Supergames I & II: The 1971 and 1972 NBA-ABA All-Star Games
A slightly different version of this article was originally published in the October 2004 issue of Basketball Digest.The Forgotten Dream Teams
The 1992 U.S. Olympic “Dream Team” is considered to be the best basketball team ever assembled; ten of its twelve members are on the NBA’s 50 Greatest Players list.
In 1971 and 1972, two ABA All-Star teams comprised mostly of unheralded players nearly beat NBA All-Star teams whose rosters contained some of basketball’s most legendary figures—nine of the ten NBA participants in the 1971 NBA-ABA All-Star Game are on the NBA’s 50 Greatest Players list.
The 1992 "Dream Team" is perhaps the most famous basketball squad ever.
Most accounts of basketball history do not mention the NBA-ABA Supergames and very little footage exists of them. This is the story of the two Supergames and the great players who participated in them.
Supergame I: May 28, 1971, Houston Astrodome
NBA and ABA players organized the first Supergame as a fund raiser for the Whitney Young Foundation, an organization that helped prepare underprivileged students for college. The Foundation received the net gate receipts, while the television proceeds were divided between the participating players and each league’s Players Association pension funds. The members of the respective Players Associations selected 11 man rosters from the previous season’s All-Star teams. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was supposed to play for the NBA, but he got married the day before the game and his roster spot was not filled. Boston Celtics’ legend Bill Russell coached the NBA and Larry Brown helmed the ABA.
Mel Daniels, who won two ABA MVPs and three ABA titles as an Indiana Pacer, recalls that the ABA players looked forward to the game: “We weren’t intimidated by the (NBA) guys. We figured that they did everything that we would do in the locker room in terms of putting on your shoes and your uniform and playing basketball. The climate was that the ABA guys were not as good as the NBA basketball players, so we had a few things on our minds that we had to prove to society, to the basketball world in general, that we were as good as the NBA, if not better.”
The game used NBA rules in the first half (24 second shot clock, no three point shot) and ABA rules in the second half (30 second shot clock, three point shot). Walt Frazier came off the bench to make seven of his eight field goal attempts in the first half and the NBA led 66-64 after Elvin Hayes’ first half buzzer beater. The game went back and forth until the NBA took a 108-98 lead in the fourth quarter. Barry and Charlie Scott rallied the ABA to within a point with 47 seconds left, but Oscar Robertson drained two free throws to put the NBA up 123-120 with 32 seconds left. Frazier closed out the scoring with two more free throws at the 11 second mark. Frazier finished with a game-high 26 points and won a car as the game MVP.
Even after such a strong showing the ABA players still had to fight an uphill battle to receive recognition. Daniels still recalls one slight: “One thing that I remember is that I blocked Elvin Hayes’ shot and the next day in the newspaper it came out that Hayes had blocked my shot.”
Both referees were from the NBA, which makes one statistic from the 1971 game stand out. In the fourth quarter the NBA All-Stars attempted 31 free throws, which would have been an NBA single game regular season record at that time. Despite shooting six for 23 from the field in the final stanza (the ABA went 10-20) the older league outscored the ABA 34-31. The NBA had a bigger, more inside oriented team, but through the first three quarters the NBA’s free throw attempted edge was only 39-32. Moreover, the fourth quarter parade to the free throw line was led not by the NBA’s big men but by guards Oscar Robertson (eight FTA) and Earl Monroe (six FTA) and swingman John Havlicek (all seven of his FTA).
Clearly, the NBA-ABA All-Star Game was much more fiercely contested and much more closely officiated than contemporary All-Star Games are. For example, in the 2004 NBA All-Star Game both teams combined for 32 free throw attempts in the entire game. Daniels says, “This was a serious business. Not only was that game a very serious endeavor, when we started playing exhibition games (against the NBA), those weren’t exhibition games per se. They were played with all the energy and verve of a regular season game.”
Supergame II: May 25, 1972, Nassau Coliseum
The NBA threatened to fine and/or suspend any NBA player who participated in Supergame II, but this did not stop the NBA Players Association from assembling another powerhouse team: seven Hall of Famers, six of whom are on the Top 50 List. Hall of Famer and Top 50 player Jerry West was unable to play because his kids were sick and his spot was filled by his Los Angeles Lakers’ teammate, fellow Hall of Famer Gail Goodrich. Paul Silas replaced injured Hall of Famer Dave DeBusschere. The 1972 ABA team featured three Hall of Famers—Barry, Erving and Dan Issel. Before the game Larry Fleischer, NBA Players’ Association counsel, said the two teams were “the finest collection of basketball talent ever assembled on one floor.” Elgin Baylor coached the NBA and Wilt Chamberlain was the team captain; Al Bianchi and Daniels filled those roles for the ABA.
Erving was not fazed by the prospect of competing against the NBA: “For me, coming off my rookie season, I was kind of feeling my oats and feeling like I could play against anybody, anywhere, at any time. I had played in and around New York in the pro summer leagues, so I had a lot of confidence in my ability.”
The only existing tape of the 1972 game consists of 90 minutes of black and white footage from the TVS national broadcast. There are technical problems throughout the recording, mainly with the audio. Don Criqui handled the play by play, while Hot Rod Hundley and Hall of Famer Cliff Hagan provided color commentary. The ABA ball was used in the first half and the NBA ball was used in the second. The ABA’s three point shot was only in effect in the second half.
Supergame II showcased a defensive intensity that differed completely from the way All-Star Games are generally played: in the first quarter alone Donnie Freeman drew a charge on Archie Clark and the ABA nearly forced a shot clock violation before a foul call bailed out the NBA.
Erving entered the game late in the first quarter with the ABA leading 22-14 and he provided an immediate spark, scoring from the left block after a pass from Gilmore. Later he displayed his open court skills, dribbling between his legs without breaking stride, driving hard to the basket and making a double-clutching shot in traffic.
He seemed to be in two places at once when he stopped a 4-on-2 fast break by the NBA. Erving picked up Robertson at the free throw line, forcing Robertson to dish to Clark on the left baseline for what seemed to be a wide open jump shot. Instead, Erving took a big step to meet Clark, swatted the shot out of midair, recovered the ball in the corner, took a couple dribbles upcourt and whipped an outlet to Daniels, who passed to George Thompson for a layup plus the foul. Thompson’s free throw put the ABA up 47-30 with 7:35 left in the first half.
By the third quarter the NBA closed the score to 60-59 and Criqui noted, “Julius Erving led the ABA to a breakaway in the second quarter—they went up by 19—but he’s been on the bench throughout the later part of the second quarter and has not played here in the third quarter.” With about two minutes left in the third quarter and the NBA leading 81-78, Erving returned to the game. Erving closed the third quarter with a fantastic drive against Hawkins from the right wing, dribbling between his legs, than spinning and going between his legs again. Once Erving got clear of Hawkins he elevated over Bob Lanier and made a bank shot.
Sadly, the fourth quarter footage is missing and presumed to be destroyed. The game closed in dramatic fashion. Barry hit a three pointer with 13 seconds left to cut the NBA lead to one. The ABA fouled Clark, who made the first and missed the second attempt. A wild scramble for the rebound ensued. Barry emerged with the ball and launched a desperation three pointer. His game winning attempt fell short and the NBA won 106-104. Lanier scored 15 points and was selected game MVP.
The Mind Boggling Dr. J Dunk
Silas will never forget a particular fourth quarter play from the 1972 game: “The one defining moment was, I had the ball and Doc stole the ball from me and went down and slammed this thing harder than I had ever seen anybody slam the ball in my life.” Prior to the game Silas knew little about Erving: “Zelmo Beaty, who I had played with in St. Louis and Atlanta, had jumped leagues and when I saw him he was telling me about Doc—that he wasn’t a good shooter but he just went by everybody. He just took up the slack, penetrated around and dunked on everybody. And I’m wondering how that happened. How could it happen? He developed a consistent shot, but it took time for him to do that. He was special.”
Daniels had seen some great dunks before, including one by Hawkins over Daniels’ Minnesota Muskies’ teammate Sam Smith in the 1968 ABA playoffs, but nothing quite like Erving’s flight in the 1972 Supergame: “He leapt from behind the free throw line, hung in the air for two or three seconds it seemed and dunked it. It was an absolutely amazing dunk and you had to see it to really appreciate it. Telling you about it does not do it the justice it deserves.”
Erving recalls, “I stole the ball and got Oscar Robertson and Archie Clark caught back on defense and Archie went for the steal, which made me pick the ball up. I was around the top of the key, coming in transition…I took a step and a half and went airborne from somewhere around the foul line, just inside the foul line. I noticed Oscar Robertson was there and just looking at me like, ‘What does this kid think he is going to do?’ He figured that I was going to come out of the air before I made it to the basket, but I got all the way to the basket and I dunked the ball and the ball bounced up into his hands and there was a certain expression on his face at the time—as well as Archie’s—almost like it was a moment. And I just ran back downcourt, but later on a lot of people talked about that play.”
In many ways Erving’s dunk symbolizes the ABA and the Supergames in one spectacular athletic flourish—it was amazing and yet no footage of it exists. Fortunately, Erving’s free throw line dunk to win the 1976 ABA Slam Dunk contest was captured for posterity.
SUPERGAME I and II Boxscores:
When this article appeared in Basketball Digest, two sidebar pieces accompanied it. Here are links to 20 Second Timeout posts that reprint those two articles, plus a followup item relating to the Pistol Pete Maravich book by Wayne Federman and Marshall Terrill:
The ABA's Unsung Heroes
Dr. J and Pistol Pete on the Same Team
"Pete Maravich: The Authorized Biography of Pistol Pete" is Now Available in Paperback
Basketball Digest did not publish my author acknowledgements, so I'd like to take this opportunity to thank Arthur Hundhausen of RememberTheABA.com and John Grasso for providing box scores and background information about both games and Paul Silas, Mel Daniels, Bob “Slick” Leonard, Julius Erving and Rick Barry for contributing their personal recollections.
Labels: Julius Erving, Mel Daniels, Oscar Robertson, Paul Silas, Rick Barry
posted by David Friedman @ 5:54 PM
31 Comments:
Well, I'll be the first and maybe only one to post here. Maybe because I'm old enough to remember the ABA (I was a young Carolina Cougars fan).
Great post! This was a fun read and it was fascinating to read about some legendary names squaring off. Would have been great to see. Early Dr. J was just crazy good. I don't know if enough young people realize how amazing he was.
Thanks for doing this.
Luis
Luis:
My pleasure. This story, my piece about Dr. J and Pistol Pete being on the same team and my Roger Brown article will always rank among my favorite basketball articles; I thoroughly enjoyed researching and writing each of them.
I was at the second game and was sitting on the floor for the fourth quarter and took some photos.I have one still in my possession that is kind of amazing. When J dunked the ball right in front of me, the floor shook, and his knees were liiterally at Havilcek's hair level when he elevated. Happy to send the photo along if you give me an email and copyright protect it!
Mike ONYC
I was lucky enough to be in an area that received that broadcast, and I clearly remember Doc J taking off a good six inches OUTSIDE the foul line for that breakaway dunk. It was stupendous! I was jumping up and down in front of the TV, yelling at my mom "Did you see that?! Did you see it?!" She didn't , and thought I was totally crazy when I tried to explain it to her.
The second game was really what made Dr. J famous. I remember not knowing who this kid from the Squires was, and not respecting the ABA much. Then he steals the ball, stupidly (in my mind) tries to go 1-on-2 on a fast break, looks like he might get away with it, and then, insanely, jumps from the free throw line for his "layup attempt". The announcer's words said it all...."Oh MY GAWD....HE DUNKED IT!!".
The next day at the gym, the few of us that had watched it were showing everyone where Doc had jumped from, and had only one of us seen it, no one would have believed it.
I had a new hero, the ABA had my undying respect, and a legend was born.
Sadly, by the time Doc got to the ABA, he'd had knee surgery, and as great as he was, his most spectacular days were behind him.
Anonymous:
Dr. J never had knee surgery. He had tendonitis in his knees dating all the way back to his ABA days, which is why he stopped playing in the Rucker League during the summer so that his knees could recuperate during the offseason. As I have documented in some articles and interviews that are posted at this site, Dr. J voluntarily reduced his scoring average during his first few NBA seasons because that is what the Sixers' brass asked him to do. In 1979-80, Coach Billy Cunningham decided that the Sixers should feature Dr. J more and Dr. J averaged an NBA career-high 26.9 ppg, nearly matching his typical ABA scoring output a full four years after the merger when Doc was already a 30 year old nine year vet.
Dearest Mike ONYC
How can I see your photos of Doc J in action in this 1972 ABA /NBA all star game (mostly the dunk frames)?
Can you scan some on my email address?
Thanks a lot from heart.
Giuseppe
I always maintained during my youth that the ABA was comparable to the NBA, and I even went to see an ABA double-header at Maple Leaf Gardens when I was in my early teens. Thanks for posting.
Here's a clip of Supergame II. Some of Dr. J's highlights are in there, as well as Wilt rejecting some of Artis Gilmore's shots.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUqkuCic3GA
I saw the dunk on tv. I was 13 and had turned on the game 5 minutes before it happened. I had never heard of Julius Erving. So when he drove down court (I recall he beat a couple of defenders with behind-the-back/between-the-leg dribbling) and took off from around the foul line and dunked, I was basically in shock. The play didn't make sense. It just seemed to violate the laws of human anatomy and physics. I recall from the 4 or 5 instant replays that he took off maybe 6 inches inside the foul line. When he got to the basket, his head was at the rim. Actually, it seemed like he was still going up. He pounded it through the floor. It was like Doc was from outerspace or something. By far the best in-game dunk I've ever seen.
I talked about that dunk for the next 30 years. No one I talked to saw it (or probably believed my description). By my 30s, I started thinking maybe it didn't happen. This article is my vindication. By the way, I met Doc at a book signing a year ago. I asked him about the dunk. He said, "Yupp. Big O and Archiiieee Claaarrkk." Me, "I saw it, man!" Doc was pleased and I was 13 again.
If video of the dunk had survived, the ABA might still be in business. It was that crazy.
Anonymous:
Thank you for sharing your memory of Dr. J's spectacular dunk. Researching and writing this story is one of the highlights of my writing career.
I Was at game in Nassau.Before and after game getting autographs Clyde Frazier drove up in A Rolls with white wall tires.Frazier.Barry and Erving hung out signing autographs> Barry said to Frazier After checking out car you dont mind fans signing your white wall tires, Clyde responded my man always has them clean before I take her out.both started 2 laugh. Great game 3.25 to sit upper level.old sports writer Jim O'brian gave free tickets to many kids
Anonymous:
Thank you for sharing your memories! It must have been a thrill to go to that game.
Wow. Just reading these memories from other fans is so enjoyable. I was a HS senior and a real basketball junkie - both playing and watching. I remember the game, the steal, Julius flying down the court, Archie and Big O backpedaling for their lives and then Julius just exploded from the foul line and throws down this thunderous tomahawk dunk! Nobody could believe what they just saw. It was one of those transcendent moments in sports when an athlete does something which defies a law of nature- gravity in this case - and the rest of us just marvel at the magnificence of this singular athletic performance. Bob Beamon’s world record shattering long jump in Mexico City Olympics in ‘68 comes to mind.
The greatest in game dunk ever. Period. By one of the greatest players of all time...and classiest. The Great Doctor J.! Thanks Julius!
Don:
I wish that I could have been there to see it! I have interviewed many great athletes and they tend to not be in awe of other great athletes--they respect them but are not in awe. Two exceptions to that, in my experience, are Wilt Chamberlain and Julius Erving. Great players who I have interviewed who played with or against Wilt or Julius remain in awe, decades later.
I live in Louisville and frequently we would go to the KY Col. games at Freedom hall. I was a huge fan of Issel and Dampier and Gilmore as a kid. I remember one defining moment when the colonels were playing the Virginia Squires. Julius Erving took the ball base line and scooped in a shot on the other side, then he looped long around by the crowd about 10 feet from us and staring up into the crowd. I had never seen such an impressive athlete and I instantly became a huge fan of DR. J !! Classy , classy guy and wonderful talent! There will never be another like him in my book.
Doug:
I wish that I saw Dr. J play in person, particularly during his ABA days. He is one of the most underrated great players of all-time. Thank you for sharing your memories.
I watched both Supergames. That 2nd game with Dr. J was incredible. Two plays stand out. One, the NBA on a fast break with the ball in his possession, Nate Archibald gave an absolute all-time funky "DIME" to Gail Goodrich. Around his his back and through his legs. Goodrich was so astonished he missed the layup. Play number two though, is etched in the memory of all who saw it. On a fast break, Dr. J, took off at least 6 inches OUTSIDE the Free Throw line, soared through the air and SLAMED, I mean, SLAMED the ball down through the hoop! It is still the most amazing dunk I've ever seen. I don't even think J flew that far ever again! Read the accounts in this comment thread of the people that saw it. The footage, unfortunately, is lost but oh the memory!
Geo:
Thank you for sharing!
The dunk Dr. J made from the free throw line is the most impressive thing I have ever seen done on a basketball court. Ever. I was 15, going on 16, watching the game with my stepfather,who didn't care much for sports. I'd been aware of Doc from reading about him during hid junior year at UMass, and had seen pics of him in magazines, so I was excited to get the chance to finally SEE him play. After splitting Oscar and Archie Clark, Doc took about 2 steps and went up. I was bringing a sandwich to my mouth , as he continued up and towards the basket. "What the hell does that fool think he's trying to do ?, my stepfather asked. Just ask was about to respond, he slammed the ball. I threw my sandwich up in the air, brought my hands to my head, and screamed, "Oh my God !" Running out the house,,I saw my a friend of mine, yelling at ME, asking me if I'd seen what Dr. J just did. 3 other buddies joined in, all of us in complete wonderment and disbelief ! Dr. J became my basketball blueprint after that. Everything I'd read about him prior became truth after that move.
It's more impressive than his '76 Dunk Contest slam, because it was an in-game dunk. I will never forget that.
That dunk from the foul line, after splitting the Big O and Archie Clark , is the most impressive basketball move I have ever seen. Period. Was 15 when I saw it in that game, and will never forget it.
Brad:
I wish that footage of that dunk could be found.
Before I wrote the article, I interviewed the players separately, and did not tell them how others had described the play. I just said something like, "I understand that Dr. J made a pretty special move in that game. What do you remember about that?" Each of them remembered the important details the same way. Paul Silas laughed and told me of course he remembers the play because it started with Dr. J stealing the ball from him, which was a detail that I did not know until he graciously shared it!
I have seen footage from earlier in that game, and you can tell that the young Doc had another gear even compared to what he had just a few years later, when he was still the best player in the world.
It is a shame that not everyone understands how great Doc was, but I hope that my research has opened a few eyes and minds over the years.
Thank you again for reading my article and sharing your memories.
I don’t recall if Mel Daniels blocked Elvin Hayes’ shot but I do remember him blocking a dunk attempt by Nate Thurmond. Thurmond was at the top of the key, floated down the key and received a lob pass and in one motion was going to slam dunk the ball when out of nowhere Daniels came flying, checked Nate’s momentum with one hand on the ball and forced the shot back emphatically. Additionally, if I remember correctly, Thurmond “ate” that ball as he fell back. Unforgettable play. I’m willing to bet that anyone who saw that play, hasn’t forgotten it.
I have not seen or heard about Daniels' block against Thurmond, but I don't think that all of the footage from either game is available anymore. I know that the entire fourth quarter of Supergame II has been missing for many years.
The dunk by Julius was the most exciting play I had ever seen on a basketball court!
ChuckLynch:
Everyone who was there or who saw the telecast feels that way as well! I wish that footage still existed so everyone could see that Dr. J's athleticism was out of this world, and decades ahead of his time.
I was there at the game as a ten year old kid and remember the dunk well. I also remember Wilt blocking Gilmore's weak stuff to about the second row. Archie Clark faked out Donnie Freeman right out of his shoes. I remember the NBA was cheered and the ABA booed. Debuschere got a standing ovation. Mel daniels had no chance against Wilt and Lanier. Lanier dominated in second half and won the MVP. Rick Barry would sign again with Golden State a month later. The Dr. J dunk was amazing but the NBA had the better team even without half their players at the game. wish Clyde ,West and Kareem played in the game. Dr. J was awesome. wish he would have stayed with the Hawks. I know he wanted to!
Coach1963:
Thank you for sharing your memories. The NBA team was stocked with Hall of Famers but the final score was close, so I do not agree that the NBA was missing "half their players" or that the NBA definitively had the better team. If the teams had played a seven game series I think it would have been close.
Coach 1963,can you describe the Doc J dunk as you remember? Interesting to compare with other descriptions of the same move...
Giuseppe
The dunk was as people say it was. You had to be there to see it. I also remember Havlicek stealing the ball from Erving. Hey Dave. Technically Rick Barry should have been playing for the NBA because he came back to the Warriors two months later and was not under contract anymore with the Nets. Dave you tell me if this squad would beat the ABA? Jerry West,Kareem,Cowens,Bellamy,Reed,Frazier,Bing,Maravich,Haywood,Unseld,Hayes,Petrie,Wilkins,Carr,White,Lucas,Wickks. You tell me Dave if that team would win? They were not there in the 1972 game which I saw. Debusschere did not play. You have an ABA bias. How did you feel when the fans booed the ABA on the ABA’s home court. Waiting for your reply on the list of players who did not play in that game. I also forgot about Charlie Scott who was on the Suns and happy to bolt the ABA. He also did not play for NBA in game. Waiting for a reply. This team is better than the NBA team that played. You could call that team that played the NBA B or C team!
Coach1963:
I am not sure why you put 17 players on your hypothetical 1972 NBA team. It is obvious that Kareem and West could have made the NBA team stronger. It is important to remember that the ABA was a new league, while the NBA had been around for a quarter century by that time. The ABA's performance as an upstart league was very impressive. I have seen all available footage of that game, and it is obvious that no one on the NBA team could guard Dr. J. If Dr. J had played more minutes, the ABA might have won going away. The plus/minus numbers for that game would be interesting to see.
Don't tell me that I have an ABA bias. If you believe that to be true, then support your assertion by providing facts and evidence that contradict what I wrote. I interviewed players from both teams, and I reported what I found out.
Whether or not fans booed--and I have not seen any credible reporting about that, nor did any of my interview subjects mention this--is not relevant to this discussion.
Additional evidence regarding the strength of the ABA compared to the NBA includes but is not limited to the 1975 NBA champion Golden State Warriors turning down a big money challenge to play versus the 1975 ABA champion Kentucky Colonels, not to mention the dominance of ex-ABA players for years after the ABA-NBA merger: Julius Erving won a regular season MVP, two All-Star Game MVPs, and one championship while leading one of the league's best squads circa 1977-83, Moses Malone won three regular season MVPs and one Finals MVP while teaming up with Erving on perhaps the best single season team ever, and the 1977 NBA All-Star Game was filled with ex-ABA players. Also, you can look at the All-NBA Teams from the late 1970s and early 1980s, plus the rosters of NBA Finalists and NBA champions. Finally, take a look at the records of NBA teams versus ABA teams in the preseason games in the 1970s; the ABA teams more than held their own, and both leagues took those games seriously.
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