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The owner had the nickname "Bucs" removed from the jerseys and "Pros" stitched on over the ghost-like path of the old team's logo.

The Pros lasted two seasons. Then Oakland A's owner Charles O. Finley purchased the franchise, renaming them the Memphis TAMS (Short for   Tennessee, Arkansas, & Mississippi). The uniforms were changed to mimic the colors of the baseball A's.   The shift to green on the uniforms did not help the green of the cash flow.  

Programs became a scarce commodity in 1973-1974.   The league stepped in to run the franchise in 1974-1975.

The ABA had its success stories as well.   Many of the teams did well, and continue to this day. Indiana,   San Antonio,   Utah, Kentucky,   New York and Denver all did good box office. They formed the back-bone of the league until its acquisition by the NBA.

The Super Bowl of Basketball

By the 1969-1970 season, the ABA was maturing into a formidable challenge to the establishment of the NBA.  

Attendance rose 30% over the previous season. More importantly, the league broke the television blackout as several playoff games and the All Star Game were shown on CBS-TV.  

Don Ringsbys, General Manager of the Denver Rockets, flush with the confidence of a stabilized fan base boasted that "Wilt Chamberlain wouldn't draw one more fan into our building."

Players swaggered with the optimism of parity.

"Walt Frazier said the Knicks were the world champion, but that's not really true," crowed Roger Brown of the Indiana Pacers.   "There are two leagues now, and there won't be a true world's champ until there's a Super Bowl in Basketball."

To the casual fan, and the growing TV audience, the ABA was the coming thing.   The product on the court was growing in popularity. ABA players were developing reputations and press followings similar to those of NBA stars.

Hardball Fusion

That was the bad news for the NBA.   Their good news was that the league's loose style went beyond the court, into the front office.   The ABA was within reach of the big brass hoop. It was going to fall short, though.   The reason was simple—Money.   

The NBA declared war, not on the court, but in the talent acquisition process.   With powerful licensing and television revenue streams, the grand old league went toe-to-toe with the ABA to get the best and brightest under their league's contracts.

The money to keep up big name signings didn't arrive fast enough.   Rather than extinguish the league, and open the door to more antitrust allegations, the NBA seized an opportunity.

By absorbing the healthier teams and players of the ABA, they could capitalize by bringing the energy and style of the league that was rapidly becoming the darling of television into their brand of the game.

In April 1970, there was a tentative merger agreement.    ABA owners voted unanimously to approve it.   Two days later, the NBA Player Association filed an antitrust suit to block the merger.   A federal court concurred, issuing a restraining order.

 

 

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