If I were to rewrite the description of Michael Husain's latest feature doc The Waiting Game, I would likely begin with the following line - "An incredible story of the ABA players who created much of what the billion dollar NBA is today–the 3-point shot, slam dunk contest, fashion and culture innovators–are forgotten in a business deal gone bad."
Bullshit.
These ABA players weren't "forgotten." They were exploited. They were ignored. They were tossed aside by a league that was already by the time of the merger between the ABA and the NBA rich enough and powerful enough to do the right thing.
They did the wrong thing. They did the wrong thing time and time and time and time again.
Until finally, partly owing to pressure from the NBA Players Association and partly owing to the power of social media, in 2022 the NBA corrected, at least modestly, a wrong that had existed since the two leagues merged in 1976.
1976.
As someone who grew up with the beloved ABA, it is undeniably accurate to recognize that these ABA players created much of what has made the NBA successful today including, yes, the 3-point shot, the slam dunk contest, the incredible stylings and media friendly persona and so much more.
With The Waiting Game, Husain captures the lunacy of it all. As player after player struggled to survive post-retirement, the NBA kept tossing the ball down the court in hopes, it would appear, that these players would simply die off and everything would become a non-issue.
The small but mighty Dropping Dimes Foundation refused to let that happen.
It was, some would say, the death of former ABA player Sam Smith in 2022, graphically captured by Indy Star reporter Dana Hunsinger Benbow, that would finally bring shame upon both the NBAPA and the NBA and would set the stage for wrongs to finally be righted within the next couple of months.
To be clear, we're not talking about a windfall for the former ABA players. The agreement established a $24.5 million fund. Approximately 115 former ABA players, who played at least three seasons and did not qualify for a benefit from the NBA players' pension plan, receive payments under the plan - $3,828 per year of service (so, for example, a player with five years of ABA service will receive $19,140 annually).
We're not talking about an embarrassment of riches. We're talking about human dignity.
The Waiting Game is a suspenseful, richly human documentary that brings to life the very real cost of lawyers lawyering and greed taking over when, in reality, a greater degree of mutuality could have made a promising deal between two professional leagues even more of a winner. For those engaged with its story, The Waiting Game is an engaging and entertaining documentary with retro vibes and universal themes that continue to resonate to this day. Set for its world premiere at the 2024 Heartland International Film Festival in Indianapolis, The Waiting Game is likely to be a familiar and compelling story for Hoosiers since our beloved Indiana Pacers were one of the four teams from the ABA to be merged into the NBA. My childhood spent going to Pacers games and experiencing such Pacers legends as Bob "Slick" Leonard, Darnell Hillman, George McGinnis, Billy Keller, and a host of others comes to life here as I couldn't help but reflect upon those remarkable wonder years of the ABA while also lamenting how so many of my favorite players were negatively impacted by this merger gone awry.
An absolute must-see David vs. Goliath flick for sports fans, The Waiting Game is one to catch Heartland Film Fest and in addition to its two scheduled screenings during the fest will be available as a virtual screening option. Get your tickets here!
Written by Richard Propes
The Independent Critic
