Sports History Alpha Index Index by Sport History Bits Forum ... Search American Basketball Association Table of Contents The Franchises ABA Champions Most Valuable Players ... Other Resources History On February 1, 1967, promoter Dennis Murphy announced that he and a group of investors had formed the American Basketball Association, to begin play that fall with ten teams: The Anaheim Amigos, Dallas Chaparrals, Houston Mavericks, Indiana Pacers, Minnesota Muskies, New Jersey Americans, New Orleans Buccaneers, Oakland Oaks, Pittsburgh Pipers, and a still unnamed team in Kansas City. As it turned out, the Kansas City team was replaced by the Denver Rockets (later the Nuggets), and the ABA added an 11th franchise, the Kentucky Colonels, in March. The NBA's first great star, George Mikan , was named commissioner of the new league. Mikan came up with the idea of using a red, white, and blue ball. The ABA's also decided to use the three-point shot that had been pioneered by the short-lived American Basketball League. The first real confrontation with the NBA came in 1968, when Oakland signed | |
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