The 1970-71 ABA All-Star 5×7 Picture Pack cards aren’t really “cards.” When coming across this set, you might be surprised that they’re simply pieces of 5″ x 7″ paper. The backs are blank. Fortunately, authenticity isn’t really an issue, but if you’re worried, comparing image quality to known samples and checking the stock and color of the paper against plain white helps. These are simple “cards,” just black-and-white photos with the player and team names underneath. There’s no numbering, so I’m 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, the only Hall-of-Famer in the set, is the most recognizable). But for those willing to explore and spend time with the set, there’s a lot of fascinating history here.
This is the sixth card in the set when organizing alphabetically by last name, Warren Jabali. As you can see on the card, he changed his name from Warren Armstrong. Jabali is the Swahili word for rock and he changed his name while he was playing at Wichita State in the ’60’s. Warren Jabali could jump! And he was really good! Rick Barry is on record saying that Warren Jabali is one of the best guards he ever played with. He was only 6′ 2″, but it was said he could touch the rim with his forehead. He was drafted by the NBA and the ABA, but he wasn’t selected until the fourth round of the NBA draft by the New York Knicks. He decided to enter the ABA with the Oakland Oaks, where he won ABA Rookie of the Year and an ABA championship. A note, the Oakland Oaks would soon become the Washington Caps. Although the card displays the Floridians as his team, the card was preempting a trade that would happen for the 1971-72 season.
These cards are also important as a chance to encounter teams and team names that only existed for a very short time. This card captures one of these brief snapshots in history. There was a change in the team name right as this 1970-71 basketball card set was produced. This team was known as the Miami Floridians, but here you see a change to “The Floridians.” Dropping Miami meant more than saving some ink. The Floridians became a regional team this season and were now playing in a variety of locations. This was either an act of desperation or a bad idea. Due to miserable attendance, the franchise was disbanded after the 1971-72 season. The team names on these 1970-71 cards reflect the teams the players would be found the following season. So 1971-72 is actually the one and only season that Jabali played for the Floridians since it was the end of that team. During that season, he was known for being strong outside the arch making 102 of 286 three-pointers. After one season with the Floridians, he moved on to the Denver Rockets. He continued to be very strong on the court, being named the ABA All-Star MVP that season.
Despite the “cards” being paper, as well as being off-the-beaten-path for basketball cards, they can be a unique addition to a collection. You can see them listed as the first set in comprehensive price guides like the 2001 Standard Catalog of Basketball Cards. This guide lists the price of the set at $60, but frankly, the price is unpredictable because it’s rarely on the market and depends on if there’s a buyer searching for it!
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