The ABA – America’s Largest and Most Diversified Professional Sports League.
The American Basketball Association (ABA) is a men’s professional basketball league. The league has grown to become the largest professional sports league in the world! In 1999 Joe Newman and the late Richard P. Tinkham founded the league. It is the re-launch of the original ABA which merged with the NBA in 1976. Tinkham co-founded both the original ABA and the Indiana Pacers. Joe Newman was the CEO of Joe Newman Advertising, Inc. and Alliance Broadcasting Group, Inc. The ABA was established in 1967 and merged with the National Basketball Association in 1976 [New Jersey Nets, San Antonio Spurs, Indiana Pacers, Denver Nuggets]. Some of the ABA notable players where: Julius Irving (Dr. J) George Gervin (The Iceman), Ricky Barry, Moses Malone along with, many others that came to be NBA players. The ABA was reformed in 2000 in partnership with the NBA and has been operating in harmony for the past 22 years.
Unique ABA Rules
- The ABA season runs from November through April (including playoffs)
- Four (4) twelve minute quarters
- Half-Court violation: the ABA is 7 seconds opposed to 8 seconds in the NBA to get across the half-court line. If an ABA team is not successful in getting over the half-court line within 7 seconds it results in a turnover which initiates the 3D light
- When the 3D Light is on 2 pt. shots = 3 pts. | 3 pt. shots = 4 pts. | a half-court shot = 5 pts
- A player having committed their Seventh Foul (a combination of personals and direct technical) during the regulation game timeframe, will foul out of the game and will be replaced by an available bench substitute.
- Players fouled out of regulation will be allowed back into the overtime period(s) unless they were ejected out of the regulation game due to unsportsmanlike conduct.
ABA Staff
Welcome to the ABA. As we enter into our 22nd season, we are very proud to have become the largest professional sports league in the US, with 70% of our owners being African-American, Hispanic, Asian, Native American and women. We are pleased to provide high quality professional basketball at affordable prices – and to provide thousands of opportunities on and off the court each year.
