Has anyone noticed the newsest form of minor-league professional basketball called,
the ABA. This is not to be confused with the old league of the 1970's which dazzled our
fancies and caused our jaws to drop watching the acrobatic moves of it's athletes. No, this
league is only a facsimile of it's predicessor.
Many of its rules are similar to those of the old but there are some new and exciting
rules which have been added. For instance, the 3-d rule, causes defenses even more
situations to adjust to. The sixth-foul rule is taken from the old ABA but seems to be
well-accepted by the officials and fans alike.
The ball, while still red,white and blue, remains the staple of this renegade league and
has also been streamlined for todays fashion image, if that matters much. It's still quite
a dazzling spectacle to watch while the ball spins in the air. I recall the finger-rolls of
Julius Erving and George Gervin. The blending of the old and new forms an interesting
hue to the color of this orginization.
While the former league had only a few teams, 9 to be exact, the current one has
branched out into the far corners of the galaxy, er, I mean the globe. There are teams in
Canada and even in the area of Singapore. As with any new buisness venture there will
be pitfalls and expulsions and the ABA is not exempt from this . Several clubs have
folded as quickly as they started and others have been asked to join another orgini-
zation because of one chraracter-flaw or another.
To date there have been teams in Kentucky, St.louis, Los Angeles and Memphis.
These teams just seemed to be mired in problems and couldn't quite put things
together as needed. The latest club in Kentucky was even named after it's original,
the Colonels, but after one season vanished into the abyss. Another attempted to
re-start but mysteriously sailed off into the mist.
There are many things, however, to like about this league. The low ticket-prices,
for one, are a delight. Many teams offer family-packages for around $25 and individual
tickets for around $8. With today's extreme gas-prices this makes for a very ecenom-
ical evening out. Children can enjoy the many perks of the league as well.
For me. as a big-fan of the original, I am drawn to this league and hope to see it
flourish. I strongly believe that a tv-deal with espn2 or Classic is needed and more
'word-of-mouth' for their advertising would bebefit, as well. The fact that not many
people know of the league hurts a lot but it can be rectified. This new ABA can be
just what the doctor ordered for the 'high-priced world of professional-sports'.
Go out and see a game in your area and then tell people about it.
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