Colonels Primary LogoEstablished 1967 City Louisville League History 1967 – 1976 / American Basketball Association Team History 1967 – 1976 / Kentucky Colonels Nickname Colonels – The Kentucky Colonels of the American Basketball Association (ABA) have a long and storied history, but few people know about the origins of their nickname. The team was founded in 1967 by two businessmen …