Two historical professional leagues that have a huge place in sports history is the ABA – American Basketball Association and USFL – United State Football League. These two leagues have left a mark in both professional basketball and football. While one league ABA was able to accomplish their goal of merging with stronger NBA and the other USFL was not able to merge with the NFL only to receive a $1 payment from their lawsuit with the NFL. Sports Logo History and Sports Team History has embraced both leagues by showcasing both the team history and logo history.
The video called “Long Shots: The Life and Times of the American Basketball Association” is a funky documentary about the old funky ABA League. If you understand the whole purpose of why the ABA league officials created the ABA; which was to gain access into the NBA; you will understand what I mean by funky league. Innovative, colorful and just bizarre can best describe this league’s ten year existence. Take the journey back to see about the famous red, white and blue ball; the 3-point shot, Dr. J and the iceman. This video also spends sometime on the afro hair that was so prominent during this time. Here are some other interesting story lines that come out of the ABA history.
In 1975 the ABA gave the MVP of its All-Star Game in San Antonio a quarter horse named Tough Julie, as well as some cowboy accoutrements. Like most of the upstart league’s gestures, the gift combined a gleam of original thinking with a desperate attempt to wrest attention from the NBA. And like most of the league’s gestures, it backfired. First, the MVP, Indiana Pacers guard Freddie Lewis, could not keep the cowboy hat from slipping off his six-inch-high Afro at the postgame ceremony. Then it was discovered too late that the horse had not been inoculated. Tough Julie died three days after the game.
