ABA All-Time Team
The ABA All-Time Team were chosen in 1997 on the 30th anniversary of the founding of the American Basketball Association. 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, former team owners, former league executives, 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
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, with eleven first team players' having played at least one game for one or more iterations of the franchise; Utah Stars, eight players; Indiana Pacers, seven players; San Antonio Spurs, six players; Denver Nuggets, five players; and Spirits of St. Louis, 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.