This is the tenth card in this set that we’ve looked at. Only two left that we haven’t examined. And the history contained in this small set of a dozen ABA All-Stars has been fascinating. This #10 Bill Melchionni card is another one that shouldn’t be overlooked. Bill Melchionni has something in common with Rick Barry, Dr. J and Tom Thacker. Those four players have an achievement that no other basketball players have. They are the only four players to win both NBA and ABA championships (Rick Barry, Tom Thacker and Dr. J were the others). And Bill Melchionni is a player in this set who did something uncommon. He jumped from the NBA to the ABA. As we’ve seen with other cards in this set, it was usually in the opposite direction. So with Bill Melchionni, his NBA Championship was with the 1967 Philadelphia 76ers led by Wilt Chamberlain. While in the NBA, he was sent to the minor leagues. But the ABA was just starting up at the time and he found a more meaningful role in that new league with the New York Nets. He had the opportunity to really contribute in this role. With the New York Nets, he was a three-time ABA All-Star, hence his inclusion in this ABA All-Star card set. He led the league in assists three times, 1971-1973, so right around the time of this card, and he won championships in 1974 and 1976 in the ABA. During that time in the ABA he played with Rick Barry and Julius Erving, bringing us back to the first statement of this article. In an interview later in life, he mentioned that winning championships with both Julius Erving and Wilt Chamberlain was very special to him.
Also of note is the team name at the bottom…”New York Nets.” There weren’t very many years that this was a valid team name. The team started in the ABA in 1967 as the New Jersey Americans before moving to Long Island and changing the name to the New York Nets in 1968. The name was chosen because it rhymed with the Mets and the Jets. The team merged into the NBA in 1976 and shortly after, moved to New Jersey becoming the New Jersey Nets in 1977. In 2012, the team moved to Barclays Center where they still play as the Brooklyn Nets. Lots of history in that simple team name!
If this is the first of these 1970-71 ABA All-Star 5×7 Picture Pack cards you’ve encountered, you’ll notice that it’s hard to call them “cards.” If you’re tracking down this set, you might end up surprised to learn that they’re simply pieces of 5″ x 7″ paper. The backs are completely blank. Fortunately, authenticity isn’t much of an issue with this set, but if you’re worried, you can compare image quality to a known sample but known samples aren’t easy to find. More likely, you’ll need to check the stock and color of the paper against plain white. There’s a nice simplicity to the “cards” which are simple black-and-white photos with the player and team names underneath. There’s no numbering on the cards, but this Joe Caldwell is #3 if ordering alphabetically by last name. Twelve All-Stars from the ABA make up this set with the Rick Barry card being the highlight (avid basketball fans will recognize other names like John Brisker, but for the average fan, Rick Barry is one of the only recognizable players). But for those willing to explore and spend time with the set, there’s a lot of unique history here.
Despite the “cards” being paper, as well as being off-the-beaten-path for basketball cards, they are an excellent source of history for a collection. And a reminder to be grateful for even the commons in your collection, lots of fun and history in every card!
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