No Longer Defunct Sports Leagues: The ABA

You know that Sports Design Blog is a big fan of the old ABA. The league had so much style, creativity and innovation that it is definitely one of my favorite subjects to discuss. How could you not love that great old red, white and blue ball?

It wasn't until a few years ago that I realized that the ABA had come back to life, at least in name. I was working on designing a logo and uniform set for a new minor league basketball team that was set to play at the US Bank Arena in Cincinnati, the Cincinnati Blaze.

The Blaze picked a logo, held a press conference, hired a coach, signed players and were able to play only a handful of games before they faded into Cincinnati minor league sports history and disappeared. It was then that I became aware of this "new" ABA.

The current ABA does seem to stake a claim to the history of the old ABA. The new ABA is a league that has over 50 franchises operating in all sorts of locations throughout the USA and around the world. Some of the cities also share an NBA team, but most are from markets not served by the NBA. The league has a wide variety of logo styles for its teams, some really good, others look like the team owner had their little brother design them. Many of the logos contain an image of the ABA red, white and blue basketball, in the great tradition of professional basketball logo design.

The ABA uses a modern version of the classic multi-colored ball in their games. The current ABA ball contains the league's original red, white and blue colors, with a twist on the old version. The new ball has ten panels alternating between the three colors. The two extra panels give the ball a very unique appearance. You still get the feel of the original ABA ball, but you know something is different about it.

So, now you know that technically the ABA still exists. The league will never see the likes of a Dr. J of George Gervin gracing their courts, but a small piece of the spirit of the old rebel league still exists. You can find more information about the modern ABA here at their official website.

Comments

[Daniel J Leonard]

Jim,
All I wanted when I was 14, obsessed with ABA and NBA basketball, was a Rawlings, official ABA ball.
Mom finally agreed that for my 15th birthday she'd buy me one.
Too bad that was 1976!
Unlike today, access to specific sporting goods items was always difficult. With no ABA team in town, Pittsburgh had lost our Condors after the 1971-72 season, finding that red, white and blue ball proved difficult. Mom was trying hard and I had to let her know as the final ABA final was ending, that the league was dissolving, and my gift could not be obtained.
I'd seen those 'new' ABA balls but like you mentioned, the 'something not right' is the panel colors not being alternated.
When I was at Rick Barry's fantasy basketball camp, I asked him about the ABA and those balls.
He said, "I hated those balls. Because of the paint (different from the NBA's brown/orange, stained leather ball) they never felt right in my hand."
Fun just to see them, anyway.

Daniel J Leonard
Tucson, Arizona