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59-655: The RimRockers began play during the 2004–05 season for the American Basketball Association . They posted a 32–5 record in the team's inaugural season and won the ABA championship. Soon after winning the title, they left the ABA alongside the Long Beach Jam and began play in the NBA Development League for the 2005–06 season. On February 10, 2006, the team fired head coach Joe Harge , the only man to coach

118-656: A 112–107 win over the Chicago Bulls . Two days later, on November 5, 1983, Dawkins set the Nets' franchise record for blocks in a single game, with 13. In the first round of the playoffs, the sixth-seeded Nets were matched up with Dawkins' former team, the Philadelphia 76ers . The Nets won the first two games in Philadelphia of the best-of-five series, which were the first playoff game victories in team history. After Philadelphia won

177-574: A backboard on two occasions in 1979. Dawkins averaged double figures in scoring nine times in his 14 years in the NBA, often ranking among the league leaders in field-goal percentage. He also played in the NBA Finals three times as a member of the Philadelphia 76ers in the late 1970s and early 1980s. He also won an NBA Championship in 1989 with the Detroit Pistons even though he only played 14 games for

236-533: A comeback in 1994, attending Denver Nuggets training camp, and again in 1995 with the Boston Celtics. Dawkins set an NBA record by committing 386 personal fouls during the 1983–1984 season. He committed one more personal foul during his career than Michael Jordan , despite playing nearly 350 fewer games. In a game against the Kansas City Kings at Municipal Auditorium on November 13, 1979, Dawkins broke

295-416: A first-round draft pick. At age 25, Dawkins joined a Nets club that included Albert King , Buck Williams , and Otis Birdsong . His first two seasons with the Nets were successful for both sides, as Dawkins experienced a career renaissance of sorts and the Nets had their most successful seasons to that point. In the 1982–83 season , Dawkins averaged 12 points and shot .599 from the floor, ranking third in

354-515: A scheme to acquire an NBA Development League franchise. At the start of the 2008–09 season , over 200 teams had folded since the league's inception. The 2008–09 season saw the Southeast Texas Mustangs franchise join the league after leaving the struggling Continental Basketball Association . The ABA attempted interleague play with the four remaining CBA teams, but their league folded mid-season. NBA scouts stopped attending

413-717: A series of exhibitions against ABA teams including the Clayton Showtime, Los Angeles Slam, Riverside Rainmakers, San Diego Surf and the West Coast All-Stars. This April 2010 series was referred to as the ABA Friendship Games. Dick Packer was named league President and COO in April 2010. After winning their second consecutive championship in 2010–11 , the Southeast Texas Mavericks publicly opined that

472-510: A team that included Julius Erving , George McGinnis , Lloyd Free , and Doug Collins . At 20 years old, Dawkins averaged 11.7 points and 7.9 rebounds in nearly 25 minutes per game, while ranked second in the league in field goal percentage at .575. For the second straight year, the Sixers earned the top seed in the Eastern Division and advanced to the conference finals, but they were defeated by

531-525: A venue. A proposed merger with the International Basketball League fell through in December 2000, which would have allowed the inaugural season to begin with additional teams. To attract fans, the ABA encouraged its teams to fill rosters with former NBA players and past college basketball stars that had local ties. Former NBA champion and Florida native Darryl Dawkins was recruited as

590-578: Is an American semi-professional men's basketball minor league that was founded in 1999. ABA teams are based in the United States, with one traveling team from Japan. The league previously had international teams based in Canada, China and Mexico. League management infamously maintains low requirements for franchise ownership, and hundreds of ABA teams have either folded or defected to rival leagues. The league licenses its name and use of ABA trademarks from

649-624: The NBA 2K video games as a reserve member of the 1980s Legends East Team. He also appears in NBA Live Mobile as a Legend based on his 1979–80 season with the Sixers. In 2005, Dawkins was one of several former NBA players to audition for an analyst position with ESPN, as part of the network's reality series Dream Job . Dawkins' autobiography Chocolate Thunder: The Uncensored Life and Times of Darryl Dawkins (co-authored with Charley Rosen) chronicles his on- and off-the-court life as an NBA star. In

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708-402: The 1984–85 season with high expectations. However injuries limited him to just 39 games. Dawkins appeared to return to form the following season averaging 15.3 points and shooting .644 from the floor, but an injury midway through the season kept him out of 31 of the team's final 32 games. He only played six games in the 1986–87 season, after a second back surgery in less than two years. Dawkins

767-751: The 2004–05 ABA title in their first year of play, but then left with the Long Beach Jam to join the rival NBA Development League . The ABA welcomed the Beijing Aoshen Olympians beginning with the 2005–06 season , a club which had been banned from the Chinese Basketball League after refusing to allow star prospect Sun Yue to play for the Chinese national team . The Olympians played their home games in Maywood, California . CCTV-5 in China broadcast

826-565: The 2014–15 season . After completing a perfect season for the second time in 2014–15 and winning their fourth championship, the Shreveport-Bossier Mavericks left the ABA to join the Premier Basketball League . Joe Newman returned to the role of league President and CEO beginning with the 2015–16 season . The Jacksonville Giants drew the league's all-time record crowd of 8,987 for their 100–93 victory over

885-679: The Los Angeles Lakers in six games. In the 1981 season , Dawkins produced a .607 field-goal percentage, second in the NBA to Artis Gilmore 's .670. Dawkins averaged 14 points and 7.2 rebounds for the year, but Philadelphia failed to return to the Finals. The club met the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals and lost in seven games. The 76ers suffered another postseason disappointment in 1982 when they reached

944-462: The Milwaukee Bucks , including leading all scorers with a career playoff-high 32 points in a 106–100 game 1 win, the Nets would lose the series in six games after losing game 6, during which Dawkins scored 29 points and grabbed 8 rebounds, by one point, at a score of 98–97. For the playoffs, Dawkins averaged 18.4 points. With the Nets looking to be a team on the rise led by Dawkins, they entered

1003-662: The National Basketball Association , which absorbed the American Basketball Association (1967–1976) during the ABA–NBA merger . The Women's American Basketball Association has operated as a sister league to the ABA since 2017. The league was originally co-founded by Dick Tinkham and Joe Newman in 1999 as ABA 2000 . Tinkham had previously co-founded the Indiana Pacers in the original American Basketball Association , and Newman had been an advertising executive for

1062-661: The Premier Basketball League (PBL). Following the 2007–08 season , the reigning champion Vermont Frost Heaves left for the Premier Basketball League along with the Halifax Rainmen , Manchester Millrats and Quebec Kebs . Quentin Townsend, owner of the Atlanta Vision , was named league President and COO in April 2008. He was later removed from those positions after being arrested in November 2008 for defrauding investors in

1121-461: The Vermont Frost Heaves , regularly penning articles in the publication about his team's inaugural campaign. John Salley and Tom Doyle attempted a boardroom coup on behalf of shareholders , with ABA's Board of Directors voting to remove Joe Newman as CEO on January 31, 2007. Newman sued Salley and Doyle, leading to a settlement in which he kept his job and forced their resignations from

1180-550: The Washington Bullets in six games. Prior to the 1978–79 season, Philadelphia traded McGinnis to the Denver Nuggets , clearing the way for Dawkins to be a permanent frontcourt starter. Over the next three seasons, Dawkins and Caldwell Jones split time at the center and power forward positions. In 1979–80, he averaged 14.7 points and a career-high 8.7 rebounds, helping the Sixers back to the NBA Finals , which they lost to

1239-716: The 1995–96 season. During this season, the Skyforce's games against the Florida Beach Dogs were broadcast nationally by ESPN , as the Beach Dogs included another former NBA player, Manute Bol . Dawkins was the head coach of the American Basketball Association 's Newark Express . He was also the player/coach of the Winnipeg Cyclone , a team in the short-lived International Basketball Association in 1999–2000. Dawkins averaged 3.8 points and 3.9 rebounds in 18 games played with

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1298-519: The 2022–23 season after storm damage rendered the venue for their championship game unplayable. The league employs a number of unconventional rules that are unique to the league: 109 teams completed at least one game during the 2023–24 season. The league's oldest surviving franchises are the Jersey Express (est. 2005), Georgia Gwizzlies (est. 2007), Steel City Yellow Jackets (est. 2014), and Indiana Lyons (est. 2017). Franchises that left

1357-467: The ABA but still compete elsewhere include the Detroit Panthers ( Maximum Basketball League ), Motor City Cruise ( NBA G League ), and Newfoundland Rogues ( Basketball Super League ). USA: Asia: Africa: Americas: Canada Darryl Dawkins As coach: Darryl R. Dawkins (January 11, 1957 – August 27, 2015) was an American professional basketball player and coach. He

1416-606: The ABA did not have adequate competition, and they left with intentions of joining the NBA Development League . However, their application to join the NBA Development League was denied, and the franchise sat out the 2011–12 and 2012–13 seasons. Consecutive titles were won by the Jacksonville Giants in their absence, with championship wins over the previously undefeated South Carolina Warriors in 2011–12 and North Dallas Vandals in 2012–13 . The team returned to

1475-605: The ABA for 2013–14 as the Shreveport-Bossier Mavericks , going undefeated and winning the league title in a perfect season . At the conclusion of the 2013–14 season , over 350 franchises had folded since the league's inception. Former Arizona Scorpions owner Ron Tilley replaced Joe Newman as league President and CEO following Newman's retirement in July 2014. The league signed a two-year streaming deal with ESPN3 in August 2014 to broadcast regular season and playoff games beginning with

1534-593: The Chicago Skyliners, Detroit Dogs , Indiana Legends, Kansas City Knights , Los Angeles Stars , Memphis Houn'Dawgs, San Diego Wildfire and Tampa Bay ThunderDawgs. Joe Newman founded the Indiana Legends to replace the Jacksonville Jackals, who were removed from the league after failing to secure a venue. Mark Hamister purchased the rights to a Buffalo franchise for $ 75,000, but was also unable to secure

1593-765: The Cyclone. Dawkins was the head coach of the Allentown, Pennsylvania -based Pennsylvania ValleyDawgs of the United States Basketball League (USBL) until they folded. He was selected as the USBL Coach of the Year in 1999. Dawkins appeared in one game with ValleyDawgs during the 2000 season. On August 20, 2009, Lehigh Carbon Community College , located in Schnecksville, Pennsylvania , announced Dawkins as head coach of

1652-591: The Finals but lost again to the Los Angeles Lakers in six games. Frustrated with the team's inability to handle Lakers center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar , Sixers management traded Dawkins to the New Jersey Nets and Caldwell Jones to the Houston Rockets for Moses Malone , who helped Philadelphia win the NBA championship the following year. Dawkins was traded to the Nets during the 1982 off-season in exchange for

1711-473: The Pacers. The National Basketball Association (NBA), owner of the ABA trademark after absorbing many of the original league's teams, sued Tinkham and Newman in December 1999. The lawsuit was unsuccessful since the NBA had failed to actively use the ABA trademark, and the new league entered an agreement with the NBA to license the name for $ 50,000. The league began its inaugural 2000–01 season with eight teams:

1770-864: The Rim Wrecker, the Go-Rilla, the Look Out Below, the In-Your-Face Disgrace, the Cover Your Head, the Yo-Mama, the Spine-Chiller Supreme, and the Greyhound Special (for the rare occasions when he went coast to coast). The 76ers also kept a separate column on the stat sheet for Dawkins's self-created nicknames: "Sir Slam" and "Chocolate Thunder." Dawkins also wore gold chain necklaces during games until

1829-433: The age of 58. The Lehigh County coroner's office announced that an autopsy would be performed on August 27, but according to a statement released by Dawkins' family, the cause of death was a heart attack . Over 600 people attended his public casket viewing. Among them were former boxing heavyweight champion Larry Holmes , former 76ers teammate Billy Cunningham (who also coached Dawkins for five of his seven seasons with

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1888-522: The amount of teams that a league has, it's the amount that finish. —Tom Doyle, Maryland Nighthawks In preparation for the league's initial public offering ( ABKB ), former NBA player John Salley was named league commissioner and Maryland Nighthawks owner Tom Doyle was named league COO in September 2006. Cost for new franchises was subsequently raised to $ 20,000 for the 2006–07 season . Sports Illustrated writer Alexander Wolff launched

1947-680: The backboard , sending the Kings' Bill Robinzine ducking. Three weeks later he did it again, this time at home against the San Antonio Spurs at the Spectrum . A few days after that the NBA created a new rule that breaking a backboard was an offense that would result in a fine and suspension. Dawkins named the first backboard-breaking dunk "The Chocolate-Thunder-Flying, Robinzine-Crying, Teeth-Shaking, Glass-Breaking, Rump-Roasting, Bun-Toasting, Wham-Bam, Glass-Breaker-I-Am-Jam." He named other dunks as well:

2006-471: The basketball team. He served in that role from 2009 to 2011. On April 7, 1986, he appeared at WrestleMania II as a guest judge for a boxing match between Mr. T (with Joe Frazier , The Haiti Kid ) versus Roddy Piper (with Bob Orton and Lou Duva ). In 1989, Dawkins appeared as himself (credited as "The Basketball Star") in the documentary The Big Bang . Dawkins appears in NBA Ballers and

2065-484: The book, Dawkins chronicled some of the racism he encountered during his NBA career, playing alongside 76ers superstar Julius Erving , and his off-the-court experiences with drugs, partying, and women. In September 1986, Dawkins eloped with Kelly Barnes of Trenton, New Jersey . The following autumn, the two were planning to divorce when she committed suicide on November 1, 1987, at her parents' home in New Jersey; Dawkins

2124-419: The end of the 1980 NBA Finals when the NBA banned players from wearing them on court. One gold chain had a cross while the other featured one of his nicknames "Sir Slam" in gold script. He also had a similar necklace that has another nickname "Dr. Dunk" in gold script. Sometimes, Dawkins would also shave his head and have it oiled along with wearing an earring. At one point, Dawkins claimed to be an alien from

2183-697: The first head coach of the Tampa Bay ThunderDawgs. The 2001–02 ABA season saw only three teams return from the inaugural season, with the Chicago Skyliners, Los Angeles Stars , Memphis Houn'Dawgs, San Diego Wildfire and Tampa Bay ThunderDawgs replaced by the Kentucky Pro Cats, Las Vegas Slam, Phoenix Eclipse and Southern California Surf. Joe Newman folded the Indiana Legends after he was sued by eight former players in August 2002 for failing to pay their salaries. Newman had claimed $ 1 million in losses over two seasons of ownership. The 2002–03 season

2242-485: The first player to enter the NBA immediately after high school. With the fifth overall pick in the 1975 NBA draft , the Philadelphia 76ers selected Dawkins. He was drafted behind David Thompson , David Meyers , Marvin Webster , and Alvan Adams . He signed a seven-year contract worth $ 1 million. Dawkins languished on the Sixers' bench for his first two seasons. In his second season, after playing limited minutes during

2301-729: The leaders of the team. Dawkins was often inactive for games as he was still recovering from his back injuries and dealing with the death of his estranged wife. In his final season in the NBA, the Pistons won the NBA championship , and Dawkins finally earned a championship ring. Dawkins received a training camp invitation from the Orlando Magic for their inaugural season in 1989, but he opted to play in Italy. He spent several seasons in Italy, playing for Torino, Olimpia Milano and Telemarket Forli. He attempted

2360-414: The league in field-goal percentage. The Nets' 49–33 record that year was their best record since the ABA–NBA merger , and remained their best record until the 2001–02 season . The next season, he poured in a career-high 16.8 points per game on .593 field-goal shooting and grabbed 6.7 rebounds per contest. On November 3, 1983, Dawkins grabbed what would be his highest rebound total as a Net, with 15 during

2419-436: The league when he signed with the Long Beach Jam , leading them to an ABA title in their first season. The 2004–05 season saw franchise fees lowered from $ 50,000 to $ 10,000, and the bond requirement removed in order to attract new teams. Teams were subsequently organized into regional groups to facilitate interest and reduce travel costs, with 37 clubs competing that season in three divisions. The Arkansas RimRockers won

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2478-517: The league's games in January 2009, citing the amount of cancelled and forfeited contests. Several teams folded during the 2009–10 season , including the entire Pacific Northwest Division. The San Francisco Rumble forfeited their playoff game against the Southeast Texas Mavericks , as they could not afford to travel for the contest. Gilas Pilipinas , the Philippine national basketball team, competed in

2537-593: The league. The 2006–07 season concluded with the defending champion Rochester Razorsharks withdrawing from the league after they asked to reschedule a playoff game against the Wilmington Sea Dawgs , but were denied and told to forfeit. Following this incident, the Hammond Rollers , Jacksonville Jam , Maryland Nighthawks , Quad City Riverhawks and Wilmington Sea Dawgs joined the Razorsharks in forming

2596-412: The next two games, the Nets won a decisive game 5 when Dawkins' defense on reigning MVP Moses Malone helped New Jersey overcome a late deficit to win their first playoff series. The Nets' playoff series win over the defending NBA champions was ranked as the seventh-greatest playoff upset by Sports Illustrated. Despite Dawkins averaging 22.3 points and 7.3 rebounds per game in the following series against

2655-639: The planet Lovetron, where he spent the off-season practicing "interplanetary funkmanship" where his girlfriend Juicy Lucy lived. Musician Stevie Wonder , who frequently attended Sixers games, gave Dawkins the nickname " Chocolate Thunder ". Following his NBA career, Dawkins had a brief stint with the Harlem Globetrotters , followed by a season spent with the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the Continental Basketball Association in

2714-523: The point that the owner could no longer afford the lease. The team hoped to move to La Crosse , Wisconsin , to play at the La Crosse Center for the 2007–08 season, where they would have been known as the La Crosse RimRockers . However, due to the center's lease demands being higher than Little Rock's, the deal fell through. The team was inactive for the 2007–08 season, and again in the 2008–09 season. American Basketball Association (2000%E2%80%93present) The American Basketball Association ( ABA )

2773-431: The previously unbeaten Chicago Steam at Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena on January 16, 2016. It had been reported the week prior that the Orlando Magic was considering adopting the Giants as their NBA Development League affiliate, although later in the year they instead moved their existing affiliate Erie BayHawks to Lakeland, Florida . A sister league, the Women's American Basketball Association (WABA),

2832-407: The regular season, Dawkins was called upon to help the Sixers in their playoff run, to battle Dave Cowens of the Celtics and Moses Malone of the Rockets . The Sixers won both playoff series and advanced to the NBA Finals . Matched up against Portland 's Bill Walton , Dawkins helped the Sixers take the first two games before the Trail Blazers won the next four to win the series in six games. In

2891-405: The second game of the series, Dawkins got into a fight with Maurice Lucas , resulting in both players being ejected. Dawkins took his anger out on the 76ers locker room by tearing a toilet out of the wall and dislodging a locker stall and barricading the door with it. Dawkins' role in helping the Sixers win the Eastern Conference championship established him as one of Philadelphia's top players, on

2950-400: The state championship. He was heavily recruited by Division I colleges across the country, and he narrowed his choices to Florida State , Kansas , and Kentucky . Dawkins opted to directly enter the NBA draft out of high school instead of attending college. He made this decision because he wanted to make enough money to help his grandmother, mother, and siblings to escape poverty. He was

3009-450: The team that season. Dawkins set an NBA record for fouls in a season (386 in 1983–84 ). Dawkins was born in Orlando, Florida , on January 11, 1957, to Harriet James and Frank Dawkins. His grandmother Amanda Celestine Jones was fond of the young Darryl and personally raised him. As a 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) senior at Maynard Evans High School in Orlando, Florida , Dawkins averaged 32 points and 21 rebounds to lead his team to

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3068-487: The team up to that point. He was replaced by Andy Stoglin . Stoglin said he would bring a much different style that begins with strict discipline. He joined the organization as an assistant during the 2005–06 season after leading the Mississippi Stingers to the ABA semifinals, where they lost to Arkansas. Stoglin has been coaching since 1969, including a 13-year run as Jackson State's head coach. The team did not return to Arkansas for 2007-08 because attendance dropped to

3127-430: The team's first perfect season and third in ABA history. A play-in tournament was implemented beginning with the 2021–22 season to determine which teams would advance to the divisional round of the playoffs. Following elimination from the 2021–22 playoffs by the Steel City Yellow Jackets , the Jacksonville Giants ceased operations. The Burning River Buckets and Indiana Lyons were declared co-champions of

3186-540: The team's games, where they were watched by an average of 15 million people. Following the 2005–06 season in which many teams failed to complete their full schedules and became insolvent, the Charlotte Krunk , Florida Pit Bulls , Indiana Alley Cats , Pittsburgh Xplosion , San Jose Skyrockets and SoCal Legends left to join the rival Continental Basketball Association . My idea of success and Newman's differ. I'd rather have fewer teams, that are stable and last, as opposed to having tons that continue to fold. It's not

3245-488: Was in Utah with his team at the time. In 1988, Dawkins married a former Nets cheerleader, Robbin Thornton; they divorced after 10 years. Dawkins later remarried; he and his wife, Janice, had three children: Nick, Alexis, and Tabitha, a daughter from Janice's previous relationship who has Down syndrome . In 1999, Saturday Night Live named Dawkins the "Man of the Millennium" in a Weekend Update sketch. Dawkins died on August 27, 2015, in Allentown, Pennsylvania , at

3304-455: Was launched in 2017. Jersey Express owner Marsha Blount was named the league's President and CEO. The 2017–18 season saw franchise fees lowered to $ 2,500. League co-founder Dick Tinkham died of muscular dystrophy in October 2018. The 2019–20 season was ended prematurely and the playoffs cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic . The undefeated Jacksonville Giants captured their seventh and final championship in 2020–21, concluding

3363-463: Was not played, as the league suspended operations for reorganization. Jim Clark, owner of the Kansas City Knights , was named league president and COO in November 2002. The league resumed play with seven teams for the 2003–04 season . The returning Kansas City Knights were joined by the Fresno Heatwave , Jersey Squires, Las Vegas Rattlers, Juárez Gallos de Pelea , Long Beach Jam and Tijuana Dragons. Dennis Rodman brought national attention to

3422-407: Was particularly known for his tenure with the National Basketball Association 's Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Nets , although he also played briefly for the Detroit Pistons and Utah Jazz late in his career. His nickname, "Chocolate Thunder" , was bestowed upon him by Stevie Wonder . He was known for his powerful dunks, which led to the NBA adopting breakaway rims due to him shattering

3481-426: Was traded to the Utah Jazz in a seven-player, three-team trade during the 1987 offseason. His tenure with Utah lasted just four games before the Jazz traded him to the Detroit Pistons for a pair of second-round draft picks and an undisclosed amount of cash. Dawkins' personality was a natural fit on the " Bad Boys " Pistons team, and despite being limited to 14 games over two seasons, he was considered to be one of

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