Sports Poets Society

https://www.nytimes.com/1976/06/18/archives/pro-basketball-leagues-merge-new-york-to-retain-two-teams-nba-votes.html ​ June 18, 1976 By Sam Goldaper Special to The New York Times The New York Times Archives See the article in its original context from  June 18, 1976, Page 1 Buy Reprints HYANNIS, Mass., June 17—The National Basketball Association and the American Basketball Association finally merged today into a 22‐team league. Four of the A.B.A.'s six teams —the New York Nets, the In diana Pacers, the Denver Nuggets and the San Antonio Spurs —have been absorbed into the N.B.A. and will play in the 1976–77 season. Each of these franchises will pay $3.2 million in cash to the N.B.A., with the first payment of $1 million due on July 15 and the remainder on Sept. 15. The Nets also must indemnify the Knicks for moving into their New York territory. The Nets play their games at Nassau Col. iseum in Uniondale, L.I. Mike Burke, president of the Knicks, said the indemnification would be “r...

https://www.facebook.com/100080061676841/posts/june-17-1976e-x-a-c-t-l-y-47-years-ago-today-the-aba-nba-merger-it-was-more-like/257858163559571/ June 17, 1976: E-X-A-C-T-L-Y 47 years ago today:  The ABA-NBA "MERGER" (it was more like an extortion agreement, read below the conditions....In the coming years, it almost destroyed the Nets and the Pacers) WAS OFFICIALLY FINALIZED AFTER 4 ABA TEAMS JOINED THE NBA . Here are 2 interesting pieces: the first is the NYT report, the day after the announcement, and the second is an artical from the famous Julius "Dr. J" Erving and Dave Cowens' Sports Illustrated cover (below), from October 25, 1976. Enjoy the reading (unless you're a Kentucky Colonels or New York Nets fan.. ). *** "Pro Basketball Leagues Merge; New York to Retain Two Teams" By: Sam Goldaper Special to The New York Times . June 18, 1976 HYANNIS, Mass., June 17—The National Basketball Association and the American Basketball Association finally...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUaL1KW_Ag0 By Sam Goldaper March 22, 1979 The New York Times Archives March 22, 1979, Section D, Page 17 A 20‐foot jump shot by Butch Carter with 4 seconds left enabled Indiana to edge Purdue, 53‐52, in the final round of the National Invitation Tournament last night before a crowd of 14,889 at Madison square Garden. Before the Hoosiers' victory brought their season won‐lost mark to 22‐12. Alabama defeated Ohio State, 96‐86, for third‐place honors. Carter's basket earned him a share of the most‐valuable‐player honors with his teammate, Ray Tolbert. Ironically, the 6‐foot‐5‐inch Carter, a senior backcourt man, could easily have been the goat in a game dominated by tough defense and coaching strategy. It took 8 minutes to play the final 16 seconds, during which six timeouts were called, four by Indiana. With Purdue ahead, 52‐51, and the Hoosiers in a stall for 3 minutes 25 seconds in an effort to get the Boilermakers to come out of their zone defe...