The ABA All-Time Team were chosen in
1997 on the occasion of 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,
teamleadership, and contributions to the growth of the league basketball, and irrespective of
positions played. Only players to 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 ostensibly considered. Selected and announced beside the all-time team were a
most valuable player and top
head coach.
The team, announced in
Indianapolis,
Indiana, United States, on August 23, 1997, in conjunction with an ABA reunion, was compiled based upon unranked
voting undertaken by 50 selected panelists, amongst whom were members of the
print and
broadcastnews media to have reported on and
announced games for the ABA, former
referees (ten), former
team owners (six), former league
executives (including two former
commissioners), and selected
fans and
statisticians; former players, even those to have held other positions within the league, were proscribed from voting.
Ninety-eight players received at least one vote. In addition to those who were selected, 12 players earned votes from at least 25
percent (12.5) of voters:
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.
^
abVoting undertaken by
news media covering the ABA was used to compile, after each season, two teams, each comprising two
forwards, two
guards, and one
center, with the first to be composed at the best players at their respective positions and the second to be composed of the next best players.
^
abInasmuch as the selection panel comprised fifty individuals, each of whom was permitted to select, at most, thirty former players, each player was eligible to receive as many as fifty votes; Brown, Dampier, Daniels, Erving, Gervin, Gilmore, and Issel, then, were
unanimous selections.
^"Marvin Barnes". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC.
Archived from the original on 10 September 2010. Retrieved October 22, 2010.
^"Rick Barry". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC.
Archived from the original on 15 September 2010. Retrieved October 22, 2010.
^"Zelmo Beaty". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 22, 2010.
^
abThe Chaparrals
franchise played as the Texas Chaparrals during the
1970–
71 season and as the Dallas Chaparrals therebefore and thereafter.
^Boone was traded during the
1970–
71 season; he played 42
regular season games for the Chaparrals and 44 for the Stars.
^Boone was traded during the
1976–
77 season; he played 16
regular season games for the Stars and 62 for the Spirits
^"Ron Boone". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 22, 2010.
^
abBrown was twice traded during the
1974–
75 season; he played 10
regular season games for the Pacers, seven games for the Sounds, and finally 39 for the Stars.
^"Roger Brown". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC.
Archived from the original on 15 November 2010. Retrieved October 22, 2010.
^"Mack Calvin". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 22, 2010.
^"Darel Carrier". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 22, 2010.
^"Billy Cunningham". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC.
Archived from the original on 15 November 2010. Retrieved October 22, 2010.
^"Louie Dampier". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 22, 2010.
^"Mel Daniels". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC.
Archived from the original on 25 September 2010. Retrieved October 22, 2010.
^"Julius Erving". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC.
Archived from the original on 27 September 2010. Retrieved October 22, 2010.
^Freeman was traded during the
1970–
71 season; he played 42
regular season games for the Chaparrals and 24 for the Stars.
^"Donnie Freeman". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 22, 2010.
^Gervin was traded during the
1973–
74 season; he played 49
regular season games for the Squires and 25 for the Spurs.
^"George Gervin". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 22, 2010.
^"Artis Gilmore". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC.
Archived from the original on 25 September 2010. Retrieved October 22, 2010.
^
abJones was traded twice during the
1975–
76 season; he played 10 games for the Conquistadors/Sails, 15 games for the Colonels, and finally 51 games for the Spirits.
^Jones was traded during the
1972–
73 season; he played 53 games for the Chaparrals and 53 for the Stars.
^Inasmuch as the selection panel comprised fifty individuals, each of whom was given one vote for the league's all-time
most valuable player, a player earning
unanimous approval would have received 50
votes.
^Inasmuch as the selection panel comprised fifty individuals, each of whom was given one vote for the league's all-time best
head coach, a coach earning
unanimous approval would have received 50
votes.