In 1975, amid stalled merger talks between the NBA and the upstart ABA, a coalition of owners, broadcasters, and basketball visionaries proposed a radical alternative: a true merger that preserved both leagues’ identities under a single competitive pyramid. The American Basketball Federation was founded on June 1st 1976, with a mission to blend the NBA’s tradition with the ABA’s innovation, structured around a three-tier promotion/relegation system. The ABF’s inaugural 1976 season featured 30 teams across the Premier League, Championship, and Founders Cup — rewriting basketball history from the ground up.