TheAmerican Basketball Association (ABA) was a professionalbasketball league that operated from the1967–68 season until it ceased to exist with theABA–NBA merger in 1976. The ABA presented a variety of annual awards and honors to recognize its players and executives.

There were six awards presented by the ABA. ThreeMost Valuable Player (MVP) awards were presented annually in the All-Star Game, the regular season, and the playoffs. Insports, the player judged to be the most important to the team is theMost Valuable Player (MVP). Other annual awards include the Executive of the Year, the Coach of the Year, and the Rookie of the Year. Honors were also presented to players who excelled in the respective categories of: best players, best defensive players, and best rookies. The Executive of the Year Award and the All-Defensive Team started in the1972–73 season, while the rest started in the first season.Julius Erving has won the most ABA awards with five MVP awards—three in the regular season and two in the playoffs.^[1]Artis Gilmore has won the most ABA honors with nine. A total of 80 ABA players and executives have received at least one award or honor.^[2]

TheAmerican Basketball Association (ABA) Finals were the championship series of the ABA, a professional basketball league, in which two teams played each other for the title. TheABA was formed in the fall of 1967, and the first ABA Finals were played at the end of the league's first season in the spring of 1968.^[3] The league ceased operations in 1976 with theABA–NBA merger and four teams from the ABA continued play in theNational Basketball Association.^[4]

All ABA Finals were in best-of-seven format and were contested between the winners of the Eastern Division and the Western Division finals. The only teams to win the championship more than once were theIndiana Pacers and theNew York Nets. The Indiana Pacers initially played in the ABA Finals in 1969, which they lost to theOakland Oaks, but they won the championship the next year against theLos Angeles Stars.^[5][6] They won in the ABA Finals again in 1972, their first after moving to the Western Division, against theNew York Nets and won their final ABA championship against theKentucky Colonels in 1973.^[7][8] The New York Nets won their first championship in 1974 against theUtah Stars, and their second against theDenver Nuggets in 1976.^[9][10]

The last ABA Finals were in 1976, after which theABA–NBA merger took place;all four teams that continued into the NBA made it to or won the ABA Finals.^[4]

The Most Valuable Player (MVP) was an annual award first awarded in the1967–68 season. Every player who has won the award has played for a team with at least 45 regular-season wins. The inaugural award winner wasHall of FamerConnie Hawkins. Hall of FamerJulius Erving won the award three times, all with theNew York Nets.Mel Daniels won it twice with theIndiana Pacers. Erving andGeorge McGinnis were joint winners in the1974–75 season. Seven of the award winners were capable of playingforward, while six were capable of playingcenter. Two rookies have won the award:Spencer Haywood in the1969–70 season andArtis Gilmore in the1971–72 season. With the announcement of McGinnis as a member of theNaismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame class of 2017, every ABA MVP has been inducted into the Hall of Fame.

The Rookie of the Year Award was an annual award first awarded in the1967–68 season, to the toprookie(s) of the regular season. The inaugural award winner wasMel Daniels, who also won two MVP awards during his ABA career. Two of the Rookie of the Year winners have won the MVP award in the same season:Spencer Haywood in the1969–70 season andArtis Gilmore in the1971–72 season. Two Rookie of the Year winners have been elected to theNaismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame:1970–71 Rookie of the YearDan Issel and1975–76 Rookie of the YearDavid Thompson. Issel andCharlie Scott were joint winners in the1970–71 season.

The Coach of the Year was an annual award first awarded in the1967–68 season, to the besthead coach(es) of the regular season. The inaugural award winner wasVince Cazzetta, who coached thePittsburgh Pipers to an ABA championship.Oakland Oaks coachAlex Hannum won the award the season after, and also coached his team to an ABA championship.Larry Brown won the award three times, and is the only coach to have won the award multiple times. Two seasons had joint winners—Joe Belmont andBill Sharman in the1969–70 season as well asJoe Mullaney andBabe McCarthy in the1973–74 season. Hannum, Sharman and Brown are the only recipients to have been inducted to theNaismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Every head coach won the award without a losing record.

The Playoffs Most Valuable Player Award was an annual award given in the ABA Playoffs. The award was first awarded in the1968 ABA Playoffs, and was retired as part of theABA–NBA merger. The inaugural award winner wasPittsburgh Pipers' playerConnie Hawkins. On all occasions, the player who won the Playoffs MVP award was from the team that won theABA championship.Julius Erving, who led theNew York Nets to two ABA championships in1974 and1976, is the only player to win the award twice.

The All-Star Game Most Valuable Player (MVP) was an annual award given to the best player of the annual All-Star Game. The award was established in the1968 All-Star Game, and was retired as part of the ABA—NBA merger. The first recipient of the award wasLarry Brown, who scored 17 points in a losing cause. Brown and1971 winnerMel Daniels are the only players to win the award while being on the losing team in the All-Star Game. Three rookies have won the award: Brown,Spencer Haywood in the1970 All-Star Game andDavid Thompson in the1976 All-Star Game. From 1968 to1975, the game has matched the best players in the Eastern Division with the best players in the Western Division. The West has won five All-Star Game MVP awards, while the East won three. In the1976 All-Star Game, the teams were theDenver Nuggets and the All-Stars. Denver won that All-Star Game, with Thompson as MVP.

• ^a Denotes the year in which joint winners were named for the respective award

The All-ABA Team was an annual honor bestowed on the best players in the league following every ABA season. The team was selected in every season of the league's existence, dating back toits inaugural season in 1967–68. The All-ABA Team was composed of two five-man lineups—a first and second team, each typically consisting of twoforwards, onecenter, and twoguards. A tie has occurred only once in the1970–71 season whenNaismith Memorial Basketball Hall of FamersZelmo Beaty andDan Issel both were selected to the center position for the All-ABA Second Team.

Mel Daniels, Issel,Artis Gilmore andJulius Erving all tie for the record for the most total selections with five.Rick Barry,Donnie Freeman,Mack Calvin andLouie Dampier each have four total selections, whileLarry Jones,Roger Brown,George McGinnis andRalph Simpson follow with three total selections. Gilmore has the most All-ABA first team selections with five, while Daniels, Barry and Erving are all tied for second-most with four. A total of nine players were selected during their respectiverookie years: Daniels,Spencer Haywood, Scott, Issel, Erving, Gilmore,Swen Nater,Marvin Barnes, andDavid Thompson.

The All-Defensive Team was an annual honor bestowed on the best defensive players in the league from the1972–73 season to the season when the league merged with the NBA. The All-Defensive Team was composed of a five-man lineup without regard toposition.Artis Gilmore holds the record for the most selections with four, whileMike Gale,Julius Keye,Fatty Taylor,Willie Wise,Don Buse,Bobby Jones andBrian Taylor follow with two selections. Bobby Jones was the only player to be selected during hisrookie year.

The All-Rookie Team was an annual honor given to the top rookies during the regular season. The team was selected in every season of the league's existence, dating back to its inaugural season in 1967–68. The All-Rookie Team was composed of a five-man lineup.