Before the NBA and ABA consolidated, it was well known the upstart league chipped in to pay the salaries of choice rookies (Julius Erving, David Thompson, Artis Gilmore, etc.) or league jumpers (Rick Barry, Billy Cunningham, Joe Caldwell, etc.). What has never been confirmed — until now — is that the NBA similarly collaborated.
Ray Patterson, who turned 89 Jan. 15, was the president of the Bucks when the expansion franchise bought its way into the NBA, and when Kareem Abdul-Jabbar came aboard in ’69. Yesterday, Patterson verified a belief that the league had paid a portion of Abdul-Jabbar’s five-year, $250,000 per season contract.
“You’re absolutely right,” Patterson said from his Houston home. “We could have never raised the kind of money that would satisfy him. It’s not like we billed other teams for it. We paid a percentage and the league flowed the remainder through us.
“It helped us save the franchise and helped the NBA compete against some very vibrant and resourceful ABA owners who had amassed an awful lot of dynamic talent.”