The Arizona Scorpions are a 2011 expansion franchise of the American Basketball Association (ABA). The owners/coaches are Ron Tilly and Cedric Ceballos. History of the ABA (1967-1976) The original ABA was founded in 1967, competing with the well-established National Basketball Association, until the ABA-NBA merger in 1976. Ultimately, four ABA teams were absorbed into the older league: the New Jersey Nets, Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers and San Antonio Spurs. Two other clubs, the Kentucky Colonels and the Spirits of St. Louis were disbanded upon the merger. A third, the Virginia Squires, had folded less than a month earlier, missing out on the opportunities that a merger might have provided. Notable ABA Players during this era include: Julius Erving (Dr. J), George (Iceman) Gervin, Moses Malone, David (Skywalker) Thompson, and Artis Gilmore Current ABA (1999 _ current): The current ABA was founded in 1999 by Joe Newman and Richard Tinkham. Tinkham was an executive with the Indiana Pacers when they were in the original ABA. They licensed the ABA name from the NBA. 44 teams competed in the 2010 Season with the Southeast Texas Mavericks defeating the Gulf Coast Flash for the ABA Championship. An additional 48 expansion teams are announced for the 2011 Season for a total of 92 ABA Teams. The season begins in Nov 2010 and ends in March 2011.