25 Greatest Players in ABA History

17. Warren Jabali

Position: Guard
Years Active: 1968-1975
Team(s): Oakland Oaks/Washington Caps, Indiana Pacers, The Floridians, Denver Rockets, San Diego Conquistadors
ABA Averages: 34.1 MPG, 17.1 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 2.0 ORPG, 5.3 APG, 2.0 SPG
Accolades: ABA Champion, ABA Playoffs MVP, All-ABA First Team, 4x ABA All-Star, ABA All-Star Game MVP, 1969 ABA Rookie of the Year

Warren Jabali spent seven seasons in the American Basketball Association. During that time, he played both backcourt positions, pieced together a vast number of accolades and accomplishments, and helped create the blueprint for the modern guard.

Whether he was scoring, rebounding, facilitating, or defending, Jabali maintained production that matched the standard for the prototypical guard in the modern era.

Jabali is one of the best rebounding guards in basketball history, pulling down an average of 2.0 offensive boards per game—a ridiculous number for a player his size. His best full-season averages maxed out at 21.5 points, 8.1 rebounds, 7.3 assists, and 2.1 steals.

Had steals been recorded during his first four seasons, he might’ve become the ABA’s all-time leader in said category.

To further demonstrate how ahead of his time Jabali truly was, he converted 102 3-point field goals in 1971-72—almost 10 years before the NBA had even introduced the shot. He did so while shooting 35.8 percent from beyond the arc, which was remarkably efficient at the time.

If Jabali entered the NBA today, with access to the advances in modern medicine and fitness, he’d be a genuine superstar.

Next: No. 16