Like many high school basketball stars before him, Damon Bailey is a Basketball Legend; at least in Indiana. Bob Knight once called him a “hot prospect” when Bailey was in the eight grade. Bailey won four consecutive first team all-state selections in high school, which spread his fame in the nation’s basketball hotbed, Indiana. When was the last time that anyone ever heard of a high school team drawing 41,000 fans to witness a high school state basketball final? It was the largest crowd ever to attend a high school basketball game. Of course Bailey brought Bedford North Lawrence High School back with a comeback victory scoring his team’s final 11 points. He finished his career as the state’s all-time leading scorer with 3,134 points. Bailey captured the title of Indiana Mr. Basketball during his senior year.

Bob Knight followed up on his declaration of Bailey as a “hot prospect”, by recruiting him to play for Indiana, where he was a four year starter, finishing sixth on the Indiana scoring list with 1,741 points. The accolades continued with Bailey winning third team All-America, first team All- Big Ten award and he led IU to a Final Four appearance in 1992.

Like many players before him, Bailey though a legend, was not a good pro, after being picked as the 44^th pick in the NBA draft by the Indiana Pacers, he was eventually cut by the Pacers. He played for a few years in the Continental Basketball Association before coaching at his alma mater, Bedford North Lawrence High School for two seasons. He resigned this year , having co- founded Hawkins -Bailey Warehouse in Bedford.

Loose Balls- The short wild life of the American basketball Association is without a doubt my all

time favorite basketball book.

This is a book of interviews from the GM, Owners, coaches, and players who were a part of the ABA from it’s inception in 1967 to the last league championship game in 1975. The ABA was Showtime with a capitol “S” and it was also a proving ground for Innovative rules that are a lasting part NBA today of our game even today. The most famous rule carryover from the ABA is the three point shot. The NBA adopted this rule from the ABA and it has been a fixture in both the college game and the pro game for many years.

The ABA was a league of Mavericks and some of the games most notorious players, played in this league and they were characters. Let see there was, John Brisker, who became a mercenary in Africa, following his ABA career. He was killed in Africa, following this occupation. He was a tough, take no prisoner Forward. Then there were interesting characters like Marvin ‘Bad New” Barnes, the 6-9 Power forward from Providence, who in seventies terms was a player. He rarely practiced and it was no big deal for him to show up to a game with two ladies hanging on his arms. Barnes played for the Spirit of St. Louis.

Warren Jabali was the leagues bad guy, only a 6-2 guard, but he was tough as nails and intimidated nearly half the league until someone clocked him one day. These were the characters, the interesting stories, but there were some who could really play the Game George Mc Ginnis for one. He played one year for the Indiana Hoosiers, before turning pro with the Indiana Pacer, then part of the ABA. I w=once saw McGinnis score 51 points in a high school all-star game, he was a man among kids. McGinnis went onto team with Julius Ervin on Philadelphia in the NBA after the ABA folded.

Dan Issel, was a power forward from the University of Kentucky, who played under Adolph Rupp, without a doubt . Issel was a player and played for the Kentucky Colonels and the Denver Nuggets in the ABA. He was an all-star forward and after the league folded he remained with the Nuggets as part of four ABA franchises that switch to the NBA. The others were the Indiana Pacer, San Antonio Spurs and the New Jersey Nets. All four of the former ABA teams have prospered in the NBA as well. David Thompson made a name for himself in the ABA. The Skywalker was known for leaping out of buildings with his jumping ability, while playing along side, Dan Issel in Denver.

The most famous ABA player and an ambassador even now for the league is ABA alumnus, Julius Erving . It was in the ABA where the Legend of Doctor J was born. In the five season that Erving played in the ABA He averaged 28 points per game, pulled down an average of 12.1 rebounds and shot 50% from the field.. He won the League MVP award three times, sharing the final award with George McGinnis in 1975.

Erving was a magician on the floor, he could literally do things that no one ever dreamed possible. Doctor J gave us what was the most memorable dunk that was ever in the first ever ABA Slam Dunk Contest. By the way the ABA created what is now the NBA Slam-dunk contest. The NBA like the idea so much that they adopted it and it is now a huge attraction during All-star weekend. The ABA held it’s first Dunk contest in 1972 and Julius Irving won it with a full court take off from the top of the foul line dunk., at the time this dunk had never been done before. Many have done it since. But Doctor J is the original to first to ever do it. and I might add no one has top the where Erving took off from the foul line. His dunk remains the longest ever.

You must understand this was like seeing a man jump from a standing position on earth and land on the moon. It was unheard of for any basketball player to accomplish such a thing. But Erving did it. The NBA quickly adopted the NBA slam dunk contest to is a stellar event even today particularly the elaborate dunks that were so much a part of that league.

There were man other stars in the ABA like Indiana’s Roger Brown, Miami’s Mack Calvin, Charlotte’ Joe Caldwell, Wilt Chamberlain, briefly Coach for the San Diego franchise. Rich Mount, Louie Dampier and Artis Gilmore were big draws for the Kentucky Colonels. The ABA was a Showtime league, with great entertainment and great stars like Travis “Machine Gun” Grant, the former star of the Kentucky State, who could light it up from anywhere on the court. As could, World B. Free and Ron Boone.

Be sure to purchase a copy of the book Loose Balls, by Terry Pluto. It is a fabulous history of the American Basketball Association. If all else fails you can get a copy of the book at your local library.