Soul Power docuseries traces ABA innovations that reshaped the NBA
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Prime Video has released “Soul Power: The Legend of the American Basketball Association,” a four-part series that premiered on February 12 and chronicles how the upstart ABA pushed the NBA toward a more dynamic style of play.
Executive producers Julius “Dr. J” Erving and former NBA coach George Karl guide viewers through interviews and extensive archival footage that detail the ABA’s 1967 launch, its free-wheeling culture, and the financial instability that led to a 1976 merger with the NBA.
Innovations that stuck
The documentary highlights several concepts the ABA introduced that are now NBA staples, including the three-point line, the slam-dunk contest, and an emphasis on individual flair and creativity.
Key voices and stories
Erving, the league’s most recognizable star, anchors the narrative as the first player to consistently elevate the game above the rim. Former MVP Spencer Haywood recounts his journey from rural Mississippi to professional stardom and his role in a landmark legal case that reshaped eligibility rules. The series also features memories from Artis Gilmore, George Gervin, Rick Barry, and Moses Malone, while broadcaster Bob Costas revisits his early days calling games for the Spirits of St. Louis.
Franchises that survived—and those that didn’t
Only four ABA clubs remain in today’s NBA: the Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers, New York Nets (now Brooklyn), and San Antonio Spurs. Teams such as the Kentucky Colonels, Virginia Squires, and Spirits of St. Louis dissolved, but their stylistic influence persists.
Breakthrough ownership
The series spotlights Ellie Brown Moore, who became the first woman to own a professional basketball team when she purchased the Colonels in 1973 and later assembled the first all-female board of directors in pro sports.
“Soul Power” positions the ABA as a catalyst that forever changed how professional basketball looks, sounds, and entertains.
Source: Hoops Wire
