List of Philadelphia Sphas seasons

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The Philadelphia Sphas were an American professional basketball team active from 1917 to 1959. Throughout the team's tenure, they played in many ramshackle leagues, which was commonplace in the time before the formation of the NBA. Most of the Sphas' existence was spent in the Eastern Basketball League and the American Basketball League. They won twelve championships, one each in the short-lived Philadelphia League and Philadelphia Basket Ball League, three in the Eastern Basketball League, and seven in the American Basketball League.

The Philadelphia Sphas, also stylized SPHAs or SPHAS, were an American basketball franchise that existed in professional, semi-professional, and exhibition forms. They played their home games in the ballroom of Philadelphia's Broadwood Hotel. The team's name is an acronym, derived from South Philadelphia Hebrew Association, and the team's players, at least in its earlier years, were primarily Jewish. Future Philadelphia Warriors owner Eddie Gottlieb founded the team as an amateur group shortly after he and some close friends graduated from high school, and it later became a professional team. The Sphas played in many leagues around the Philadelphia area and the East Coast, most notably the Eastern Basketball League and the American Basketball League (ABL), between which the Sphas won 10 championships. The Sphas won a total of 12 championships, their first two coming from the early Philadelphia League and Philadelphia Basket Ball League.

YearLeagueRegular seasonPlayoffsRef
1917–18 American League of Philadelphia5th (tie for last)No playoffs were held by the ALP [1]
1918–19 American League of Philadelphia5th (1st half); 5th (2nd half), 5th overall [1]
1919–20 American League of Philadelphia3rd (1st half); 4th (2nd half) [1]
1920–21 American League of Philadelphia4th (1st half); 7th (2nd half), 6th overall [1]
1921–22 American League of Philadelphia1st (1st half); 3rd (2nd half)ALP folded before the season completed [1]
1922–23 Manufacturer's League3rd (1st half); 6th (2nd half)No playoffs were held by the Manufacturer's League [1]
Philadelphia League2nd (1st half); 6th (2nd half)No playoffs were held by the Philadelphia League [1]
1923–24 Philadelphia League5th (1st half); 1st (2nd half)Champions (2–0 over Tri-Council Caseys) [1]
1924–25 Philadelphia Basket Ball League1st (1st half); 3rd (2nd half)Champions (2–1 over Tri-Council Caseys) [1]
1925–26 Eastern League3rd (1st half); 1st (2nd half)No playoffs were held by the Eastern League [1]
1926–27 American Basketball League (as Warriors)2nd (2nd half)Did not qualify [1]
1927–28 American Basketball League (as Warriors)2ndLost division playoffs [1]
1928–29 Philadelphia Basket Ball League5th (1st half)Sphas dropped out of the league after the first half [1]
The team was not part of any league and played independently [1]
1929–30 Eastern Basketball League [2] 2nd (1st half); 1st (2nd half)Champions (3–2 over Philadelphia Elks) [1]
1930–31 Eastern Basketball League1st (1st half); 2nd (2nd half)Champions (3–1 over Camden Skeeters) [1]
1931–32 Eastern Basketball League2nd (1st half, lost 1st half title to Philadelphia Moose); 1st (2nd half)Champions (3–1 over Philadelphia Moose) [1]
1932–33 Eastern Basketball League1st (1st half); 3rd (2nd half)Lost championship (3–1 to Trenton Moose) [1]
1933–34 American Basketball League3rd (1st half); 1st (2nd half)Champions (4–2 over Trenton Moose) [1]
1934–35 American Basketball League2nd (1st half); 2nd (2nd half)Lost second half title (2–1 to Brooklyn Visitations) [1]
1935–36 American Basketball League1st (1st half); 5th (2nd half)Champions (4–3 over Brooklyn Visitations) [1]
1936–37 American Basketball League2nd (1st half); 1st (2nd half)Champions (4–3 over Jersey Reds) [1]
1937–38 American Basketball League4th (1st half); 3rd (2nd half)Did not qualify [1]
1938–39 American Basketball League2ndLost semifinals (2–0 to New York Jewels) [1]
1939–40 American Basketball League1stChampions (defeated the Washington Brewers, Troy Celtics, New York Jewels, and Baltimore Clippers in round-robin series) [1]
1940–41 American Basketball League1st (1st half); 4th (2nd half)Champions (3–1 over Brooklyn Celtics) [1]
1941–42 American Basketball League2nd (1st half); 3rd (2nd half)No playoffs were held by the ABL [1]
1942–43 American Basketball League2ndChampions (4–3 over Trenton Tigers) [1]
1943–44 American Basketball League4th (1st half); 1st (2nd half)Lost championship (4–3 to Wilmington Blue Bombers) [1]
1944–45 American Basketball League1stChampions (2–1 over Baltimore Bullets) [1]
1945–46 American Basketball League2ndLost championship (3–1 to Baltimore Bullets) [1]
1946–47 American Basketball League2ndLost second round (2–1 to Trenton Tigers) [1]
1947–48 American Basketball League6thDid not qualify [1]
1948–49 American Basketball League8thDid not qualify [1]

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The Philadelphia Sphas were an early American professional basketball team. The 1933-34 season was the first played in the American Basketball League by the Sphas, although they did play in the ABL from 1926-1928 as the Philadelphia Warriors, no relation to the later BAA franchise. The Sphas played in leagues around Philadelphia since 1917, but game-by-game records before the Sphas rejoined the ABL in 1933 are not available. After finishing a perfect 14-0 in the second part of the season, the Sphas would win the league championship with a 4-2 series victory over the Trenton Moose. The Sphas were also referred to as the Philadelphia Hebrews in league records during this time.

The 1917-18 season was the first for the team that would become the Philadelphia Sphas. Playing in the minor-league American Basketball League of Philadelphia, the team was known as Philadelphia YMHA, as they were sponsored by the local branch of the Young Men's Hebrew Association. Game-by-game records not available for this season.

The 1918-19 season was the first season played by the team as the Sphas, and the team's second season in the minor-league American League of Philadelphia. Game-by-game records not available for this season.

The 1919-20 season was the Philadelphia Sphas' third season in the American League of Philadelphia and second season as the Sphas. Game-by-game records are not available for this season. This was the first season that the Sphas finished with a total record over .500.

The 1920-21 season was the Sphas' 4th season in the American League of Philadelphia. Game-by-game records are not available for this season.

The 1921-22 season was the fifth and final season the Sphas played in the American League of Philadelphia, as the league disbanded before the schedule was complete. The team was referred to as Philadelphia Passon, Gottlieb, Black in league records for this season. Game-by-game records are not available for this season.

The 1922-23 season was the first season played by the Sphas in the Philadelphia League, and the only season played by the team in the Manufacturer's League. In the Manufacturer's League, made up of teams from local industry, the Sphas were known as Philadelphia Passon, Gottlieb, Black because they competed on behalf of the owners' sporting goods store. The team was known as the Sphas in the Philadelphia League. Game-by-game records not available for this season.

The 1923-24 season was the second played by the Sphas in the Philadelphia League. This season marked some notable firsts for the team, including their first season playing over 20 games and the team's first championship. Game-by-game records not available for this season

Red Rosan American basketball player and coach

Howard "Red" Rosan was an American basketball player and coach in the American Basketball League (ABL). Rosan played for the Philadelphia Sphas from 1934 to 1945 and coached the Baltimore Bullets from 1944 to 1946. He was inducted into the Temple Athletics Hall of Fame in 1976 and posthumously inducted in the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 1996 as a member of the Philadelphia Sphas.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 Stark, Douglas (2011). "Appendix E". The SPHAS: The Life and Times of Basketball's Greatest Jewish Team. Philadelphia: Temple University Press. pp. 295–297. ISBN   9781592136339. OCLC   859555296.
  2. ↑ No relation to earlier Eastern League
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