Not Your Father’s ABA
A Conversation With New ABA Co-founder Joe Newman
The ABA, that rival league of the NBA which defined sports as a fashion statement from 1967 to 1976, is back. Yes, the red, white and blue ball is back. George Gervin is back (as a team president). The Kentucky Colonels are back. But the Arkansas Rimrockers are new, as are the Philadelphia Fusion and a team compiled completely of Native American players. With a combination of big and small markets, as well as teams based in Canada and Mexico, this might be a different ABA than the one you remember. But it’s still got that same old-school flair and an appreciation of its predecessor.
The newest version of the ABA started off with little buzz and only eight teams in the fall of 2000. In November of this year, three divisions of 36 teams will take the floor.
But is the basketball world ready for another fledgling, professional league? With an awareness blitz that includes NASCAR partnerships, an ABA legends clothing line and domestic and international TV deals, this is a league that may surprise you.
I recently spoke with ABA co-founder Joe Newman about the growth of this league, the caliber of its players, and of course, those funkadelic hair-dos of the old ABA.
Adam Shandler: Why bring back the ABA?
Joe Newman: We brought back the ABA for a variety of reasons, the first being that we thought there was room for a high quality professional basketball league available to the fans at an affordable price. In addition, there were hundreds of great players available that had a choice of retiring or playing abroad. To that we add the desire to have a fully diversified ownership base consisting of blacks, Hispanics, Asians, women, and Native Americans. All reasons enough to bring back a very popular league with great interest and heritage.
AS: What connection will this incarnation of the ABA have with the original ABA?
JN: The connection to the original ABA is very strong. My partner and co-founder of this ABA, Dick Tinkham, was the co-founder of the original ABA, the co-founder of the original Indiana Pacers and the lead attorney that merged the 4 ABA teams into the NBA. We have close relations with many of the great original legends. Dr. J, George Gervin, Spencer Haywood, Rick Barry, Connie Hawkins and others in fact, will be coming out with a retro line of merchandise featuring these and other original ABA stars.
AS: From a competition and marketing standpoint, how will the ABA differ from other alternative leagues like the USBL and the CBA?
JN: The CBA and USBL are good leagues that provide jobs for players, as does the ABA. We are considerably larger and are getting much greater attention on the national level. Our TV and radio will add to that. As a result, we think we’ll draw the best available talent because the visibility will be greater. But overall, I’d say that the calibre of play is the same. The ABA game, with 3-D among other things, is faster-paced and more exciting than other games.
AS: You’ve got teams in such places as Juarez, Mexico, and Gwinnett, Georgia, yet major cities like L.A., Chicago and Philly. How were the markets chosen for this league?
JN: Markets were chosen by ownership groups that contacted the ABA and wanted to have a team. If the owner was qualified, and the league felt that the market could support a team, we included the market. There are many markets that we felt could not support a team and did not include [them].
AS: You’ve got 36 teams in the league. What are the plans, if any, for expansion?
JN: The league will expand to 80-100 teams in two years. We have many markets reserved for 2005 already – and the total count for 2004 & 2005 combined is 63, with 19 teams pending.
AS: What kind of player can we expect to see in the ABA, and how are they being recruited?
JN: Most of the players are recruited through tryout camps – we’ve had over 50 camps thus far and have had over 2,500 players tryout. Many are former college stars, many are former NBA players, many are international players, many are just people who believe they can play. The quality of the players is tremendous.
AS: You’ve got some celebrity participation, too. I see rapper Master P., also known as Percy Miller, has just signed with the Long Beach Jam. Any plans to bring more celebs into this league?
JN: We do plan to bring more “celebs” into the league. Keep your eye on the website, www.abalive.com. Announcements of new and exciting things happen almost everyday.
AS: Will the games be televised or broadcast on radio?
JN: The ABA will have a Game of the Week on National TV, International TV, and radio, and the specifics will be announced during the week of October 25th.
AS: What’s been the reaction from the basketball community, specifically the potential fans?
JN: The reaction from the basketball world, and the fans in particular, has been outstanding. Sponsorship sales are going well as are ticket sales, and everyone is encouraged about the prospects for this season.
AS: Will we see the return of the old ABA’s staple – the red, white and blue ball?
JN: The ABA does play with the red, white and blue ball – but it is an innovative new ball produced by Rawlings with 10 panels instead of eight, that makes it easier to handle, dribble, and most of all, shoot. Players cannot believe that there can be such a difference. The ABA will bring back shooting. Incidentally, the NBA is considering having the 3-point shot in only the last 5 minutes of a game because the shooting percentages are down so much. They’re not down in the ABA, as our players can shoot – even better with the new ball.
AS: How ’bout those magnificent afros?
JN: Afros are not mandatory. It seems shaved heads and headbands are the afros of today. We’ll see.
