John Salley

Former Georgia Tech and NBA standout John Salley was named commissioner of the American Basketball Association at the annual owners meeting in Indianapolis Sept. 29.

The league, a reincarnation of the original ABA that merged with the National Basketball Association in 1976, boasts more than 40 franchises from such diverse markets as Beijing and Maywood, Calif. Many of those teams, however, are struggling financially — a situation Salley promises to reverse.

"We're in the entertainment business," Salley told Sports Illustrated.com. "It's not how you sell it to people, it's what they're buying. People want a show, want to get out of their lives for two-and-a-half hours. During the Great Depression everyone was losing money except Charlie Chaplin."

Salley played basketball for the Yellow Jackets from 1982 to 1986 and was named to All-ACC teams in 1985 and 1986. He was inducted into the Georgia Tech Athletic Hall of Fame in 1991 and his jersey was retired.

He was picked in the first round of the 1986 NBA draft by the Detroit Pistons and played 12 years for five NBA teams — winning four championship rings.

He returned to Tech in 1987 to earn his bachelor's degree in industrial management. Currently he is one of the hosts of "The Best Damn Sports Show Period" on Fox Sports Network.

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