Julius Erving performing a slam dunk against the Spirit of St. Louis on November 6, 1974, at the St. Louis Arena, St. Louis, Missouri The ABA All-Time Team were chosen in 1997 on the 30th anniversary of the founding of the American Basketball Association (ABA). It comprised the 30 best and most influential players of the ABA during its ten years and nine full regular seasons of operation, with respect not only to performance at the professional level, but in consideration of sportsmanship, team leadership, and contributions to the growth of the league basketball, and irrespective of positions played. Only players who have played at least a portion of their careers in the ABA were eligible for selection, although performance in other leagues, most notably the National Basketball Association was considered. Selected and announced beside the all-time team were a most valuable player and top head coach.
The team, announced in Indianapolis , Indiana , on August 23, 1997, in conjunction with an ABA reunion, was compiled based upon unranked voting by 50 selected panelists, among whom were members of the print and broadcast news media who have reported on and announced games for the ABA, former referees (ten), former team owners (six), former league executives (including two former sports commissioners), and selected fans and statisticians; former players, even those to have held other positions within the league, were proscribed from voting.
Players Team First team Of the 30 players elected to the first team, three served primarily as point guards during their ABA service, eight as shooting guards , five as small forwards , eight as power forwards , and six as centers . The franchises most represented were the Virginia Squires (having also competed as the Washington Capitals and Oakland Oaks ), with eleven first team players' having played at least one game for one or more iterations of the franchise; Utah Stars (having also completed as the Los Angeles Stars and Anaheim Amigos ), eight players; Indiana Pacers , seven players; San Antonio Spurs (having also competed as the Texas and Dallas Chaparrals ), six players; Denver Nuggets (having also competed as the Denver Rockets ), five players; and Spirits of St. Louis (having also competed as the Carolina Cougars and Houston Mavericks ), five players.
Five players elected to the first team—Rick Barry , Billy Cunningham , Julius Erving , George Gervin , and Moses Malone —were named one year earlier to the NBA's 50 Greatest Players list.
Name Position Team(s) played for (years) Championships wonAward(s) wonYear of Hall of Fame induction as player Votes Ref. Marvin Barnes F/C Spirits of St. Louis (1974 –1976 )None ABA Rookie of the Year (1975 ) All-Rookie First Team (1975 ) All-ABA Second Team (1975 )None 23 Rick Barry F Oakland Oaks (1968–1969 ) Washington Capitals (1969–1970 ) New York Nets (1970 –1972 )1969 All-ABA First Team (1969 –1972 ) 1987 39 Zelmo Beaty C Utah Stars (1970 –1974 )1971 ABA Playoffs Most Valuable Player Award (1971 ) All-ABA Second Team (1971 –1972 )2016 42 Ron Boone G/F Dallas Chaparrals (1968 –1971 ) Utah Stars (1970 –1975 ) Spirits of St. Louis (1975–1976 )1971 All-ABA First Team (1975 ) All-ABA Second Team (1974 ) None 35 Roger Brown F/G Indiana Pacers (1967 –1975 ) Memphis Sounds (1974–1975 ) Utah Stars (1974–1975 )1970 , 1972 , 1973 ABA Playoffs Most Valuable Player Award (1970 ) All-ABA First Team (1971 ) All-ABA Second Team (1968 , 1970 )2013 50 Mack Calvin G Los Angeles Stars (1969–1970 ) The Floridians (1970 –1972 ) Carolina Cougars (1972 –1974 ) Denver Nuggets (1974–1975 ) Virginia Squires (1975–1976 )None All-Rookie First Team (1970 ) All-ABA First Team (1971 , 1974 –1975 ) All-ABA Second Team (1973 ) None 41 Darel Carrier G Kentucky Colonels (1967 –1972 ) Memphis Tams (1972–1973 )None None None 24 Billy Cunningham F/C Carolina Cougars (1972 –1974 )None ABA Most Valuable Player Award (1973 ) All-ABA First Team (1973 )1986 36 Louie Dampier G Kentucky Colonels (1967 –1976 )1975 All-Rookie First Team (1968 ) All-ABA Second Team (1967 –1970 , 1974 ) 2015 50 Mel Daniels C Minnesota Muskies (1967–1968 ) Indiana Pacers (1968 –1974 ) Memphis Sounds (1974–1975 )1970 , 1972 , 1973 ABA Rookie of the Year (1968 ) ABA Most Valuable Player Award (1969 , 1971 ) All-ABA First Team (1968 –1971 ) All-ABA Second Team (1973 )2012 50 Julius Erving F/G Virginia Squires (1971 –1973 ) New York Nets (1973 –1976 )1974 , 1976 ABA Most Valuable Player Award (1974 –1976 ) ABA Playoffs Most Valuable Player Award (1974 , (1976 ) All-ABA First Team (1973 –1976 ) All-ABA Second Team (1972 ) All-Rookie First Team (1972 ) All-Defensive First Team (1976 )1993 50 Donnie Freeman G Minnesota Muskies (1967–1968 ) Miami Floridians (1968 –1970 ) Utah Stars (1970–1971 ) Texas Chaparrals (1970 –1972 ) Indiana Pacers (1972 –1974 ) San Antonio Spurs (1974–1975 )1973 All-ABA First Team (1972 ) All-ABA Second Team (1969 –1971 ) None 30 George Gervin G/F Virginia Squires (1972 –1974 ) San Antonio Spurs (1973 –1976 )None All-ABA Second Team (1975 –1976 ) 1996 50 Artis Gilmore C Kentucky Colonels (1971 –1976 )1975 Rookie of the Year (1972 ) ABA Most Valuable Player Award (1972 ) All-ABA First Team (1972 –1976 ) All-Defensive First Team (1973 –1976 ) All-Rookie First Team (1972 ) ABA Playoffs Most Valuable Player Award (1975 ) 2011 50 Connie Hawkins F Pittsburgh Pipers (1967 –1969 )1968 1968 Most Valuable Player Award ABA Playoffs Most Valuable Player Award (1968 ) First team: 1967–68 , 1968–69 Second team: None 1992 40 Spencer Haywood C Denver Rockets (1969–1970 )None 1970 ABA Most Valuable Player Award 1969–70 ABA Rookie of the Year 1970 ABA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award First team: 1969–70 Second team: None 2015 34 Dan Issel F Kentucky Colonels (1970 –1975 ) Denver Nuggets (1975–1976 )1975 1970–71 ABA Rookie of the Year ABA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award (1972) First team: 1971–72 Second team: 1970–71 , 1972–73 , 1973–74 , 1974–75 1993 50 Warren Jabali G Oakland Oaks (1968–1969 ) Washington Capitals (1969–1970 ) Indiana Pacers (1970–1971 ) The Floridians (1971–1972 ) Denver Rockets (1972 –1974 ) San Diego Conquistadors (1974–1975 )1969 ABA Playoffs Most Valuable Player Award (1969 ) 1968–69 ABA Rookie of the Year 1972–73 All-Star Game Most Valuable Player First team: 1972–73 Second team: NoneNone 24 Jimmy Jones G New Orleans Buccaneers (1967 –1970 ) Memphis Pros (1970–1971 ) Utah Stars (1971 –1974 )None First team: 1968–69 , 1972–73 , 1973–74 Second team: None None 27 Freddie Lewis G Indiana Pacers (1967 –1974 ) Memphis Sounds (1974–1975 ) Spirits of St. Louis (1975–1976 )1970 , 1972 , 1973 1971–72 ABA Playoffs Most Valuable Player 1975 ABA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award None 38 Maurice Lucas F Spirits of St. Louis (1974 –1976 ) Kentucky Colonels (1975–1976 )None None None 26 Moses Malone C Utah Stars (1974–1975 ) Spirits of St. Louis (1975–1976 )None None 2001 30 George McGinnis F Indiana Pacers (1971 –1975 )1972 , 1973 ABA Playoffs Most Valuable Player Award (1973 ) 1974–75 ABA Most Valuable Player Award First team: 1973–74 , 1974–75 Second team: 1972–73 2017 44 Doug Moe F New Orleans Buccaneers (1967–1968 ) Oakland Oaks (1968–1969 ) Carolina Cougars (1969–1970 ) Virginia Squires (1970 –1972 )1969 First team: 1967–68 Second team: 1968–69 None 35 Bob Netolicky F Indiana Pacers (1967 –1972 , 1973 –1976 ) Dallas Chaparrals (1972–1973 ) San Antonio Spurs (1973–1974 )1970 , 1972 First team: None Second team: 1969–70 None 35 Billy Paultz C New York Nets (1970 –1975 ) San Antonio Spurs (1975–1976 )1974 None None 30 Charlie Scott G Virginia Squires (1970 –1972 )None 1970–71 ABA Rookie of the Year First team: 1970–71 Second team: 1971–72 2018 29 James Silas G Dallas Chaparrals (1972–1973 ) San Antonio Spurs (1973 –1976 )None First team: 1975–76 Second team: 1974–75 None 30 David Thompson G Denver Nuggets (1975–1976 )None ABA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award (1976 ) 1975–76 ABA Rookie of the Year First team: None Second team: 1975–76 1996 28 Willie Wise F Los Angeles Stars (1969–1970 ) Utah Stars (1970 –1974 ) Virginia Squires (1974 –1976 )1971 First team: None Second team: 1971–72 , 1973–74 Defensive team: 1971–72 , 1973–74 None 32
Others receiving votes Ninety-nine players received at least one vote. In addition to those who were selected, 13 players earned votes from at least 25 percent (12.5) of voters:
Most valuable player Only four players received votes from the 50 panelists as the league's all-time most valuable player ; small forward Julius Erving was the clear winner of the award.
Coaches Seven coaches received votes from at least one of the 50 panelists; having claimed 34 of the available votes, Bobby "Slick" Leonard was the clear winner of the all-time best head coach award. Larry Brown , having received 16 votes for the players team, also received six votes in view of his coaching.
Each of four franchises was represented by two coaches: the Denver Nuggets (having also competed as the Denver Rockets ), the Kentucky Colonels , the Memphis Sounds (having also competed as the Memphis Tams , Memphis Pros , and New Orleans Buccaneers ), and the San Antonio Spurs (having also competed as the Texas and Dallas Chaparrals ).
See also All-Time NBL Team (United States) Notes External links 