“Soul Power: The Legend of the American Basketball Association” is a slam dunk history lesson

I’ll be honest: I’m not the type of person who can casually debate pre-merger basketball history like it’s small talk.  I’m more of a fan who knows the stars and the big moments but is still learning the rest.  That’s exactly why “Soul Power” works so well.  This Prime Video Sports docuseries doesn’t assume you’re already fluent in American Basketball Association (ABA) lore; it teaches you, then leads you to realize that much of what we love about modern basketball exists because the ABA took bold steps first.

The series chronicles the league’s launch in 1967 and its nine-season run as a scrappy challenger to the NBA—an underdog operation full of teams that relocated, folded, or barely managed to survive.  The instability is part of the narrative.  “Soul Power” frames the ABA as a disruptive start-up: messy, loud, risky, and oddly essential.  The show makes a compelling case that the current style of professional basketball—flashier, freer, and more player-focused—would not have developed as it has without this league.

Yes, I knew about the ABA’s red, white, and blue ball, but the series goes beyond aesthetics.  It connects the dots between the ABA and innovations we now consider fundamental to basketball, such as the three-point shot, the All-Star Game slam dunk competition, and the cultural shift that allows the sport to be expressive rather than reserved.  It also highlights how the ABA advanced the business side of sports, including creating opportunities for women to take on significant roles in sports operations—an aspect many sports documentaries mention only in passing, but here it carries real weight.

Where “Soul Power” truly shines is in the voices it features—legends, historians, and cultural thinkers.  The involvement of influential figures like Julius “Dr. J” Erving and Common as executive producers adds to its significance.  The series smartly utilizes icons such as Dr. J, Moses Malone, George Gervin, Spencer Haywood, Rick Barry, and George Karl, not just as nostalgia but as living proof of the league’s lasting impact.

With 2026 marking the 50th anniversary of the ABA-NBA merger, “Soul Power” feels timely without feeling like a chore.  It’s the kind of sports docuseries that makes you pause mid-episode and think, “Wait… that also came from the ABA?” By the end, you’re not just informed—you’re truly convinced.

Final Grade : A-

“Soul Power: The Legend of the American Basketball Association” is available to stream now on Prime Video.