A new four-part docuseries, Soul Power: The Legend of the American Basketball Association, premiered on Amazon Prime Video Thursday, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the ABA-NBA merger. The series examines the formation, successes, and struggles of the ABA, a league that challenged the established NBA and introduced a faster-paced, more flamboyant style of play.
The documentary features interviews with ABA legends, including Julius Erving, often referred to as “Dr. J,” who reflected on his time with the Virginia Squires and the league’s impact on his career. Erving, who later led the Philadelphia 76ers to an NBA championship in 1983, described the challenges faced by ABA players and the league’s fight for recognition.
“It wasn’t a fun position to be put in, especially if you know you’re trying to fight for rights of players who gave a commitment to the league and made the sacrifices to keep it afloat for the years that it was around,” Erving said, according to reporting from The Philadelphia Inquirer. The series highlights the financial and legal battles ABA stars faced, as well as the league’s innovations, including the three-point line and the dunk contest, which have become staples of the NBA.
The 1983 NBA Finals saw the Philadelphia 76ers, led by Erving and Moses Malone, sweep the Los Angeles Lakers to win the franchise’s third NBA championship. According to a Wikipedia entry on the 1983 NBA Finals, the series was dubbed “Showdown ‘83” and marked the last NBA Championship Series completed before June 1. Malone was named the NBA Finals MVP.
Emmy-winning director Kenan Holley aimed to create a “player-driven” story that would dispel the notion that the ABA was an inferior league. “Amazon executives saw the vision. They saw the ABA story was worth telling, and told us to lean into the characters,” Holley said. He emphasized the importance of earning the trust of ABA players like George Karl and Rick Barry to accurately portray their experiences.
Erving, who serves as an executive producer on the series, expressed pride in the project’s ability to capture the camaraderie and shared history of the ABA pioneers. “It was a one for all, all for one approach we shared,” he said. “There was no hating. It was a genuine feeling of relief like, ‘Wow, they’re recognizing my guy or us,’ and it was shared.”
Holley hopes the series will educate younger sports fans about the ABA’s influence on basketball and the broader sports world. The documentary likewise touches on early advancements in women’s team ownership within the ABA, adding another layer to the league’s complex history.
