1976 ABA All-Star Game

The 1976 ABA All Star Game was the 9th and final American Basketball Association All-Star Game, played at McNichols Arena in Denver, Colorado on January 27, 1976. This time, the league abandoned the usual East vs. West format it used from the 1967-68 season onward and instead had the league's first place team at the All Star break face off against a team of ABA All Stars. At the All Star break the Denver Nuggets were in first place, which was convenient as the Nuggets had also been selected to host the game in McNichols Arena. Kevin Loughery of the New York Nets coached the All-Stars while Larry Brown led the Denver Nuggets. This was the second year in a row that Loughery and Brown coached against each other in the ABA All-Star Game. (The Nuggets went on to finish the regular season in first place at 60-24 (.714), but after beating the Kentucky Colonels 4 games to 3 in the ABA Semifinals the Nuggets lost in the 1976 ABA Finals to the New York Nets, 4 games to 2.)[1]

Pre-game entertainment was provided by Glen Campbell and Charlie Rich.[2]

Halftime of the All Star Game saw the first-ever Slam Dunk Contest, which was won by Julius Erving of the New York Nets (who took off from the free throw line for one of his dunks[3]) over David Thompson of the Denver Nuggets, Artis Gilmore of the Kentucky Colonels, George Gervin of the San Antonio Spurs and Larry Kenon of the Spurs.[4] The NBA later adopted the Slam Dunk Contest as part of its All Star Game starting in 1984 (also hosted by the Denver Nuggets). Denver's 52 fourth quarter points was a record for an ABA All Star Game and capped a ferocious comeback win. David Thompson of the Denver Nuggets was named MVP.[2]

This was the final ABA All Star Game, due to the ABA-NBA merger in June 1976.

Score by Periods:1234Final
Denver32233752144
All-Stars31254141138

All-Stars

Player, TeamMINFGMFGA3PM3PAFTMFTAREBASTSTLBLKPFSPTS
Brian Taylor, NYA29390100480036
Artis Gilmore, KEN275700467100614
Julius Erving, NYA2591201577500423
James Silas, SAA2361000880500620
Billy Knight, INA23914012210200320
Billy Paultz, SAA204600222100110
Larry Kenon, SAA205700006200510
Ron Boone, SSL1651100003200110
George Gervin, SAA163131212610018
Maurice Lucas, KEN14250011530015
Don Buse, INA14251200130005
Marvin Barnes, SSL13350011010037
Team Totals2405610427242951340034138

Denver

Player, TeamMINFGMFGA3PM3PAFTMFTAREBASTSTLBLKPFSPTS
Ralph Simpson, DEN3781500337500019
David Thompson, DEN349180011138200429
Dan Issel, DEN3161600799500319
Bobby Jones, DEN298120081110300224
Claude Terry, DEN2551213353300214
Chuck Williams, DEN22260035140027
Byron Beck, DEN2061100224000314
Gus Gerard, DEN1751400229100512
Monte Towe, DEN11130000020002
Roger Brown, DEN9220000330014
James Foster, DEN5030000100010
Team Totals2405211213395055280023144
  • Halftime — All-Stars, 56-55
  • Third Quarter — All-Stars, 97-92
  • Officials: Norm Drucker and Ed Middleton
  • Attendance: 17,798.

References

  1. ↑ Remember the ABA: 1975-76 Regular Season Standings and Playoff Results Archived 2010-11-29 at the Wayback Machine.
  2. 1 2 Remember the ABA: American Basketball Association All-Star Games Archived December 21, 2008, at the Wayback Machine.
  3. ↑ Dr. J dunks
  4. ↑ The One That Started It All
  • The Official NBA Basketball Encyclopedia. Villard Books. 1994. p. 260. ISBN 0-679-43293-0.
  • basketball-reference.com. "1976 ABA All-Star Game". Retrieved 2013-09-11.
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