History – American Basketball Federation

1977

October 4

1977 ABF Season Starts

Coming Soon

March 5

1977 ABF Draft (1st round)

1977 ABF Draft Recap: San Antonio, Portland, and St. Louis Leave Their Mark The American Basketball Federation held its first annual draft on June 10, 1977, and the pyramid’s new shape was immediately felt. With three first-round picks changing hands via offseason trades, the first round of the inaugural ABF…Read More

January 6

1976 – Inaugural Season

Denver Wins First ABF Title The Nuggets defeat Boston in a one-game playoff to become the first ABF Premier League champions. Promoted: Buffalo, Philadelphia, Houston (Premier); Oklahoma City, Baltimore, Memphis (Championship). Relegated: Kentucky, San Antonio, Indiana (to Championship); Portland, St. Louis, Detroit (to Founders Cup). 1976 Season Recap 1976 Final Standings 1976…Read More

1976

June 1

1976 – ABF Formed

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…Read More