Ralph Simpson, a former professional basketball player, will appear in Greeley this week for the screening of an award-winning independent documentary on the treatment of American Basketball Association players following the merger with the NBA.
The film, “The Waiting Game,” will be shown at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Kress Cinema & Lounge, 817 8th Ave. For tickets, go to kresscinema.com.
Simpson, who played with the Denver Rockets of the American Basketball Association and the Nuggets of the NBA, will answer questions after the screening, according to a news release from director Michael Husain.
Simpson, 76, played for the Denver Rockets from 1970-76. The Rockets were a charter ABA franchise in the innovative league before it merged with the NBA in 1976.
The same year, the Rockets became the Nuggets when the franchise joined the NBA with the San Antonio Spurs, New Jersey Nets and Indiana Pacers.
"The Waiting Game," a 2024 documentary film from independent filmmaker Michael Husain will be shown at 7 p.m. Aug. 20 at the Kress Cinema and Lounge in Greeley. The film chronicles the efforts of former American Basketball Association players to receive recognition and financial compensation for their efforts in promoting the game which have been forgotten since the merger with the NBA in 1976. (Courtesy/Good Vibes Media)Simpson was an ABA All-Star in five of his six seasons in Denver. He left the Rockets for his hometown Detroit Pistons of the NBA. Simpson played college basketball at Michigan State. Simpson played two seasons with the Pistons and returned to Denver to play with the Nuggets in 1977-78.
He retired from professional basketball in 1980. He was later an assistant coach at Metropolitan State University of Denver. Simpson was inducted into the Colorado Sports of Hall Fame in 2016.
Husain’s film discusses the innovations, specifically the slam dunk contest and the 3-point shot. The film also looks at the Black culture the players contributed to the league and then were left out of financial rewards from the NBA.
A trailer of the movie is available at vimeo.com/1009585155. “The Waiting Game” was released in October 2024 and has since won awards at the Heartland International Film Festival and the Garden State Film Festival.
Julius Erving, better known as Dr. J., left, Spencer Haywood, and George Gervin, all former American Basketball Association players who later played in the NBA, stand together during an ABA 50th anniversary celebration in 2018. The plight of ABA players to receive recognition and financial compensation following the merger with the NBA in 1976 is chronicled in a 2024 documentary called "The Waiting Game." The film will be screened at 7 p.m. Aug. 20 at the Kress Cinema and Lounge in Greeley. (Courtesy/Good Vibes Media).Among those included in the film are Bob Costas and Julius Erving, known as Dr. J through his Basketball Hall of Fame career in the ABA and NBA.
For more information on “The Waiting Game,” go to thewaitinggamemovie.com.
“It’s a grassroots effort to understand what is an incredible story,” Husain said.
Husain grew up in Indiana and remembers the Pacers when the franchise was in the ABA.
“When I was a kid, I pretended to be them,” Husain said of the Pacers. “When I heard they were struggling, I was drawn in.”
Husain said the film will be screened in Greeley because of its proximity to Denver. As an independent filmmaker, Husain reached to independent theater owners and others who share an independent film spirit.
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