Tinkham co-founder of American Basketball Association died after battle with muscular dystrophy

Richard Tinkham, a co-founder of both the American Basketball Association and the Indiana Pacers franchise, died Sunday after a long battle with muscular dystrophy, the Pacers confirmed Monday. He was reportedly 85 or 86 at the time of his death.

A lawyer at the time, Tinkham created the ABA with Joe Newman in 1967. Tinkham was also part of a group that created the Pacers franchise. He served in a variety of roles with the club and is credited with playing a major role in getting Market Square Arena, where the Pacers played from 1974 to 1999, built.

He also chaired the ABA-NBA merger in 1976, which saw the Pacers, San Antonio Spurs, Denver Nuggets and New Jersey Nets all join the NBA.

"Let's face it: It was guys like Dick, that was willing to stay in there and get involved in something that nobody thought would ever work, that made the game," Bobby "Slick" Leonard, who coached the Pacers from 1968 to 1980, told the Indianapolis Star. "Nobody thought that old red, white and blue ball and the 3-point line would ever work and you know what? It did."

Famed broadcaster Bob Costas, radio play-by-play man for the Spirits of St. Louis of the ABA, said there is no doubt Tinkham built a winner not only in the ABA but in the Pacers franchise.

"The (ABA) team that had the best history was, undoubtedly, the Pacers," Costas told the Star. "The Pacers were a stable franchise in an unstable league. The Pacers and their ownership and the quality of their franchise were one of the things that held the league together."

"Dick was the glue through all the years," Mike Storen, the Pacers' first general manager, told the team's official website. "He held two groups together. He held the Pacers' ownership together and he was very active with the league. He was a clearly recognized leader in the league as well."

Indiana won three of the nine championships in the nine-season history of the ABA.

Tinkham attended DePauw University in Greencastle, Ind., where he ran track and played basketball. He graduated in 1954 and was inducted into the university's Hall of Fame in 2002.

(With inputs from agencies.)