![]() ![]() "He logged more than enough time in the ABA to qualify for a pension, and his circumstance ended up being so extreme that it exemplifies the situation."Īt least for the moment, the NBA is not committing to extending pensions to the fewer than 150 former ABA players who are still alive, but Tim Frank, senior vice president of league operations communications for the NBA, says the league is in discussions with Dropping Dimes. "The conversation had been ongoing for some time, but George's circumstance brings all the elements of the case together," said sportscaster Bob Costas, who got his start announcing ABA games and now serves on the Dropping Dimes advisory board. Dropping Dimes has been lobbying the NBA for years to extend pensions to former ABA players in recognition of their contributions to basketball history and the NBA's success today.Ĭarter's death brought national media attention to the issue and emphasized the need to act before more of these men who helped build the game pass away. Part of the problem is that, because of the way the ABA dissolved, its players were left without pensions to fall back on in old age. "It'd be like seeing Michael Jordan get older and fall on hard times." John Abrams, who is also the Indiana Pacers' ophthalmologist and a former ABA ball boy. "It breaks your heart to see your heroes end up like this," said Dropping Dimes co-founder Dr. The circumstances in which he found himself at the end of his life - facing mounting medical bills and eviction from his home of 15 years - might seem shocking, but he's far from the first former ABA player to end up in tough times. Toward the end of his life, Carter was assisted by Dropping Dimes, a nonprofit foundation that helps former ABA players with financial needs. Bonaventure University in scoring for two of his three college seasons, a star who played seven seasons in the American Basketball Association until it dissolved and was partially taken over by the NBA in 1976. His former teammates memorialized him as an unforgettable athlete - a 6-foot-5 forward who led St. ![]() He had only one friend nearby, a woman who helped him sort his things, including the fan letters he was still getting 44 years after his last professional game, as he faced eviction from his home.Ĭarter's death notice was the first time many basketball fans had heard his name in several decades. He was 76, mostly alone, the cheering crowds of his youth a distant memory. The push to secure pensions for American Basketball Association pioneers the NBA left behindīASKETBALL GREAT GEORGE Carter died of throat cancer last November as the lights and life of Las Vegas carried on, unceasing, outside. You have reached a degraded version of because you're using an unsupported version of Internet Explorer.įor a complete experience, please upgrade or use a supported browser ![]()
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