1976 ABA All-Star Game Oral History: Gilmore, Knight, Taylor, Vecsey & Babcock
In this special episode, we mark the 50th anniversary of the 1976 ABA All-Star Game - the final showcase of a league that helped reshape modern basketball.
Recorded in early 2026, this panel brings together those who lived it: Artis Gilmore, Billy Knight and Brian Taylor, alongside longtime NBA executive Pete Babcock and legendary journalist Peter Vecsey, who covered the ABA firsthand. Also joining is my good friend and longtime basketball fan Adam Beechen.
Together, we revisit the league’s most unique All-Star format; the best of the ABA taking on the first-place Denver Nuggets - a sold-out McNichols Arena, a pre-game concert that delayed tip-off and the debut of the first-ever slam dunk contest, won by Julius Erving.
The conversation expands into the broader ABA story - its fast, creative style of play, the early adoption of the three-point shot, the physicality of the era and the camaraderie that defined the league. Along the way are firsthand stories, behind-the-scenes moments and reflections on how the ABA’s innovations continue to shape today’s NBA.
We also touch on the Soul Power ABA docuseries and the league’s lasting legacy.
Special thanks to Pete Babcock and Peter Vecsey for helping bring this panel together. Kevin Loughery, coach of the 1976 All-Stars, had planned to join but was unable due to technical issues. Additional thanks to Eldridge Recasner, Derrick Gervin and Terry Lyons for their efforts to connect us with David Thompson, George Gervin, and Doug Moe. While those appearances didn't come together, the outreach was much appreciated. Sadly, Doug Moe passed away shortly after this conversation was recorded.
Postscript: Since recording, Brian Taylor and George Karl - whose rivalry is discussed in this episode - have reconciled, appearing together at the Soul Power premiere in New York.
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00:00 - Tip-off: Setting the stage
03:36 - 1976 All-Star Game: ABA chaos behind the scenes
04:12 - A Knight to remember: All-Stars vs Denver Nuggets
07:23 - Record crowd and the concert that delayed tip-off
10:00 - The birth of the Slam Dunk Contest
11:39 - The Doctors of Dunk: Dr. J + Dr. K
15:55 - The tooth hurts: Brian Taylor versus Ron Boone
17:50 - Fights, brawls and George Karl's grudge
25:53 - Artis-try unleashed: Inside the first dunk contest
30:32 - The strangest dunk judges ever?
36:44 - Why coaches initially hated the 3-point shot
42:20 - BT Express-ing himself: 1976 ABA Finals memories
43:06 - Tanks for nothing: Oxygen hacks courtside
51:03 - '76 ASG finale: MVP + legends
55:29 - Vecsey dunks on history: The Lost '77 NBA contest
01:01:10 - ABA’s best the NBA never-knew
01:05:16 - Artis Gilmore: “We were Showtime before Showtime”
01:06:03 - Soul Power + Basketball: A Love Story
