ABA All-Star Game


The American Basketball Association was a professional basketball league founded in 1967. The ABA ceased to exist after merging with the National Basketball Association in 1976. In total, the league held nine all-star games, with all but the last being between the Western Division and the Eastern Division. In the final one, it was held between the first place team at the time of the All-Star break face off against a selected group of All-Stars, regardless of conference.
There was one noted exception to the rule in having the best coaches of the break be the head coach. The 1969 All-Star Game was to have Jim Harding of the leading Minnesota Pipers to coach the East. However, he was removed as coach by ABA management after getting into a fight with Gabe Rubin, a trustee of the ABA and partial owner of the team. Gene Rhodes of the Kentucky Colonels was chosen to coach the East instead.
Alex Hannum, Larry Brown, and Bill Sharman are the only people to have coached in both the NBA and ABA All-Star Game. Brown, a three-time All-Star player, is the only person to have participated in the ABA All-Star Game as player and coach.

Results

Eastern Division Western Division Denver Nuggets

YearResultHost arenaHost cityGame MVP
1968East 126, West 120Hinkle FieldhouseIndianapolisLarry Brown*, New Orleans Buccaneers
1969West 133, East 127Louisville Convention CenterLouisville, KentuckyJohn Beasley, Dallas Chaparrals
1970West 128, East 98Fairgrounds ColiseumIndianapolis Spencer Haywood*, Denver Rockets
1971East 126, West 122Greensboro ColiseumGreensboro, North CarolinaMel Daniels*, Indiana Pacers
1972East 142, West 115Freedom HallLouisville, Kentucky Dan Issel*, Kentucky Colonels
1973West 123, East 111Salt PalaceSalt Lake CityWarren Jabali, Denver Rockets
1974East 128, West 112Norfolk ScopeNorfolk, VirginiaArtis Gilmore*, Kentucky Colonels
1975East 151, West 124HemisFair ArenaSan Antonio, TexasFreddie Lewis, Spirits of St. Louis
1976Denver Nuggets 144, ABA All-Stars 138McNichols ArenaDenver, ColoradoDavid Thompson*, Denver Nuggets

Players with most selections in ABA All-Star Game

PlayerGamesTeamsYears
Mel Daniels*7Indiana Pacers1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974
Louie Dampier*7Kentucky Colonels1968, 1969, 1970, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975
Dan Issel*6Kentucky Colonels, Denver Nuggets1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976
Jimmy Jones6New Orleans Buccaneers/Memphis Pros, Utah Stars1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1974
Julius Erving*5Virginia Squires, New York Nets1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976
Artis Gilmore*5Kentucky Colonels1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976
Ralph Simpson5Denver Nuggets1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976
Mack Calvin5The Floridians, Carolina Cougars, Denver Nuggets1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975
Donnie Freeman5Minnesota Muskies/Miami Floridians, Texas Chaparrals/Dallas Chaparrals1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972
Rick Barry*4Oakland Oaks/Washington Caps, New York Nets1969, 1970, 1971, 1972
Roger Brown*4Indiana Pacers1968, 1970, 1971, 1972
Larry Jones4Denver Rockets, The Floridians1968, 1969, 1970, 1971
Warren Jabali4Washington Caps, The Floridians, Denver Rockets1970, 1972, 1973, 1974
Ron Boone4Utah Stars, Spirits of St. Louis1971, 1974, 1975, 1976
Freddie Lewis4Indiana Pacers, Spirits of St. Louis1968, 1970, 1972, 1975
Bob Netolicky4Indiana Pacers1968, 1969, 1970, 1971
Billy Paultz4New York Nets, San Antonio Spurs1973, 1974, 1975, 1976
Red Robbins4New Orleans Buccaneers, Utah Stars1968, 1969, 1970, 1971

ABA All-Star Game head coaches

Eastern Division (1968–1975)

Western Division (1968–1975)

ABA All-Stars vs. Denver Nuggets (1976)

Most selections