50 Years On: How the ABA’s Chaotic Legacy Reshaped the NBA
Fifty years after the American Basketball Association (ABA) ceased operations, its influence remains foundational to the modern NBA. The 1976 merger absorbed four ABA teams into the NBA, but the league’s cultural and tactical innovations, including the three-point line and the dunk contest, were fully integrated into the NBA’s playbook. While the ABA’s emphasis on player personality and pace transformed basketball into a global entertainment spectacle, the original players received limited financial recognition, with many excluded from the NBA pension system until a recent settlement.
