13) Trooper Washington

In a league defined by its high-flying dunkers and long-range bombers, Washington was a rarity: a throwback low post grinder. At 6’7″ and 215 pounds, he was a strong presence in the paint at power forward, averaging 10+ rebounds per game in his first four years in the ABA, a double-double in two different seasons, and leading the league in field goal percentage twice. He supposedly did have some range on his shot, having honed it in the playgrounds of Philadelphia in his youth, but took just 18 three-pointer attempts in his career, hitting six of them. After playing his college ball at the historically black Cheyney University in eastern Pennsylvania, Washington was a fifth round pick of the Cincinnati Royals in 1967 but figured his prospects were better in the nascent ABA. He stayed in-state, signing with the Pittsburgh Pipers, and was the team’s leading postseason rebounder, at 17.4 per game, as they won the inaugural ABA title in 1968. Despite winning that championship, the Pipers moved to Minneapolis the next season and Washington followed, posting career highs in scoring and rebounding in ’68-’69 and nabbing a spot on the All-Star team. He made further ABA Finals appearances with the Los Angeles Stars in 1970 and New York Nets in 1972 before the Nets cut him before the ’73-’74, effectively ending his pro career.

12) Glen Combs

Two decades before Dell Curry made his name as a three-point specialist out of Virginia Tech, the program produced one of the country’s best long range shooters in Combs. He led the Hokies to their greatest NCAA Tournament finish in school history, an Elite Eight appearance in 1967 and was drafted by the San Diego Rockets of the NBA and Dallas Chaparrals of the ABA one year later. Since the three-point shot was not yet implemented in the NBA, Combs chose Dallas. It helped that the Chaparrals coach was Kentucky legend Cliff Hagan, whom Combs idolized while growing up in the Bluegrass state. Thus, the man nicknamed “The Kentucky Rifle” for his shooting accuracy in high school became one of the ABA’s top outside scorers, averaging as much as 22.2 points per game in ’69-’70 and finishing second in league history in three-point shooting percentage, at 36.7%, and third in league history in total three-point field goals. Combs was also named to three All-Star Games, and helped the Utah Stars win the title in ’70-’71 after the Chaparrals traded him. Though he never played for the Colonels of his native Kentucky, he did return to the state of Virginia in ’74-’75 with the Squires, but was forced to retire during the season after injuring his knee.

11) Bill Keller

In a life in basketball that has spanned over five decades, he has never played or coached outside his home state of Indiana, and never reached the highest pro level. Born and raised in Indianapolis, Keller was named Mr. Basketball in 1966 while leading George Washington High School to the vaunted Indiana state title, then matriculated at Purdue, where he was a key part of the 1969 Final Four team and earned the nickname “Mr. Hustle.” Despite being listed at 5’10”, Keller was likely at least a couple inches shorter, and garnered little interest from the NBA, falling to the 87th overall pick of the Bucks in 1969. It was a blessing in disguise for the sharp shooter, who was able to sign with the hometown Pacers and hone his skills shooting three-pointers, which only existed in the ABA. In seven seasons, Keller played in five ABA Finals, winning titles in 1970, 1972, and 1973. He led the ABA in three-point field goals three times and his 506 career three-pointers is second in league history and still sits fourth in Pacers franchise history. Though he was fourth on the Pacers in scoring and second in assists in the final ABA season, ’75-’76, the team was concerned about the diminutive Keller’s ability to meet the rigors of the NBA and waived their stalwart right before the merger. After one season as an assistant coach at his alma mater, he eventually coached the University of Indianapolis, then spent years running youth camps in the Hoosier state. In 1992 he was inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame.

10) Stew Johnson

Starting with the Kentucky Colonels in the inaugural ’67-’68 ABA season, Johnson played for seven different franchises in a career that spanned the entire nine-year history of the league. Waived by the Spurs before the ’75-’76 season ended and the merger happened, he was seemingly finished with pro ball at age 32 but found a second life as a player-coach in the Icelandic Urvalsdeild Karla league before they banned foreign-born players starting in 1983. Unlike many of the players on this list, Johnson was selected relatively high in the NBA Draft, a third round pick of the Knicks (his hometown team), 21st overall, in 1966. But he joined the NABL for one season instead, then signed with the Colonels. Though he was named to three All-Star teams and averaged as many as 22.1 points and 7.5 rebounds per game in his prime, Johnson was traded mid-season five times in just nine years, a victim of the erratic nature of most ABA franchises. His best and most consistent years came with the San Diego Conquistadors in ’72-’73 and ’73-’74, even as the team was temporarily coached by an indifferent Wilt Chamberlain. In the end, Johnson was one of just 11 players to play in 600 or more ABA games, and one of just 12 to score over 10,000 points in the league. Before his pro career he also earned two superlatives at Murray State as the school’s first black player, and as the school’s first player to be taken in the NBA Draft.

9) Charles Williams

Playing his rookie season for the expansion Seattle SuperSonics probably seemed like a dream for Williams, who had starred at Stadium High School in nearby Tacoma, then at Seattle University. But it soon turned into a nightmare, as he was banned for life by NBA commissioner J. Walter Kennedy due to his alleged involvement in an NCAA point shaving and bribery scandal. Williams turned to the ABA instead, signing with the Pittsburgh Pipers, and his career got off to a strong start. As part of a formidable inside-outside duo with Connie Hawkins (who was also banned from the NBA due to a point shaving incident), Williams helped lead the Pipers to the inaugural ABA title and was named 1st-Team All-ABA. He made the All-Star team each of the next two seasons, but started to struggle with major knee issues from that point on, causing his statistical output to dip significantly for the rest of his career. He still managed to average 16.2 points per game for his career, which ended up lasting just six seasons before his aching knees forced him to retire in 1973. 

8) Larry Brown

It’s always a bit of a surprise to think of Brown, who seemed so strait-laced and uptight in his coaching career, spending his playing days in the free-wheeling ABA. Unable to make an NBA roster after a stellar stint at North Carolina due to his lack of height, he had already turned to coaching as an assistant as his alma mater when the ABA was formed in 1967. He became the one of the nascent league’s biggest early stars thanks to his precision passing and court vision. He ended up leading the league in assists per game in its first three seasons, and was an All-Star three times, winning the exhibition’s MVP award in 1968. He also played in the first two ABA Finals, losing with the New Orleans Buccaneers in 1968 and then winning it with the Oakland Oaks in 1969. Already 27 years old by the time he joined the league, Brown’s shelf life in the ABA was short and after a subpar season with the Nuggets in ’71-’72, he retired to return to coaching. He was the league’s all-time assists leader at the time of his retirement, and wound up seventh on the list after the 1976 merger. His first two head coaching gigs came with ABA teams, the Carolina Cougars and Denver Nuggets, kicking off a second career that has lasted 46 years and counting.

7) John Beasley

In an attempt to build fan interest, most of the early ABA franchises loaded their rosters with local amateur stars. Beasley was thus one of six players on the inaugural Dallas Chaparrals roster in ’67-’68 that played his NCAA ball in the Lone Star state, at Texas A&M. While most of those players flamed out as gimmick signings, Beasley blossomed into a certified star, averaging 19.7 points and 12.2 rebounds in his rookie season, and getting named 2nd-Team All-ABA. His first three seasons were all superlative, named to the All-Star team each year (and winning the game’s MVP award in 1969) and averaging a double-double. But his stats took a sharp dip from there, especially after getting traded to the Utah Stars during the ’71-’72 season. He did get to make an appearance in the 1974 ABA Finals, logging limited minutes as the Stars lost to the Nets, before retiring that summer. Though Beasley never made it to the NBA (he was drafted by the Bullets in 1966 but couldn’t make the roster), he stood as the greatest pro player from Texas A&M for a long time until recently getting passed by DeAndre Jordan and Khris Middleton. 

“But while [Connie] Hawkins took the opportunity to jump ship to the more prestigious league, [Roger] Brown opted to stick with the Pacers team that took a chance on him, even though he was widely considered the best two-way forward in the country at the time.”

6) Red Robbins

One of the most popular players in ABA history thanks to his hustle and toughness, Robbins built his fanbase in the first eight years of the league’s history, most notably with the New Orleans Buccaneers and Utah Stars. He was the sixth man on the ’71-’72 Stars title team, coming off the bench at power forward and center and finishing third on the team in rebounding. With his long arms and fierce determination, he was one of the league’s top overall rebounders, averaging 13.5 per game in his first four seasons, finishing in the top five in the ABA in the category three times and third in league history in total rebounds. He was also a skilled shooter, even leading the ABA in three-point percentage in ’71-’72. In addition to winning a title with the Stars, Robbins also played in the inaugural ABA Finals with the Bucs in 1968. His late career rounded out with less successful stops on the San Diego Conquistadors, Kentucky Colonels, and Virginia Squires before he transitioned into television and radio, eventually teaming up with Hot Rod Hundley to broadcast New Orleans Jazz games in the late ’70s. Before his star turn in the ABA, Robbins had been an All-American at Tennessee and was drafted by the 76ers in 1966. They offered him a rookie contract and he could have been a part of the team that won the 1967 NBA title and is now considered one of the greatest of all time, but, fearing he would find no playing time in a front line that already featured Wilt Chamberlain, Billy Cunningham, and Luke Jackson, he turned them down and opted to play in Italy instead.

5) Cincinnatus Powell

Never one of the flashiest or splashiest players in the ABA but one of the most consistent, Powell had a workmanlike approach that belied his blockbuster name. Drafted by the Hawks in 1965 after a star career at the University of Portland, he was waived before the season started and eventually joined the Chaparrals for the inaugural ABA season. Teaming up with John Beasley as a killer forward duo, Powell averaged 19.3 points and 9.0 rebounds per game in his three seasons in Dallas but clashed with authoritarian coach Cliff Hagan and was eventually traded to the Kentucky Colonels. As good as Powell played in the regular season, he was always even better in the playoffs, and in 1971 helped lead the Colonels to an ABA Finals appearance, where he kept them alive with a 31 point, 17 rebound performance in game six before falling to the Stars in game seven. After a couple seasons with the Virginia Squires, Powell finally retired in 1975 at age 33, coming up just short of making the NBA merger. In addition to being one of the league’s most consistent scorers and rebounders, Powell also had a reputation as one of the ABA’s top trash talkers, even once jawing during a game with a young announcer named Bob Costas.

4) Bob Netolicky

Owner of a private jet, a pet ocelot, his own bar (Neto’s), a closet full of “mod” clothing, and a Corvette that was part of his original signing bonus, Netolicky was one of a kind, even by ABA standards. He was also one of the league’s best players, a smooth power forward with an unstoppable hook shot who was named to four All-Star teams. He was already 25 years old by the time he joined the league for its inaugural ’67-’68 season but unlike many of his peers who had played in other semi-pro leagues between college and the ABA, Netolicky, who came from a wealthy family in Iowa, had spent a few years between high school and college just sort of hanging out. He was nonetheless an All-American at Drake and drafted in the second round by the San Diego Rockets, but opted for the Indiana Pacers, who offered more money, more playing time, and the aforementioned Corvette to sweeten the deal (Netolicky had supposedly asked for it as a negotiation ploy, never expecting them to actually give him one). Joining the league’s best front court alongside Roger Brown and Reggie Harding, Netolicky averaged 18.0 points and 10.2 rebounds per game in his first five seasons in Indiana. When he returned to Indianapolis a couple years later after a short stint with the Chaparrals/Spurs, he was a shell of his former self on the court, playing only four games in his final season, ’74-’75, but still solidified his position as one of the greatest players in both ABA and Pacers history. His 5,518 career rebounds were the fifth most in the ABA and still places him seventh on the Pacers all-time list. He also played in four ABA Finals with Indiana, including the title runs in 1970 and 1972.

3) Warren Jabali

Born Warren Armstrong in Kansas City in 1946, he changed his last name during his college days at Wichita State to the Swahili word for “rock,” which was an appropriate description of his role on the various ABA teams that were lucky to employ him. After falling to the fourth round of the 1968 NBA Draft, Jabali opted to sign with the Oakland Oaks of the ABA and won both the league’s Rookie of the Year honors in ’68-’69 and the Playoffs MVP award (the ABA equivalent of Finals MVP) after averaging 28.8 points and 12.9 rebounds per game in the postseason while leading the Oaks to the title. In addition to his deadly jump shooting, Jabali was an accomplished dunker and rebounder despite his 6’2″ stature, averaging as many as 10.4 rebounds per game in ’69-’70. He was also named to the All-Star Game four times, won that game’s MVP award in 1973, and was 1st-Team All-ABA for the Denver Rockets in ’72-’73. But he struggled with knee and back injuries throughout his career, and had to deal with getting traded four times over a five-year period. Jabali ultimately retired in 1975 at the age of 28 due to the pain in his knees and back, an unfortunate end to a brief, spectacular career. There were plenty of superlatives to describe Jabali as a player, but perhaps the two most appropriate came from his longtime coach, the legendary Alex Hannum, who called him “the smartest player I’ve ever coached” and his Oakland teammate, Rick Barry, who called him “one of the best guards I’ve ever played with or against.”

2) Doug Moe

Unable to join the NBA after graduating North Carolina in 1961 due to his involvement in a point shaving scandal, Moe spent several years in the Italian Serie A (he also spent time selling insurance and did a brief stint in the U.S. Army) before finally reaching the ABA at age 29. His time in the ABA was therefore brief, lasting just five seasons, but certainly memorable, as Moe was named 1st-Team All-ABA once, 2nd-Team All-ABA once, finished second in MVP voting in ’67-’68, played in three All-Star Games, and was in the starting lineup for the first two ABA Finals, losing with the Buccaneers in 1968 and then winning it all with the Oaks a year later. But by the time he suited up for the Virginia Squires in ’70-’71, his fourth team in four seasons, Moe’s knees were failing him at age 32. He struggled through two final seasons in Virginia before retiring in 1972 to immediately transition into coaching. His first coaching gig came in the ABA, as an assistant to former North Carolina teammate Larry Brown on the Carolina Cougars. Moe eventually became an NBA head coach for two former ABA teams, the Spurs and Nuggets, racking up over 600 wins in a career that spanned over two decades. Appropriately enough for a guy whose playing career came mainly in the ABA, Moe brought a freewheeling style to his coaching, relying on constant ball movement and almost never drawing up set plays.

1) Roger Brown

Of the 16 ABA players who have been enshrined in the Naismith Hall of Fame, Brown is the only one honored as such based solely on his output in the secondary league. His 2013 induction is a testament to how spectacular of a talent he was, considering that his career was achingly short, with a prime that truly only lasted four years due to injuries and an NBA blackballing. Caught up in the same point shaving scandal with the notorious Jack Molinas that also initially cost Connie Hawkins an NBA contract, Brown was playing in an amateur league in Ohio when the ABA was formed in 1967. He was the very first player signed by the newly created Pacers, and soon became a cornerstone of the franchise. Almost his entire eight-year career came with Indiana and during that time he was a four-time All-Star, 1st-Team All-ABA once, 2nd-Team All-ABA twice, finished in the top 10 in MVP voting three times, and led the team to three titles. With an incredible 28.5 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 5.6 assists per game in the postseason, Brown was named the Playoffs MVP in ’69-’70, as the Pacers won their first championship. Like Hawkins (and Doug Moe), Brown filed a lawsuit against the NBA for unfairly banning him and eventually won in 1969. But while Hawkins took the opportunity to jump ship to the more prestigious league, Brown opted to stick with the Pacers team that took a chance on him, even though he was widely considered the best two-way forward in the country at the time. Age and injuries would eventually catch up to him, and his last few seasons in the ABA were pedestrian, by comparison. He was one of seven players unanimously selected to the ABA All-Time Team in 1997, and is one of four players to have his number retired by the Pacers.