In 1967, another basketball league was created to rival the NBA called the American Basketball Association (ABA). This league, while only lasting until the 1975-76 season, challenged the NBA culturally as a product for viewers. Among the ABA were star players such as George Gervin, David Thompson, and most influentially Julius Erving who brought a fun and exciting energy to professional basketball (Pluto, 1990). 

While a league that inevitably was fleeting, they pioneered a new form of basketball product, one that prioritizes culture and flashy gameplay, most evidently seen in Julius Erving’s acrobatic play style as well as the league's newly created event called the dunk contest. This era is defined by how the ABA challenged the NBA and inevitably forced the NBA to adopt some new practices and absorb ABA teams, revolutionizing the basketball product for the consumer forever.