50th ABA Anniversary Celebration

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INDIANAPOLIS — The 50th reunion of the electrifying American Basketball Association is coming to Indianapolis this Spring, featuring the top ABA stars from around the country — Julius Erving, George Gervin, David Thompson, Artis Gilmore, George McGinnis, Dan Issel, Spencer Haywood, Louie Dampier, Rick Barry and many more — and Bob Costas as emcee.

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Billed as the “last dance” for the game-changing league,  the reunion will be held on Saturday, April 7, 2018 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. All proceeds from the event will go to the Dropping Dimes Foundation, an Indianapolis-based charity that assists former ABA players and families who have fallen on hard times.

“I am excited to be part of the upcoming 50th anniversary of the ABA, and to continue my involvement with the Dropping Dimes Foundation,” said Costas, who started his Hall of Fame broadcasting career with the Spirits of St. Louis in the ABA, and now serves on the Dropping Dimes Advisory Board. “The ABA changed pro basketball forever, and showcased some of the greatest and most distinctive players the game has ever known.”

Title-sponsored by the Indiana Pacers and CNO Financial Group, the reunion will be highlighted by a dinner and Q&A session between players and fans. Many of the festivities will be open to the public, including an autograph session, an opportunity to meet the players and a memorabilia auction.

“I can’t wait, and I hope lots of people come out for it,” said Dan Issel, a Naismith Hall of Famer and former star of the ABA’s Kentucky Colonels and Denver Nuggets. “It’s a chance to relive so many great memories and help the guys who haven’t been so fortunate over the years. To be able to do both at once is a win-win — and I guarantee you there will be some tall stories getting taller!”

Issel is among many former ABA stars who play an integral role in the Dropping Dimes Foundation by serving alongside Costas on the Advisory Board. Others include Gervin, Barry, Gilmore, McGinnis, Haywood, Dampier, Bob Netolicky, Mack Calvin and Brian Taylor. All are expected to attend the reunion, along with scores of other players.

Since its founding in 2014, the Dropping Dimes Foundation has assisted former ABA players in many ways, from providing much-needed clothing and shoes, to arranging for the provision of major medical care without cost, to facilitating health insurance reimbursement and locating pension money.

“The ABA forged a unique brotherhood that lives on to this day,” said Scott Tarter, Dropping Dimes’ co-founder and CEO, “and through the Dropping Dimes Foundation, that brotherhood lives on tangibly, and is now devoted to helping the less fortunate. These guys were amazing athletes and entertainers, and they’ll be bringing their special vibe to the event. We’re so grateful to the Indiana Pacers and CNO Financial Group for making this dream of so many a reality.”

The ABA began in 1967 with 11 teams, including the Pacers, and lasted nine seasons. In 1976, the league disbanded and four teams — the Pacers, Denver Nuggets, San Antonio Spurs and (then) New Jersey Nets — joined the NBA. Though constantly beset by financial problems, the ABA is widely credited with revolutionizing basketball with a more open, freewheeling style, and such concepts as the 3-point shot and slam dunk competition, which have become NBA mainstays.

The half-century-old league has recently seen a resurgence in recognition, with Gilmore, Dampier, the late Mel Daniels and fellow Pacers George McGinnis, Roger Brown and Bobby “Slick” Leonard all being inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame.

“It was just a hell of a lot of fun, a hell of a lot of fun,” said Leonard, longtime Pacers coach and announcer. “And I’m telling you this reunion will be more of the same. I wouldn’t miss it for anything.”