I recently gained fantastic insights into the ABA and some of its most remarkable players, as well as the next basketball documentary he’d like to see made, from Jason Levin, a contributor to Soul Power.
Q: What initially sparked your interest in the ABA?
A: As a 12-year-old kid, I was captivated by basketball, having grown up watching the championship Knicks. My family then moved to Los Angeles, where I witnessed the UCLA dynasty and the Lakers’ dominance. I’d seen phenomenal basketball early on and loved it. However, all those teams played a very fundamental style of basketball. Given they were some of the greatest franchises ever, I genuinely believed I understood what basketball was all about.
Then, one weekend, I caught an ABA playoff game on CBS, probably around 10 AM California time. It was a rookie Doctor J playing for the Virginia Squires against Rick Barry of the Nets. I remember being immediately fascinated by the ball itself; I’d never seen a game played with a red, white, and blue ball before.
Within perhaps five minutes, something truly unforgettable happened: Julius Erving grabbed a rebound about two feet above the rim with one hand, snatching it away from a couple of opponents. He then raced the length of the court, dribbling past two or three defenders, even going behind his back, and finished with a sideways dunk over an unsuspecting player. I had never witnessed anything remotely like it. It was a lightning bolt moment for me—I was utterly blown away and incredibly excited. The very next day, I had my mom get me a red, white, and blue basketball. That’s when I began to immerse myself in learning about the ABA, devouring every piece of news I could find, especially in The Sporting News. It truly was a single, electrifying moment that started it all for me.
Q: When Julius Erving comes to mind, I also think of a similar player who preceded him, one many aren’t familiar with today: Connie Hawkins. How would you describe his game, and how do you think he compares to Doc as a player?
A: Well, it’s somewhat unfair to assess because he missed six prime years of his career, meaning we never saw Connie Hawkins at his peak. In many ways, I believe they were very similar players, primarily due to the size of their hands and their incredible ball-handling skills. Connie, in fact, did even more with the ball than Doc, which is hard to imagine.
He honed many of his skills during his time with the Globetrotters, playing for them intermittently for over four years. He picked up numerous ball tricks—like behind-the-head no-look passes and faking with the ball before bringing it back.
Connie was known for his swooping drives to the basket, navigating through defenders with the ball in one hand. Doc, by contrast, was a bit more aggressive with the ball; he elevated higher and threw it down harder. But I believe this difference is partly because we didn’t see Connie in his early twenties. By the time he joined the ABA and then the NBA, his knees were already significantly affecting him, preventing him from being the high-flyer he once was.
Despite this, their playing styles were remarkably similar. He was an utterly dominant player who could do everything: shoot jumpers, score unstoppably inside, pass exceptionally well, and rebound effectively. He also possessed immense flair.
People should truly acknowledge Connie Hawkins, especially considering the immense pressure he faced entering the ABA due to his reputation. Yet, he hadn’t played serious basketball for six years, accumulating significant rust. For him to then enter the league, win it all, and be named MVP—I consider that one of the greatest seasons any player has ever had. He faced so much pressure, mystery, and so many questions, and he answered every single one. He truly deserves immense credit.
Q: I wanted to discuss another ABA player who’s a favorite of mine and whom I know you also admire greatly: Willie Wise. How would you describe him as a player, and is there any current or past player who compares to him?
A: For today’s basketball fans, Willie Wise was essentially Kawhi Leonard. Their skill sets were remarkably similar. He was a defense-first wing who showed up every single night with the primary objective of neutralizing the opposition’s best player or scorer.
If the opposing team had a prominent guard, he’d guard him. Most ABA teams featured a phenomenal small forward, and Wise would take them on—guarding them for the full 48 minutes. He fought through every screen. It’s crucial to remember that in that era, there was no switching; you were responsible for guarding your assigned player.
So, when he guarded Doc, it meant guarding Doc for 48 minutes. The same applied when he faced Rick Barry. He was an exceptional defensive player and an incredible rebounder, especially for a 6-7 player; he just had an uncanny knack for finding the ball.
Offensively, he actively sought the ball and consistently elevated his game in the playoffs every year. His team consistently made the playoffs, reaching either the conference finals or the Finals for five consecutive years, and he was always either the best or second-best player on the squad.
In the playoffs, he’d typically score three, four, or five points more than his regular-season average each year. He was a true big-game player who dominated playoff and Finals games on both ends of the court.
I cannot speak highly enough of Willie Wise. From 1970 to ’74—a five-year span—he was as good as any forward in the game. We’re talking about players like Dr. J, John Havlicek, and Rick Barry. Willie was truly that good, and anyone who played against him, including Dr. J and Rick Barry, will confirm it.
He’s a name people genuinely need to recognize.
Q: What’s one crucial aspect about the ABA you’d like people to understand?
A: These players competed with immense intensity—as hard as anyone could possibly play—under incredibly challenging conditions. Their infrastructure was poor, team ownership was often questionable, and the arenas they played in were frequently substandard.
The travel was grueling. They were mandated to take the first flight out after a road game, which often meant departing at seven or eight in the morning, frequently with connecting flights. That was a firm requirement.
Crucially, they were just as talented as NBA players. They played with equal fervor and deserve tremendous respect for propelling the sport forward. The ABA truly laid the groundwork for the modern NBA, accelerating the game’s evolution tenfold through their style of play: introducing the three-point shot, emphasizing dunking, showmanship, bringing flair, and encouraging players to have fun.
They are due all that respect, and I’m thrilled this documentary is available, giving people a chance to grasp their profound impact.
Q: As a basketball historian, what’s the next documentary you’d love to see produced?
A: I believe an excellent subject would be Wilt Chamberlain’s performance in the 1972 Western Conference Finals against Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. This playoff series was laden with immense pressure on Wilt, who, despite an incredible career, had only secured one championship and was older and recovering from injuries. The Lakers, I recall, had also lost eight consecutive Finals over a decade or so.
Beating a young, prime, defending champion Kareem and Oscar Robertson—that specific playoff series unequivocally deserves its own documentary. It would be absolutely astounding, considering all the legendary names involved and the intense pressure at play. The games were wild, and Wilt played out of his mind. He was genuinely challenged, which I believe was precisely what he needed.
Wilt was so exceptionally good that he required a challenge. He often seemed bored, but he wasn’t bored facing the player who was supposed to be superior to him. Wilt didn’t accept that notion, and he proved it wasn’t the case at that moment. So, I think that would make for an outstanding documentary.
