Will Ferrell's new movie, "Semi-Pro," is almost certain to generate plenty of media attention and stories that look back on the history of the American Basketball Association. For anyone who doesn't remember the ABA, it was the birthplace of the three-point field goal and slam dunk contest, the first to introduce the concept of the multi-colored basketball, and the original home of four current NBA franchises: the San Antonio Spurs, Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers and New Jersey (then the New York) Nets. Among the NBA greats who once called the ABA home were Julius Erving, Wilt Chamberlain, Rick Barry, George Gervin, Dan Issel and Larry Brown (who was a player and then won an ABA title as a coach).

Collectibles associated with the ABA are hard to find these days and, as a result, command some fairly high prices. Programs can go for as much as $40. Game-used basketballs from the league sell for $1,600-$1,800. Game-used jerseys are truly coveted because of their scarcity. A game-used Julius Erving New York Nets jersey sold for $141,927 in 2006.  

Occasionally, ESPN Classic or NBA TV will air some ABA broadcasts. The two I've seen most often are the 1976 Slam Dunk contest and the final game in league history, the sixth game of the 1976 ABA championship series between the Nuggets and Nets. These are fun to watch, not only because of the wide-open style of the games, but also to look back on the wild fashions of the era (seeing Brown coaching while wearing bell bottoms and a leisure suit with the mega-sized lapels is a hoot).

I have some memories of the ABA when I was a kid. The league's games were rarely televised, but when one did show up we watched it because it was so different from an NBA game. Watching the multi-colored ball on TV was mesmerizing. When the ABA merged with the NBA, I tried to make sure to see all of the "new" teams the first time they made a road trip to Milwaukee to play the Bucks.

To help promote "Semi-Pro" film, New Line Cinema asked Upper Deck to create three-card packs that the card maker handed out at the recent NBA Jam Session in New Orleans (see adjacent images).