Shop Legacy Basketball

Legacy Basketball — The Home of ABA, BAA & Defunct Pro Basketball Throwbacks

Authentic ABA, BAA & Pre-Merger Pro Basketball Throwbacks. Custom Names & Numbers. Sizes S–5XL.

Legacy Basketball is the definitive online destination for throwback jerseys, hats, t-shirts, and apparel from the great defunct pro basketball leagues. From the American Basketball Association (ABA, 1967–1976) — the red, white, and blue, three-point-line-inventing rival to the NBA — to the Basketball Association of America (BAA, 1946–1949), the league that became the modern NBA in 1949 — Legacy Basketball at Royal Retros covers the franchises and leagues that built professional basketball as we know it. Free name and number on most styles. Sizes S–5XL.

Shop by League

• ABA (American Basketball Association, 1967–1976) — The red, white, and blue rival to the NBA that gave us the three-point line, the slam-dunk contest, the 30-second shot clock, Julius Erving, George Gervin, Moses Malone, and four franchises that joined the NBA in the 1976 merger.
• BAA (Basketball Association of America, 1946–1949) — The pre-NBA league founded by hockey arena owners that merged with the NBL in 1949 to become the modern NBA.

Headline ABA Franchises: The Red, White & Blue Era

Kentucky Colonels — The most successful ABA franchise that didn't make the NBA merger. 1975 ABA Champions behind Hall of Famers Dan Issel, Artis Gilmore, and Louie Dampier. Shop the Colonels.

Spirits of St. Louis — Famous for the most lucrative TV-rights deal in pro sports history and for Marvin Barnes's chaotic genius. Shop the Spirits.

Virginia Squires — Drafted Julius Erving and George Gervin before financial pressure forced them to sell both. Shop the Squires.

Carolina Cougars — The first regional pro basketball franchise (1969–1974). Shop the Cougars.

Pittsburgh Pipers / Condors — The first ABA Champions (1968) behind league MVP Connie Hawkins. Shop the Pipers/Condors.

Los Angeles / Utah Stars — The 1971 ABA Champions. Drafted 19-year-old Moses Malone out of high school in 1974. Shop the Stars.

Miami Floridians / The Floridians — ABA's most stylish franchise: magenta-orange-and-black uniforms. Shop the Floridians.

Oakland Oaks — The 1969 ABA Champions. Coached by Alex Hannum, built around Rick Barry. Shop the Oaks.

Houston Mavericks, Dallas Chaparrals, Minnesota Muskies, Minnesota Pipers, Washington Caps, New Orleans Buccaneers, Baltimore Hustlers/Claws — The full constellation of ABA franchises across the league's nine seasons.

What You Can Shop

ABA & BAA Jerseys — ABA-style mesh and twill basketball jerseys covering every franchise. Free name and number on most jerseys. Sizes S–5XL.

ABA & BAA Hats, T-Shirts & Hoodies — Snapback, fitted, and unstructured caps, soft cotton tees, and pullover hoodies in every franchise's classic colorway.

Customization — Free name and number on most jerseys. Custom items are final sale.

Sizes — Small through 5XL on most styles.

The History of Legacy Basketball

The modern NBA is the heir to two pre-merger leagues that ran in parallel and forced the league into its current form — the BAA that founded the modern NBA in 1949, and the ABA that nine years of competition later forced the NBA to absorb four franchises and adopt the rules and aesthetics that made it the modern league.

The ABA invented the three-point line, the slam-dunk contest, used the red-white-and-blue ball, and signed teenagers the NBA wouldn't touch. After nine seasons, the 1976 merger brought the Indiana Pacers, San Antonio Spurs, Denver Nuggets, and New York Nets into the NBA. The Kentucky Colonels and Spirits of St. Louis were paid off rather than admitted.

Royal Retros honors that lineage with throwbacks across every defunct pro basketball league we can license.

Legacy Basketball at Royal Retros — The Leagues That Built the NBA. Custom Names & Numbers. Sizes S–5XL.