No one embodied the rebellious spirit of the ABA—and the excess of the disco era—more than Spirits of St. Louis power forward Marvin “Bad News” Barnes. He was nothing if not resourceful.

The aluminum cowling that covered the nine-cylinder Wright J-5C engine bore a jewel-like “engine-turned” finish and the name of the plane—Spirit of St. Louis. Lindbergh furnished the plane ...

though they did not get a shining moment here like the one they had had in St. Louis. As for the Spirits, they missed the playoffs the following season, the last one for the ABA. Ozzie and Daniel ...