Several weeks back, we strolled down memory lane, reliving the delightful – and delightfully weird – heyday of the ABA. Anyone truly familiar with basketball history will recognize a common thread among those highlighted in that piece. Not only were these among the most accomplished of ABA alumni, but NBA success also lay in their future. Julius Erving, Rick Barry, Artis … [Read more...]
The Story of the ABA in 9 Rookie Cards
The ABA’s mystique is steeped in the mystery of unseen thrills and unknowable greatness. Happily, those there to witness the feats firsthand are more than happy to tell the tales (Terry Pluto’s Loose Balls is the best trove of these stories). YouTube and various documentarians have also done an admirable job. It’s imperfect, but, we get what we get, right? At the same time, … [Read more...]
Maurice Lucas’ Iconic Spirits of St. Louis ABA Rookie Uniform Coming to Auction
They lasted only two seasons but the Spirits of St. Louis left behind one of the most famous logos in basketball history. Borrowing their unusual name from Charles Lindbergh’s famous plane, the ABA franchise looked good on the court, even if they would become only a footnote in the long, crazy history of the league. Now, one of those beloved jerseys worn by the player … [Read more...]
New Set Honors ABA’s First Players; Aims to Help Those in Need
Fifty-two seasons ago, a new professional basketball league made its debut. Unlike some other start-up sports leagues, the American Basketball Association managed to survive for more than just a season or two, with four teams eventually merging with the NBA in 1976. It took four years for the league’s players to appear on Topps basketball cards but its inaugural … [Read more...]
Mr. ABA: “Pink” Gardner’s Kentucky Colonels Collection
After nine seasons, the American Basketball Association faded into history in 1976. Four teams were absorbed into the NBA as part of a merger agreement, while the rest folded. That group included the Kentucky Colonels, who had won the ABA title just a year earlier. Their trainer and travel secretary was young Lloyd Gardner, who was in the right place at the … [Read more...]
1973-74 Topps Basketball Set Low on Rookies; High on HOFers
The 1973-74 Topps Basketball set may never measure up to the sets produced during the golden age of basketball cards — the emergence of 1980s stars Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, followed by Michael Jordan, was a big turning point for collectors. But the set gave basketball card collectors another taste of the two-league war being waged by the NBA and the upstart ABA, … [Read more...]
Group Works to Buy Roger Brown’s HOF Jacket Back
A group of former teammates and friends of the late ABA star Roger Brown joined together to buy his Hall of Fame jacket after one of his daughters sold it at auction. Brown, considered perhaps the greatest player in Indiana Pacers history, was inducted posthumously to the Hall of Fame in 2013. The jacket was presented to family members but one of them who eventually gained … [Read more...]
2014-15 Panini Threads Box Break
Panini released the second of three Target-exclusive basketball card products recently with 2014-15 Panini Threads Basketball. Back in the lineup after a year off, it was released in a three-pronged price point strategy with each delivering some exclusive content of its own. Panini supplied a blaster box which contains 20 cards for a suggested price of $29.99 but you can … [Read more...]