can be traced back to the ABA's decision to allow players to leave college early and pursue a professional career before they had completed their collegiate careers. Slam Dunk Contest The ABA pioneered the advent of the now popular NBA slam dunk contest at the final ABA All-Star Game in 1976. 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. The ABA and NBA had begun to discuss a possible merger, and the ABA owners wanted to establish the viability and success of their league. 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, Larry Kenon, and Julius Erving. The winner of the contest received $1,000 and a stereo system. 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. Teams Of the original 11 teams, only the Kentucky Colonels and Indiana Pacers remained for all nine seasons without relocating, changing team names, or folding. However, the Denver Larks/Rockets/Nuggets, a team that had been planned for Kansas City, Missouri, moved to Denver without playing a game in Kansas City due to the lack of a suitable arena. In addition to the four surviving ABA teams, eight current NBA markets have ABA heritage: Utah, Dallas, Houston, Miami, New Orleans, Memphis, Minnesota and Charlotte all had an ABA team before their current NBA teams. Timeline List of ABA championships With the ABA cut down to seven teams by the middle of its final season, the league abandoned divisional play. Prominent players Marvin Barnes Rick Barry Zelmo Beaty Ron Boone John Brisker Hubie Brown Larry Brown Roger Brown Don Buse Joe Caldwell Mack Calvin Darel Carrier Jim Chones Billy Cunningham Louie Dampier Mel Daniels Julius Erving Donnie Freeman George Gervin Artis Gilmore Jerry Harkness Connie Hawkins Spencer Haywood Dan Issel Warren Jabali Bobby Jones Jimmy Jones Larry Jones Larry Kenon