“We were entertaining back in the '70s and in the early years” - George Gervin on the NBA today playing ABA-style basketball
Only a limited audience had the opportunity to witness ABA games, which began in 1967 but concluded after a mere nine seasons. Due to the lack of media exposure and continuous financial losses, the league had to give up its dream and forced a merger with the NBA in 1976 to save some of its most successful franchises.
For those wondering what ABA contests were like, one of its most recognizable superstars, George Gervin, shared that the game today is not far off from how what it was like in the ABA during its short-lived stint.
"If you know anything about the ABA, you'd think the NBA is playing ABA basketball today," Gervin said. "The NBA got the 3-point shot from the ABA, and that's all people talk about is shooting 3s. That's from our foundation in the ABA. … The NBA was slow; the NBA wasn't that exciting. They were scoring 80, 90 points; we were scoring 115 (in the ABA)."
"It's entertainment. We were entertaining back in the '70s and in the early years."
The ABA legacy
Some might have to correct Gervin's data because NBA teams weren't putting up 80 to 90 points back in the 1960s and 1970s. In fact, the fewest average points an NBA squad scored in the 1967-68 season - when the ABA began - was 109.5 points per game, recorded by the Chicago Bulls. Notably, the Philadelphia 76ers scored the most in that campaign, with 122.6 points per contest.
Nine seasons later, all but one NBA team, which again was Chicago, averaged more than 100 points per game.
The jury's out on whether NBA games from 1967 to 1976 were as boring as the "Iceman" coolly described. However, he did have a valid point that the NBA adopting the 3-point arc from the American Basketball Association made watching basketball more exciting at the time. The NBA only instituted the 3-point line in 1979, three years after the merger.
Another notable ABA legacy is the Slam Dunk Contest, which the now-defunct league pioneered during its last All-Star Weekend in 1976. Julius Erving won the inaugural competition using his famous free-throw line dunk. Gervin also participated in the event alongside other renowned high-flyers, David Thompson, Artis Gilmore, and Larry Kenon.
An exciting brand of basketball
The entry of ABA legends, such as Erving and Gervin, into the NBA certainly helped invite more fans to the Association.
However, what really made the NBA more of a household name and a global figure was the arrival of Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. Plenty of NBA icons, including Charles Barkley, have already talked about it in length, acknowledging the two superstars for saving the league.
Over the following decades, the likes of Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and Stephen Curry have taken on the mantle of lifting the NBA to greater heights. Still, if it weren't for the ABA, basketball might look a little differently today.
