The ABA All-Time Team were chosen in 1997 on the 30th anniversary of the founding of the American Basketball Association (ABA). It comprised the 30 best and most influential players of the ABA during its ten years and nine full regular seasons of operation, with respect not only to performance at the professional level, but in consideration of sportsmanship, team leadership, and contributions to the growth of the league basketball, and irrespective of positions played. Only players who have played at least a portion of their careers in the ABA were eligible for selection, although performance in other leagues, most notably the National Basketball Association was considered. Selected and announced beside the all-time team were a most valuable player and top head coach.
The team, announced in Indianapolis, Indiana, on August 23, 1997, in conjunction with an ABA reunion, was compiled based upon unranked voting by 50 selected panelists, among whom were members of the print and broadcast news media who have reported on and announced games for the ABA, former referees (ten), former team owners (six), former league executives (including two former sports commissioners), and selected fans and statisticians; former players, even those to have held other positions within the league, were proscribed from voting.
Players Team First team *Elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a player
Of the 30 players elected to the first team, three served primarily as point guards during their ABA service, eight as shooting guards, five as small forwards, eight as power forwards, and six as centers. The franchises most represented were the Virginia Squires (having also competed as the Washington Capitals and Oakland Oaks), with eleven first team players' having played at least one game for one or more iterations of the franchise; Utah Stars (having also completed as the Los Angeles Stars and Anaheim Amigos), eight players; Indiana Pacers, seven players; San Antonio Spurs (having also competed as the Texas and Dallas Chaparrals), six players; Denver Nuggets (having also competed as the Denver Rockets), five players; and Spirits of St. Louis (having also competed as the Carolina Cougars and Houston Mavericks), five players.
Five players elected to the first team—Rick Barry, Billy Cunningham, Julius Erving, George Gervin, and Moses Malone—were named one year earlier to the NBA's 50 Greatest Players list.
NamePositionTeam(s) played for (years)Championships wonAward(s) wonVoting undertaken by news media covering the ABA was used to compile, after each season, two teams, each comprising two forwards, two guards, and one center, with the first to be composed at the best players at their respective positions and the second to be composed of the next best players.Year of Hall of Fame induction as playerVotesInasmuch as the selection panel comprised fifty individuals, each of whom was permitted to select, at most, thirty former players, each player was eligible to receive as many as fifty votes; Brown, Dampier, Daniels, Erving, Gervin, Gilmore, and Issel, then, were unanimous selections.Ref. F/C Spirits of St. Louis (–) None ABA Rookie of the Year () All-Rookie First Team () All-ABA Second Team () None 23 F Oakland Oaks ()Washington Capitals ()New York Nets (–) 1969 All-ABA First Team (–) 1987 39 C Utah Stars (–) 1971 ABA Playoffs Most Valuable Player Award (1971) All-ABA Second Team (–) 2016 42 G/F Dallas Chaparrals (–The Chaparrals franchise played as the Texas Chaparrals during the 1970–71 season and as the Dallas Chaparrals therebefore and thereafter.) Utah Stars (Boone was traded during the 1970–71 season; he played 42 regular season games for the Chaparrals and 44 for the Stars.–) Spirits of St. Louis (Boone was traded during the 1976–77 season; he played 16 regular season games for the Stars and 62 for the Spirits) 1971 All-ABA First Team () All-ABA Second Team () None 35 F/G Indiana Pacers (–) Memphis Sounds (Brown was twice traded during the 1974–75 season; he played 10 regular season games for the Pacers, seven games for the Sounds, and finally 39 for the Stars.) Utah Stars () 1970, 1972, 1973 ABA Playoffs Most Valuable Player Award (1970) All-ABA First Team () All-ABA Second Team (, ) 2013 50 G Los Angeles Stars () The Floridians (–) Carolina Cougars (–) Denver Nuggets () Virginia Squires () None All-Rookie First Team () All-ABA First Team (, –) All-ABA Second Team () None 41 G Kentucky Colonels (–) Memphis Tams () None None None 24 F/C Carolina Cougars (–) None ABA Most Valuable Player Award () All-ABA First Team () 1986 36 G Kentucky Colonels (–) 1975 All-Rookie First Team () All-ABA Second Team (–, ) 2015 50 C Minnesota Muskies () Indiana Pacers (–) Memphis Sounds () 1970, 1972, 1973 ABA Rookie of the Year () ABA Most Valuable Player Award (, ) All-ABA First Team (–) All-ABA Second Team () 2012 50 F/G Virginia Squires (–) New York Nets (–) 1974, 1976 ABA Most Valuable Player Award (–) ABA Playoffs Most Valuable Player Award (1974, (1976) All-ABA First Team (–) All-ABA Second Team ()All-Rookie First Team ()All-Defensive First Team () 1993 50 G Minnesota Muskies () Miami Floridians (–) Utah Stars () Texas Chaparrals (Freeman was traded during the 1970–71 season; he played 42 regular season games for the Chaparrals and 24 for the Stars.–) Indiana Pacers (–) San Antonio Spurs () 1973 All-ABA First Team () All-ABA Second Team (–) None 30 G/F Virginia Squires (–) San Antonio Spurs (Gervin was traded during the 1973–74 season; he played 49 regular season games for the Squires and 25 for the Spurs.–) None All-ABA Second Team (–) 1996 50 C Kentucky Colonels (–) 1975 Rookie of the Year () ABA Most Valuable Player Award () All-ABA First Team (–) All-Defensive First Team (–) All-Rookie First Team () ABA Playoffs Most Valuable Player Award (1975) 2011 50 F Pittsburgh Pipers (–The Pipers franchise played as the Minnesota Pipers after the 1967–68 season.) 1968 1968 Most Valuable Player Award ABA Playoffs Most Valuable Player Award (1968) First team: 1967–68, 1968–69 Second team: None 1992 40 C Denver Rockets () None 1970 ABA Most Valuable Player Award 1969–70 ABA Rookie of the Year 1970 ABA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award First team: 1969–70 Second team: None 2015 34 F Kentucky Colonels (–) Denver Nuggets () 1975 1970–71 ABA Rookie of the Year ABA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award (1972) First team: 1971–72 Second team: 1970–71, 1972–73, 1973–74, 1974–75 1993 50 G Oakland Oaks () Washington Capitals () Indiana Pacers () The Floridians () Denver Rockets (–) San Diego Conquistadors () 1969 ABA Playoffs Most Valuable Player Award (1969) 1968–69 ABA Rookie of the Year 1972–73 All-Star Game Most Valuable Player First team: 1972–73 Second team: None None 24 G New Orleans Buccaneers (–) Memphis Pros () Utah Stars (–) None First team: 1968–69, 1972–73, 1973–74 Second team: None None 27 G Indiana Pacers (–) Memphis Sounds () Spirits of St. Louis (Lewis was traded during the 1974–75 season; he played six regular season games for the Sounds and then 63 for the Spirits.) 1970, 1972, 1973 1971–72 ABA Playoffs Most Valuable Player 1975 ABA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award None 38 F Spirits of St. Louis (–) Kentucky Colonels (Lucas was traded during the 1975–76 season; he played 28 regular season games for the Spirits and then 58 for the Colonels.) None None None 26 C Utah Stars () Spirits of St. Louis () None None 2001 30 F Indiana Pacers (–) 1972, 1973 ABA Playoffs Most Valuable Player Award (1973) 1974–75 ABA Most Valuable Player Award First team: 1973–74, 1974–75 Second team: 1972–73 2017 44 F New Orleans Buccaneers () Oakland Oaks () Carolina Cougars () Virginia Squires (–) 1969 First team: 1967–68 Second team: 1968–69 None 35 F Indiana Pacers (–, Netolicky was traded during the 1973–74 season; he played 19 regular season games for the Spurs and 56 games for the Pacers.–) Dallas Chaparrals () San Antonio Spurs () 1970, 1972 First team: None Second team: 1969–70 None 35 C New York Nets (–) San Antonio Spurs () 1974 None None 30 G Virginia Squires (–) None 1970–71 ABA Rookie of the Year First team: 1970–71 Second team: 1971–72 2018 29 G Dallas Chaparrals () San Antonio Spurs (–) None First team: 1975–76 Second team: 1974–75 None 30 G Denver Nuggets () None ABA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award (1976) 1975–76 ABA Rookie of the Year First team: None Second team: 1975–76 1996 28 F Los Angeles Stars () Utah Stars (–) Virginia Squires (–) 1971 First team: None Second team: 1971–72, 1973–74 Defensive team: 1971–72, 1973–74 None 32
Others receiving votes Ninety-nine players received at least one vote. In addition to those who were selected, 13 players earned votes from at least 25 percent (12.5) of voters: PlayerPosition primarily playedABA team(s) played forAll-ABA honors won Year of Hall of Fame induction as playerVotes accrued Billy Keller PG Indiana Pacers (1969–70—1975–76) None None 21Larry Brown PG New Orleans Buccaneers (1967–68) Oakland Oaks (1968–69) Washington Capitals (1969–70) Denver Rockets (1970–71) Virginia Squires (1970–71Brown was traded during the 1970–71 season; he played 29 regular season games for the Squires and 34 for the Rockets.—1971–1972) First team: None Second team: 1967–68 None 19Bobby Jones PF Denver Nuggets (1974–75—1975–76) First team: None Second team: 1975–76 Defensive team: 1974–75, 1975–76 2019 19John Williamson SG New York Nets (1973–74—1975–76) None None 19Red Robbins C New Orleans Buccaneers (1967–68—1969–70) Utah Stars (1970–71—1971–72) San Diego Conquistadors (1972–73—1973–74) Kentucky Colonels (1973–74—1974–75) Virginia Squires (1974–75) Second team: 1968–69, 1969–70 None 18Steve Jones SF Oakland Oaks (1967–68) New Orleans Buccaneers (1968–69—1969–70) Memphis Pros (1970–71) Dallas Chaparrals (1971–72—1972–73) Carolina Cougars (1972–73Jones was traded during the 1972–73 season; he played 13 regular season games for the Chaparrals and 67 for the Cougars.—1973–1974) Denver Rockets (1973–74Jones was traded during the 1973–74 season; he played 44 regular season games for the Cougars and 42 for the Rockets.) Spirits of St. Louis (1974–1975) None None 18Larry Kenon PF New York Nets (1973–74—1974–75) San Antonio Spurs (1975–76) None None 17Ralph Simpson SG Denver Nuggets (1970–71—1975–76) First team: 1975–76 Second team: 1971–72, 1972–73 None 17John Brisker SF Pittsburgh Pipers (1969–70—1971–72The Pipers franchise operated as the Pittsburgh Condors after the 1969–70 season.) First team: None Second team: 1970–71 None 16Joe Caldwell SG Carolina Cougars (1970–71—1973–74) Spirits of St. Louis (1974–75) First team: None Second team: 1970–71 Defensive team: 1972–73 None 16Billy Knight SF Indiana Pacers (1974–75—1975–76) First team: 1975–76 Second team: None None 16Caldwell Jones C San Diego Conquistadors (1973–74—1975–76The Conquistadors sports franchise operated after the 1975–76 season as the San Diego Sails.) Kentucky Colonels (1975–76Jones was traded twice during the 1975–76 season; he played 10 games for the Conquistadors/Sails, 15 games for the Colonels, and finally 51 games for the Spirits.) Spirits of St. Louis {1975–76) None None 14Larry Jones SG Denver Rockets (1967–1968—1969–70) The Floridians (1970–71—1971–72) Dallas Chaparrals (1972–73) Utah Stars (1972–73Jones was traded during the 1972–73 season; he played 53 games for the Chaparrals and 53 for the Stars.) First team: 1967–68, 1968–69, 1969–70 None 13
Most valuable player Only four players received votes from the 50 panelists as the league's all-time most valuable player; small forward Julius Erving was the clear winner of the award.