Darnell Hillman, former ABA basketball star, in a scene from “The Waiting Game.” The documentary tells the story of the ABA, and the efforts to get its aging players the benefits they deserve.

Today’s ABA is a separate reincarnation of the original, which lasted from 1967 to 1975 and featured legends like Julius Erving, Rick Barry and George Gervin.

The ABA, which relaunched in 1999, has grown into one of the largest basketball leagues in the world, boasting 177 teams nationwide—including six in Louisiana.

Or look at it another way: through the 2022–23 season, 72 players had made First Team All-NBA at least twice. That includes virtually all of the shoo-in types on the top 100, as well as some ...

Lafayette’s new ABA basketball team set to tip off by: Karaski Melvin. Posted: Jun 12, 2025 / 07:48 AM CDT. Updated: Jun 12, 2025 / 07:48 AM CDT. by: Karaski Melvin.

And I was able to get certified in Lafayette Parish to be able to have an ABA team for Lafayette.” The squad is hosting tryouts on June 21 and 28, according to Ballers head coach John Francis.