The American Basketball Association was known as much for its antics and high profile characters as it was for superstar talent.  Desperate for attendance, team owners concocted outlandish promotions in the hopes that fans who came for the stunts would return for more basketball.  The league survived for 9 years and the remnants merged with the NBA in 1976.  The NBA owners, seeking revenge on the upstart league that had cost them so much money, imposed crippling terms on the four remaining teams.   Each team had to pay millions of dollars to join the NBA and could not recoup any of the penalties through television revenue for their first three NBA seasons.  Not every ABA owner was harmed however.  In what probably ranks as the greatest financial deal ever for a failed sports franchise, the owners of the Spirits of St Louis struck a deal that gave them one seventh of all television revenues from the four ABA franchises that merged with the NBA.  The contract has no expiration date and to date has netted the owners of the defunct Spirits over $200,000,000.00. 

Darnell Hillman was a star for the Indiana Pacers during the early 1970’s.  Known as much for his hair styling abilities as his basketball skills, (which were quite impressive) he dealt superstar Julius Erving a rare defeat in 1997 edging him out for the title of biggest ABA afro.

Julius Erving was the most popular of the ABA stars. His importance to the league was reflected in his unique contract situation. No single team could afford his asking price so his contract was actually paid by the entire league rather than just the New York Nets. Imagine having to play against a player whose salary you were paying!

 Bobby "Slick" Leonard.