ABL (1925-1955)

From Hoopedia

The American Basketball League was the first true professional basketball league. Where the National Basketball League was made up of teams located in smaller, Midwestern cities and generally sponsored by industrial firms, the ABL was much more ethnic, big city and Northeastern.

Initial teams that dominated the ABL were the Cleveland Rosenblums, the New York Celtics, the Boston Whirlwinds, and the Philadelphia SPHAs. Players were generally the children of first generation immigrants, many being Jewish, Italian, and Irish. Nat Holman, Harry Boykoff, Bobby McDermott and Harry Litwak were but a few early stars.

The ABL for many years was the top pro basketball league in the United States, but the teams were generally run by promoters with little or no money. After World War II, the arena owners in the large cities looked to take advantage of the pro basketball following established by these promoters while retaining the ownership of the teams for themselves. Hence the Basketball Association of America was formed and the Cleveland Rosenblums became the Cleveland Rebels; the Boston Whirlwinds became the Boston Celtics, and the Original Celtics were supplanted by the New York Knickerbockers. In fact, only Eddie Gottlieb, the promoter of the Philadelphia SPHAs, survived by working a back room deal with the Philadelphia Arena to keep his Philadelphia operation. Gottlieb retained the SPHAs in the ABL while naming the NBA franchise the Philadelphia Warriors.

In the 1940's it was the ABL that sported pro basketball's first 7 footer, Elmore Morgenthaler of the Philadelphia SPHAs. Morgenthaler was with the original Toronto Huskies of the NBA before joining the SPHAs, where he was legendary, scoring as many as 21 points a game in an era when teams as a whole only averaged scoring in the 50's.

The end came when the NBL and BAA merged in 1949 to form the NBA. The ABL remained basically an East Coast minor pro league for another couple of seasons, but were unable to survive.

John J. O'Brien served as league president from 1928 to 1953.

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Complete Team List

Atlantic City Sandpipers (1936/37, dropped out in December, 1936)
Baltimore Orioles (1926/27)
Baltimore Clippers (1939/40-40/41)
Baltimore Bullets (1944/45-46/47) joined the BAA
Boston Whirlwinds (1925/26, expelled after 1st half)
Boston Trojans (1934/35)
Bridgeport Roesslers (1948/49-51/52, as Bridgeport Newfield Steelers in 1948/49; as Bridgeport Aer-A-Sols in 1949/50)
Bronx Americans (1933/34)
Brooklyn Arcadians (1925/26-26/27, replaced by New York Celtics after 5 games)
Brooklyn Visitations (1927/28-30/31, 1933/34-38/39, as Paterson Visitations in 1936/37; moved to Brooklyn in November, 1936)
Brooklyn Celtics (1940/41, as Troy Haymakers in 1938/39; as Troy Celtics in 1939/40-40/41; absorbed Kingston Colonials in December, 1939; moved to Brooklyn during 1st half of 1940/41)
Brooklyn Indians (1942/43-43/44, as Camden Indians in 1942/43; moved to Brooklyn in January, 1943; dropped out during 1st half of 1943/44)
Brooklyn Gothams (1944/45-48/49, as Westchester Indians in 1944/45; moved to New York in January, 1945; as New York Gothams in 1944/45-45/46)
Buffalo Bisons (1925/26)
Carbondale Aces (1950/51)
Chicago Bruins (1925/26-30/31)
Cleveland Rosenblums (1925/26-30/31, also known as the Rosies)
Detroit Lions (1925/26-26/27, as Detroit Pulaski Post Five in 1925/26 and at beginning of 1925/26; dropped out after 6 games)
Detroit Cardinals (1927/28, also known as the Olympians; dropped out in January, 1928)
Elmira Colonels (1951/52-52/53)
Fort Wayne Hoosiers (1925/26-30/31, as Fort Wayne Caseys in 1925/26)
Glens Falls-Saratoga (1949/50-52/53, as New York Harlem Yankees in 1949/50; as Saratoga Harlem Yankees 1950/51-51/52; moved to Schenectady during 1951/52; as Schenectady Yankees in 1951/52; moved to Saratoga during 1951/52; as Saratoga Harlem Yankees in 1951/52; dropped out in February, 1953)
Harrisburg Senators (1942/43)
Hartford Hurricanes (1946/47-49/50, as Elizabeth Braves in 1946/47-47/48; moved to Hartford in December, 1947)
Jersey Reds (1933/34-39/40, as Union City Reds in 1933/34; merged into New York Jewels in January, 1940)
Kingston Colonials (1935/36-39/40, merged with Troy Celtics in December, 1939)
Lancaster Roses (1947/48, franchise terminated in December, 1947)
Manchester British-Americans (1951/52-52/53)
Middletown Guards Mike Lee averaged 43.2 points in 1952 for the Guards(1952/53)
New Britain Mules (1933/34-34/35, as Hoboken Thourots in 1933/34; moved to Camden in November, 1933; as Camden Brewers in 1933/34; taken over and moved to New Britain in January, 1934; as New Britain Palaces in 1933/34; as New Britain Jackaways in 1934/35; merged with Newark Mules to form New Britain Mules for the 2nd half of 1934/35)

New York Celtics (1926/27-27/28, 1929/30, 1937/38, also known as the Original Celtics; as Brooklyn Celtics in 1926/27; forced to disband by the league in December, 1929)
New York Hakoahs (1928/29)
New York Jewels (1933/34-42/43, as Brooklyn Jewels in 1933/34; as New York Jewels in 1934/35-36/37; renamed Brooklyn Jewels for 2nd half of 1936/37; as New Haven Jewels in 1937/38; moved to New York in November, 1937 and renamed New York Jewels; absorbed Jersey Reds in January, 1940; dropped out in 1st half of 1941/42)
New York Yankees (1937/38, as Bronx Yankees in 1937/38; renamed New York Yankees during 1937/38; dropped out in January, 1938)
New York Americans (1943/44)
Newark Mules (1933/34-34/35, as Newark Bears in 1933/34; also known as Newark Joe Fays in 1933/34; merged with New Britain Jackaways for the 2nd half of 1934/35 to become the New Britain Mules)
Passaic Red Devils (1935/36, also known as the Reds'; as Paterson Panthers in 1935/36; moved to Trenton in December, 1935; as Trenton Bengals in 1935/36; moved to Passaic for 2nd half of 1935/36)
Paterson Crescents (1928/29-30/31, as Paterson Whirlwinds in 1928/29; dropped out in December, 1930)
Paterson Crescents (1944/45-50/51, as Washington Capitols in 1944/45; moved to Paterson in January, 1945)
Pawtucket Slaters (1952/53)
Philadelphia Warriors (1926/27-28/29, also known as the Quakers; as Philadelphia Phillies in 1926/27)
Philadelphia SPHAs (1933/34-48/49, also known as the Hebrews)
Rochester Centrals (1925/26-30/31)
Schenectady Packers (1949/50, dropped out in November, 1949)
Scranton Miners (1946/47-52/53, as Jersey City Atoms in 1946/47-47/48; moved to Scranton in January, 1948)
Syracuse All-Americans (1930/31, dropped out in January, 1931)
Toledo Red Men Tobaccos (1930/31)
Trenton Bengals (1928/29, also known as the Royal Bengals)
Trenton Moose (1933/34)
Trenton Tigers (1941/42-49/50)
Troy Celtics (1946/47)
Utica Pros (1950/51)
Washington Palace Five (1925/26-27/28, also known as the Laundrymen; dropped out in January, 1928 and replaced by Brooklyn Visitations)
Washington Brewers (1938/39-41/42, as Washington Heurichs in 1938/39, as Washington Heurich Brewers in 1939-40)
Wilkes-Barre Barons (1938/39-39/40, dropped out in February, 1940)
Wilkes-Barre Barons (1947/48-52/53)
Wilmington Blue Bombers (1941/42)
Wilmington Bombers (1943/44-46/47)
Yonkers Chiefs (1946/47, as Newark Bobcats in 1946/47; moved to Yonkers during 1946/47; dropped out during 1946/47 season)