ABA Style

As mentioned with Julius Erving, the ABA had a signature style. This style materialized in different ways, from playstyles that prioritized acrobatic finishes, and sideline outfits, to the multicolored basketball (Pluto, 1990). Below are visual examples of the different types of energy the ABA brought to professional basketball as a product. The visually apparent differences between the ABA and NBA coincide with how the leagues were actually different. In the case of the following images, the ABA was a flashy league that heavily relied upon the visual product rather than the institutional history of the NBA.

Flashy gameplay of a rim protecting block bookended by the flashes of cameras create a visual metaphor for the play style of the ABA.

Larry Brown, a head basketball coach, wears an unconventional outfit. The ABA put the visual product first, throwing away the unwritten rules and sanctity of the sport as an institution. Before the ABA, the usual head coach outfit consisted of a coat and tie, but through the prioritization of the gameplay as the product beginning with the ABA, coaches and players began to zag, becoming unconventional. This outfit exemplifies the radical product of the ABA compared to the NBA.

The visually different ref uniforms and multicolored basketball are visual manifestations of the leagues flair. The red, white, and blue ball serves a visual reminder to the viewer that this is not the NBA and the ref's uniform demonstrates the visual flair of the ABA exemplified by James Silas acrobatic layup.