Today In Sports History (February 2, 1967)

On this day in 1967, the American Basketball Association (ABA) announced their formation as a professional sports league. At that point in time, the NBA was the primary basketball league in America, as the American Basketball League (ABL) had shut down five years prior to the ABA formation. There were 11 original teams in the ABA, with 4 merging with the NBA in the ABA-NBA merger of 1976. The Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers, San Antonio Spurs and Brooklyn Nets merged with the NBA while the rest of the league dissolved. The ABA differed from the NBA in a variety of ways. The most distinct being the use of the 3-point line (was not adopted by the NBA until 1979) and the red, white and blue basketball. The ABA was also first to tap into the markets of southeastern cities. The ABA was active from 1967-1976. The history of the ABA has even been portrayed on the big screen, with the feature-length film Semi-Pro.