinois
Howdy Brian. Thanks for that amazing story about the St Louis Spirits. I’m glad to learn that I have a reader in Illinois and especially that he teaches Social Studies which I think is the most important class in school (after English grammar).
GQB