Editing American Basketball Association (section)

=== Slam Dunk Contest ===
[[File:Julius Erving Nets (3).jpeg|thumb|[[Julius Erving]] performing a [[slam dunk]] against the [[Spirits of St. Louis]], 1974]]
The ABA pioneered the advent of the now popular [[Slam Dunk Contest|NBA slam dunk contest]] at the final ABA All-Star Game in 1976.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/allstar2005/dunkcontest_76.html|title=The One That Started It All|website=www.nba.com|access-date=2018-05-02|archive-date=2012-04-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120423212902/http://www.nba.com/allstar2005/dunkcontest_76.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The game was held in Denver, and the owners of the ABA teams wanted to ensure that the event would be entertaining for the sellout crowd of 15,021 people.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":3" /> The ABA and NBA had begun to discuss a possible merger,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/sports/nba-aba-merger/|title=The ABA is long gone, but it remains the soul of the NBA|newspaper=Washington Post|language=en|access-date=2018-05-04|archive-date=2018-05-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180505070434/https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/sports/nba-aba-merger/|url-status=live}}</ref> and the ABA owners wanted to establish the viability and success of their league.<ref name=":0" /> The Dunk Contest operated as a means of unique halftime entertainment that displayed the style and excitement that the ABA players brought to the game. The dunk contest was held at halftime of the All-Star game and the contestants were [[Artis Gilmore]], [[George Gervin]], [[David Thompson (basketball)|David Thompson]], [[Larry Kenon]], and [[Julius Erving]].<ref name=":3" /> The winner of the contest received $1,000 and a stereo system.<ref name=":0" /> Julius Erving went on to win the competition by completing the now famous free throw line dunk. The Slam Dunk Contest would make its way to the NBA in 1976–77 as a season-long competition for that season only, and on a permanent basis as a standalone event as part of the NBA All-Star Weekend in 1984.