Warren Jabali
Encyclopedia
Warren Jabali is a retired American
basketball
player. He played professionally in the American Basketball Association
(ABA) from 1968 to 1975.
to reflect his Africa
n roots. The name does not have any religious connotations as it is a Swahili
word for "rock." A skilled defender and rebounder and a remarkable leaper, the 6'2" Jabali could allegedly touch a basketball hoop (set ten feet above the ground) with his forehead http://www.ethicsofchoice.com/GaWJ.html. Although Wichita State, and the Missouri Valley Conference in general, supplied many pro players of the era, he did not receive much attention from the National Basketball Association
(NBA). He was drafted by the New York Knicks
in the 4th round (8th pick, 44th overall) of the 1968 NBA Draft
; he signed instead with the Oakland Oaks
of the rival ABA, who selected him in the 1968 ABA Draft.
to comment, "No doubt he's one of the best guards I've ever played with — or against" http://www.ethicsofchoice.com/GaWJ.html. Later that season, Jabali averaged 33.2 points against the Indiana Pacers
in the 1969 ABA Finals and was named Playoffs MVP.
As one of the bigger guards in the American Basketball Association, Warren Jabali muscled his way through seven straight seasons of double-digit scoring, including 1968–69, when his average of 21.5 points per game earned him ABA Rookie of the Year honors. That season Jabali’s efforts helped bring an ABA Championship to the Oakland Oaks
, a team that also featured Rick Barry
, Larry Brown
, and Doug Moe
.
Jabali (then Warren Armstrong) became an instant star after coming into the league from Wichita State University
. Although Barry, the Oaks’ biggest attraction, won the league scoring title in 1968–69, he was only able to play in 35 games because of a severe knee ligament injury. It was Jabali, an immediate starter, who gave Coach Alex Hannum
the extra scoring punch needed in Barry’s absence.
With Jabali aboard and Barry helping for part of the season, the Oaks recorded a stunning 38-game turnaround to post a league-best 60-18 record. In the playoffs they went 12-4 on the way to claiming the ABA Championship. A year later at midseason, with the team playing as the Washington Caps
, an injury sidelined Jabali. Hurt shortly after playing in his first of four ABA All-Star Games, he was carrying an average of 22.8 points per game at the time.
Jabali made a comeback, although his final five years were spent with four different teams. In his first season back, 1970–71, he was traded from the Kentucky Colonels
to the Indiana Pacers
on October 13, 1970 in exchange for a first round draft choice and cash. Jabali saw action in 62 games with the Pacers. It was with the Pacers that Jabali started pulling the trigger from three-point land; he did it 163 times that year, making 47 treys.
He had a big year with the Florida Floridians the following season, averaging 19.9 points and hitting 102 of his 286 three-point attempts, among the most in the league. When the Miami-based franchise folded, Jabali moved to the Denver Rockets (later the Denver Nuggets
). During his first campaign with the Rockets, Jabali’s 16-point effort in the 1973 ABA All-Star Game
keyed the West’s come-from-behind victory and earned him Most Valuable Player honors. That game is often referred to as the Jabali's Jamboree.
After one more season in Denver and another with the San Diego Conquistadors
, Jabali retired in 1975, at age 28.
In his seven-year professional career, Jabali played for the Oakland Oaks
, Washington Capitals
, the Indiana Pacers, The Floridians, the Denver Rockets
, and the San Diego Conquistadors
. While playing for the Rockets in 1973, he was named the All-Star Game MVP and was named to the All-ABA First Team after averaging 17.0 points, 6.6 assists, and 5.2 rebounds. Knee
problems would soon limit his effectiveness, however, and he retired in 1975, having achieved career averages of 17.1 points, 5.3 assists, and 6.7 rebounds.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player. He played professionally in the American Basketball Association
American Basketball Association
The American Basketball Association was a professional basketball league founded in 1967. The ABA ceased to exist with the ABA–NBA merger in 1976.-League history:...
(ABA) from 1968 to 1975.
Early career
Born Warren Edward Armstrong, Jabali changed his name while attending Wichita State UniversityWichita State University
Wichita State University is a NCAA Division I public university in Wichita, Kansas with selective admissions. WSU is one of six state universities governed by the Kansas Board of Regents. The current president is Dr. Donald Beggs....
to reflect his Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
n roots. The name does not have any religious connotations as it is a Swahili
Swahili language
Swahili or Kiswahili is a Bantu language spoken by various ethnic groups that inhabit several large stretches of the Mozambique Channel coastline from northern Kenya to northern Mozambique, including the Comoro Islands. It is also spoken by ethnic minority groups in Somalia...
word for "rock." A skilled defender and rebounder and a remarkable leaper, the 6'2" Jabali could allegedly touch a basketball hoop (set ten feet above the ground) with his forehead http://www.ethicsofchoice.com/GaWJ.html. Although Wichita State, and the Missouri Valley Conference in general, supplied many pro players of the era, he did not receive much attention from the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
(NBA). He was drafted by the New York Knicks
New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
in the 4th round (8th pick, 44th overall) of the 1968 NBA Draft
1968 NBA Draft
The 1968 NBA Draft was the 22nd annual draft of the National Basketball Association . The draft was held on April 3, 1968 and May 8, 1968 before the 1968–69 season. In this draft, 14 NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players. A player who had finished his four-year...
; he signed instead with the Oakland Oaks
Oakland Oaks (ABA)
The Oakland Oaks were a charter member of the original American Basketball Association. Formed in February 1967 as the Oakland Americans, the team changed its name to the Oaks prior to play that fall. Playing in the ABA during the 1967-68 and 1968-69 seasons, the team colors were green and gold.The...
of the rival ABA, who selected him in the 1968 ABA Draft.
ABA career
In his first season in the ABA, he won Rookie of the Year honors, prompting teammate Rick BarryRick Barry
Richard Francis Dennis Barry III , better known as Rick Barry, is a retired American professional basketball player. He is considered by many veteran basketball observers to be one of the greatest pure small forwards of all time as a result of his very precise outside shot, uncanny court vision,...
to comment, "No doubt he's one of the best guards I've ever played with — or against" http://www.ethicsofchoice.com/GaWJ.html. Later that season, Jabali averaged 33.2 points against the Indiana Pacers
Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They are members of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association...
in the 1969 ABA Finals and was named Playoffs MVP.
As one of the bigger guards in the American Basketball Association, Warren Jabali muscled his way through seven straight seasons of double-digit scoring, including 1968–69, when his average of 21.5 points per game earned him ABA Rookie of the Year honors. That season Jabali’s efforts helped bring an ABA Championship to the Oakland Oaks
Oakland Oaks (ABA)
The Oakland Oaks were a charter member of the original American Basketball Association. Formed in February 1967 as the Oakland Americans, the team changed its name to the Oaks prior to play that fall. Playing in the ABA during the 1967-68 and 1968-69 seasons, the team colors were green and gold.The...
, a team that also featured Rick Barry
Rick Barry
Richard Francis Dennis Barry III , better known as Rick Barry, is a retired American professional basketball player. He is considered by many veteran basketball observers to be one of the greatest pure small forwards of all time as a result of his very precise outside shot, uncanny court vision,...
, Larry Brown
Larry Brown (basketball)
Lawrence Harvey "Larry" Brown is an American basketball coach and former player. He most recently served as head coach of the National Basketball Association's Charlotte Bobcats....
, and Doug Moe
Doug Moe
Douglas Edwin Moe is an American professional basketball coach. He is most closely associated with the Denver Nuggets franchise....
.
Jabali (then Warren Armstrong) became an instant star after coming into the league from Wichita State University
Wichita State University
Wichita State University is a NCAA Division I public university in Wichita, Kansas with selective admissions. WSU is one of six state universities governed by the Kansas Board of Regents. The current president is Dr. Donald Beggs....
. Although Barry, the Oaks’ biggest attraction, won the league scoring title in 1968–69, he was only able to play in 35 games because of a severe knee ligament injury. It was Jabali, an immediate starter, who gave Coach Alex Hannum
Alex Hannum
Alexander Murray Hannum was a professional basketball player and Hall-of-Fame coach.-Coaching career:Hannum is mostly known for coaching the Wilt Chamberlain-led Philadelphia 76ers of 1966-67 to the NBA championship, ending the eight-year title streak of the Boston Celtics. He had also coached the...
the extra scoring punch needed in Barry’s absence.
With Jabali aboard and Barry helping for part of the season, the Oaks recorded a stunning 38-game turnaround to post a league-best 60-18 record. In the playoffs they went 12-4 on the way to claiming the ABA Championship. A year later at midseason, with the team playing as the Washington Caps
Washington Caps
The Washington Caps were an American Basketball Association team from 1969 through 1970. The franchise had previously been the Oakland Oaks. From 1970 through 1976 the team played as the Virginia Squires.-Origins:...
, an injury sidelined Jabali. Hurt shortly after playing in his first of four ABA All-Star Games, he was carrying an average of 22.8 points per game at the time.
Jabali made a comeback, although his final five years were spent with four different teams. In his first season back, 1970–71, he was traded from the Kentucky Colonels
Kentucky Colonels
The Kentucky Colonels were a member of the American Basketball Association for all of the league's nine years. The name is derived from the historic Kentucky colonels. The Colonels won the most games and had the highest winning percentage of any franchise in the league's history, but the team did...
to the Indiana Pacers
Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They are members of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association...
on October 13, 1970 in exchange for a first round draft choice and cash. Jabali saw action in 62 games with the Pacers. It was with the Pacers that Jabali started pulling the trigger from three-point land; he did it 163 times that year, making 47 treys.
He had a big year with the Florida Floridians the following season, averaging 19.9 points and hitting 102 of his 286 three-point attempts, among the most in the league. When the Miami-based franchise folded, Jabali moved to the Denver Rockets (later the Denver Nuggets
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams...
). During his first campaign with the Rockets, Jabali’s 16-point effort in the 1973 ABA All-Star Game
1973 ABA All-Star Game
GAME 6: at the Salt Palace, Salt Lake City, Utah, February 6, 1973MVP: Warren Jabali, Denver RocketsCoaches: East:* Larry Brown, Carolina Cougars* West: LaDell Andersen, Utah Stars-Western Conference: -Eastern Conference: -Score by Periods:...
keyed the West’s come-from-behind victory and earned him Most Valuable Player honors. That game is often referred to as the Jabali's Jamboree.
After one more season in Denver and another with the San Diego Conquistadors
San Diego Conquistadors
The San Diego Conquistadors, nicknamed the "Q's", were an American Basketball Association team based in San Diego, California. They were the only expansion team in the history of the ABA. The team played from 1972 to 1975. They were replaced in the ABA by the San Diego Sails.-San Diego...
, Jabali retired in 1975, at age 28.
In his seven-year professional career, Jabali played for the Oakland Oaks
Oakland Oaks (ABA)
The Oakland Oaks were a charter member of the original American Basketball Association. Formed in February 1967 as the Oakland Americans, the team changed its name to the Oaks prior to play that fall. Playing in the ABA during the 1967-68 and 1968-69 seasons, the team colors were green and gold.The...
, Washington Capitals
Virginia Squires
The Virginia Squires were a basketball franchise in the former American Basketball Association from 1970 until just before the ABA-NBA merger in 1976.-In Oakland :...
, the Indiana Pacers, The Floridians, the Denver Rockets
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams...
, and the San Diego Conquistadors
San Diego Conquistadors
The San Diego Conquistadors, nicknamed the "Q's", were an American Basketball Association team based in San Diego, California. They were the only expansion team in the history of the ABA. The team played from 1972 to 1975. They were replaced in the ABA by the San Diego Sails.-San Diego...
. While playing for the Rockets in 1973, he was named the All-Star Game MVP and was named to the All-ABA First Team after averaging 17.0 points, 6.6 assists, and 5.2 rebounds. Knee
Knee
The knee joint joins the thigh with the leg and consists of two articulations: one between the fibula and tibia, and one between the femur and patella. It is the largest joint in the human body and is very complicated. The knee is a mobile trocho-ginglymus , which permits flexion and extension as...
problems would soon limit his effectiveness, however, and he retired in 1975, having achieved career averages of 17.1 points, 5.3 assists, and 6.7 rebounds.
External links
- Career stats at basketball-reference.com
- Warren Jabali at Remember the ABA
- Warren Jabali in His Own Words at HoopsHype.com