LOADING THE ABAOne legacy. One league. One world.
← ALL 19 LEGENDS
ORIGINAL ABA LEGEND · HALL CLASS 1996
David Thompson
1976 ABA Rookie of the Year & All-Star MVP · All-ABA Second Team
POSITION G/FABA CLUBS 1HALL CLASS 1996
DTPLAYER PORTRAIT
COMING SOON
COMING SOON
19
Combined ABA + NBA regular-season career statistics. Values are shown to one decimal place.
THE BIOGRAPHY
THE PLAYER.
THE MOMENT.
THE LEGACY.
Thompson brought breathtaking elevation and polished scoring to the ABA’s final season. His arrival made Denver a must-see championship contender.
SIGNATURE ABA STORY
He won the 1976 All-Star Game MVP and Rookie of the Year while helping Denver reach the final ABA Finals.
WHY THE GAME REMEMBERS HIM
Skywalker became a symbol of vertical imagination and one of the clearest links between ABA style and the game’s future.
THE ABA JOURNEY
CLUBS &
COLORS.
Select any team mark to open its franchise story or continuing franchise history.
CAREER FILE
BUILT FOR
BASKETBALL
HISTORY.
1976 ABA Rookie of the Year & All-Star MVP · All-ABA Second Team
NAISMITH HALL · 1996
VERIFY THE RECORD
HISTORY,
WITH RECEIPTS.
This positive player story is grounded in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee archive and Basketball-Reference’s combined professional career record.
OFFICIAL NAISMITH HALL PROFILE ↗COMPLETE CAREER STATISTICS ↗READY TO PARTICIPATE?CHOOSE YOUR ABA PATH.
THE ORIGINAL ABA · 1967–1976THE LEAGUE THAT TAUGHT BASKETBALL TO FLY.
THE FACE OF THE ABA
Julius “Dr. J” Erving
3× ABA MVP · 2× champion
Image: ABA archive
THE SCORER
Rick Barry
1969 champion · Oakland Oaks
Image: ABA archive
CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARDS
Moses Malone
Utah Stars · Spirits of St. Louis
Image: ABA archive
THE A-TRAIN
Artis Gilmore
1972 MVP · 1975 champion
Image: ABA archive
THE ANCHOR
Mel Daniels
2× MVP · 3× champion
Image: ABA archive
THE FIRST STAR
Connie Hawkins
1968 MVP · champion · Playoffs MVP
Image: ABA archive
THE CHAMPION
Zelmo Beaty
1971 champion · Playoffs MVP
Image: ABA archiveCONNIE HAWKINSROGER BROWNLOUIE DAMPIERZELMO BEATYSPENCER HAYWOODDAVID THOMPSONLARRY KENONMACK CALVIN