Launch and suspension, 1999–2002 , head coach of the Tampa Bay ThunderDawgs during their
2000–01 season. The league was originally co-founded by
Dick Tinkham and Joe Newman in 1999 as
ABA 2000. Tinkham had previously co-founded the
Indiana Pacers in the original
American Basketball Association, and Newman had been an advertising executive for the Pacers. The
National Basketball Association (NBA), owner of the ABA trademark after absorbing many of the original league's teams, sued Tinkham and Newman in December 1999. The lawsuit was unsuccessful since the NBA had failed to actively use the ABA trademark, and the new league entered an agreement with the NBA to license the name for $50,000. The league began its inaugural
2000–01 season with eight teams: the Chicago Skyliners,
Detroit Dogs, Indiana Legends,
Kansas City Knights,
Los Angeles Stars, Memphis Houn'Dawgs, San Diego Wildfire and Tampa Bay ThunderDawgs. Joe Newman founded the Indiana Legends to replace the Jacksonville Jackals, who were removed from the league after failing to secure a venue.
Mark Hamister purchased the rights to a Buffalo franchise for $75,000, but was also unable to secure a venue. A proposed merger with the
International Basketball League fell through in December 2000, which would have allowed the inaugural season to begin with additional teams. To attract fans, the ABA encouraged its teams to fill rosters with former NBA players and past
college basketball stars that had local ties. Former NBA champion and Florida native
Darryl Dawkins was recruited as the first head coach of the Tampa Bay ThunderDawgs. Upon the league's inception in 2000, each franchise had a limit of 10 players with the salary cap being $900,000. The first ABA Draft in 2000 was of twelve rounds: the first six rounds reserved for rookies and first-year players, with veterans elible for drafting in the final six rounds.
Eddie House of Arizona State was the overall first pick, followed by
Scoonie Penn of Ohio State, and former Michigan stars
Jimmy King and
Maceo Baston.
Dennis Rodman and
Tim Hardaway were drafted as veterans by the
Chicago Skyliners.
A.C. Green,
Ed O'Bannon and
Tyus Edney were selected by the
Los Angeles Stars.
Dominique Wilkins was drafted by the Anaheim Roadrunners. The
2001–02 ABA season saw only three teams return from the inaugural season, with the Chicago Skyliners,
Los Angeles Stars, Memphis Houn'Dawgs, San Diego Wildfire and Tampa Bay ThunderDawgs replaced by the Kentucky Pro Cats, Las Vegas Slam, Phoenix Eclipse and Southern California Surf. Joe Newman folded the Indiana Legends after he was sued by eight former players in August 2002 for failing to pay their salaries. Newman had claimed $1 million in losses over two seasons of ownership. The 2002–03 season was not played, as the league suspended operations for reorganization. Jim Clark, owner of the
Kansas City Knights, was named league president and
COO in November 2002.
Restructuring and defections, 2003–2005 , two-time ABA All-Star who played for the
Beijing Aoshen Olympians from
2005 to
2008. The league resumed play with seven teams for the
2003–04 season. The returning
Kansas City Knights were joined by the
Fresno Heatwave, Jersey Squires, Las Vegas Rattlers,
Juárez Gallos de Pelea,
Long Beach Jam and Tijuana Dragons.
Dennis Rodman brought national attention to the league when he signed with the
Long Beach Jam, leading them to an ABA title in their first season. The
2004–05 season saw franchise fees lowered from $50,000 to $10,000, and the
bond requirement removed in order to attract new teams. Teams were subsequently organized into regional groups to facilitate interest and reduce travel costs, with 37 clubs competing that season in three divisions. The
Arkansas RimRockers won the
2004–05 ABA title in their first year of play, but then left with the
Long Beach Jam to join the rival
NBA Development League. The ABA welcomed the
Beijing Aoshen Olympians beginning with the
2005–06 season, a club which had been banned from the
Chinese Basketball League after refusing to allow star prospect
Sun Yue to play for the
Chinese national team. The Olympians played their home games in
Maywood, California.
CCTV-5 in
China broadcast the team's games, where they were watched by an average of 15 million people. Following the
2005–06 season in which many teams failed to complete their full schedules and became insolvent, the
Charlotte Krunk,
Florida Pit Bulls,
Indiana Alley Cats,
Pittsburgh Xplosion,
San Jose Skyrockets and
SoCal Legends left to join the rival
Continental Basketball Association.
Failed coup and formation of PBL, 2006–2008 In preparation for the league's
initial public offering (ABKB), former NBA player
John Salley was named league commissioner and
Maryland Nighthawks owner Tom Doyle was named league
COO in September 2006. Cost for new franchises was subsequently raised to $20,000 for the
2006–07 season.
Sports Illustrated writer
Alexander Wolff launched the
Vermont Frost Heaves, regularly penning articles in the publication about his team's inaugural campaign.
John Salley and Tom Doyle attempted a
boardroom coup on behalf of
shareholders, with ABA's Board of Directors voting to remove Joe Newman as CEO on January 31, 2007. Newman sued Salley and Doyle, leading to a settlement in which he kept his job and forced their resignations from the league. The
2006–07 season concluded with the defending champion
Rochester Razorsharks withdrawing from the league after they asked to reschedule a playoff game against the
Wilmington Sea Dawgs, but were denied and told to forfeit. Following this incident, the
Hammond Rollers,
Jacksonville Jam,
Maryland Nighthawks,
Quad City Riverhawks and
Wilmington Sea Dawgs joined the Razorsharks in forming the
Premier Basketball League (PBL). Following the
2007–08 season, the reigning champion
Vermont Frost Heaves left for the
Premier Basketball League along with the
Halifax Rainmen,
Manchester Millrats and
Quebec Kebs. Quentin Townsend, owner of the
Atlanta Vision, was named league President and
COO in April 2008. He was later removed from those positions after being arrested in November 2008 for defrauding investors in a scheme to acquire an
NBA Development League franchise.
CBA absorption and continued instability, 2008–2013 coaching the
South Carolina Warriors, who finished their
2011–12 regular season undefeated. At the start of the
2008–09 season, over 200 teams had folded since the league's inception. The
2008–09 season saw the
Southeast Texas Mustangs franchise join the league after leaving the struggling
Continental Basketball Association. The ABA attempted
interleague play with the four remaining CBA teams, but their league folded mid-season.
NBA scouts stopped attending the league's games in January 2009, citing the amount of cancelled and forfeited contests. Several teams folded during the
2009–10 season, including the entire Pacific Northwest Division. The San Francisco Rumble forfeited their playoff game against the
Southeast Texas Mavericks, as they could not afford to travel for the contest.
Gilas Pilipinas, the Philippine national basketball team, competed in a series of exhibitions against ABA teams including the Clayton Showtime, Los Angeles Slam, Riverside Rainmakers,
San Diego Surf and the West Coast All-Stars. This April 2010 series was referred to as the ABA Friendship Games. Dick Packer was named league President and
COO in April 2010. After winning their second consecutive championship in
2010–11, the
Southeast Texas Mavericks publicly opined that the ABA did not have adequate competition, and they left with intentions of joining the
NBA Development League. However, their application to join the NBA Development League was denied, and the franchise sat out the
2011–12 and
2012–13 seasons. Consecutive titles were won by the
Jacksonville Giants in their absence, with championship wins over the previously undefeated
South Carolina Warriors in
2011–12 and North Dallas Vandals in
2012–13. The team returned to the ABA for
2013–14 as the
Shreveport-Bossier Mavericks, going undefeated and winning the league title in a
perfect season.
Management change and ESPN3 deal, 2014–2016 , which hosted the largest crowd in ABA history on January 16, 2016. At the conclusion of the
2013–14 season, over 350 franchises had folded since the league's inception. Former Arizona Scorpions owner Ron Tilley replaced Joe Newman as league President and CEO following Newman's retirement in July 2014. The league signed a two-year streaming deal with
ESPN3 in August 2014 to broadcast regular season and playoff games beginning with the
2014–15 season. After completing a
perfect season for the second time in
2014–15 and winning their fourth championship, the
Shreveport-Bossier Mavericks left the ABA to join the
Premier Basketball League. Joe Newman returned to the role of league President and CEO beginning with the
2015–16 season. The
Jacksonville Giants drew the league's all-time record crowd of 8,987 for their 100–93 victory over the previously unbeaten
Chicago Steam at
Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena on January 16, 2016. It had been reported the week prior that the
Orlando Magic was considering adopting the Giants as their
NBA Development League affiliate, although later in the year they instead moved their existing affiliate
Erie BayHawks to
Lakeland, Florida.
WABA launch and addition of play-in tournament, 2017–present hosting the Indiana Legends on February 24, 2024. A sister league, the
Women's American Basketball Association (WABA), was launched in 2017.
Jersey Express owner Marsha Blount was named the league's President and CEO. The 2017–18 season saw franchise fees lowered to $2,500. League co-founder
Dick Tinkham died of
muscular dystrophy in October 2018. The 2019–20 season was ended prematurely and the playoffs cancelled due to the
COVID-19 pandemic. The undefeated
Jacksonville Giants captured their seventh and final championship in 2020–21, concluding the team's first
perfect season and third in ABA history. A
play-in tournament was implemented beginning with the 2021–22 season to determine which teams would advance to the divisional round of the playoffs. Following elimination from the 2021–22 playoffs by the
Steel City Yellow Jackets, the
Jacksonville Giants ceased operations. The
Burning River Buckets and
Indiana Lyons were declared co-champions of the 2022–23 season after storm damage rendered the venue for their championship game unplayable. The undefeated Chicago Fury captured their second consecutive championship in 2024–25, concluding the team's first
perfect season and fourth in ABA history. ==ABA Draft==