1938 ABL Season
12 teams competed during the regular season
Jersey Reds defeated New York Jewels for the championship
League President
RetroSeasons
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American Basketball League II (ABL)
1937-38 ABL Season Overview
In the American League, the Philadelphia Sphas, winners of three of the past four titles, opened the new season with six straight wins. The Sphas then went into a mysterious tailspin, lost ten of their next sixteen games and fell out of contention for the rest of the season. Jersey quickly took up the slack and easily won the first half of the split-season schedule. The Reds presented a balanced attack built around Moe Spahn, Moe Frankel and veteran Paulie Adamo, and a defense headed by Mike Michelotti and Al Benson.
The New York Jewels, who had suffered their first losing season the past year, were forced for the first time to augment the original St.John’s alumni group with new talent. Veterans Rip Gerson, Mac Posnack, and Allie Schuckman were released and replaced by talented youngsters like Willie Rubinstein and John Pelkington. The revitalized Jewels took the second-half title and the right to face off against Jersey for the championship.
The Jersey Reds opened the best-of-seven game championship by taking two of the first three games. The fourth game in Brooklyn was punctuated by fistfights, constant bickering with the referee and a half-hour hiatus when the Reds walked off the court late in the third period to protest a disallowed basket. While the orchestra (a regular adjunct to 1930’s contests for after game dancing) played soothing music, league president John O’Brien cajoled the Jersey club back onto the floor where the Reds finally subdued the Jewels 26-24 to take a 3-1 series lead. New York fought back from extinction in game five to upset Jersey on its homecourt and force the series back to Arcadia Court in Brooklyn. In game six, however, the Jewels could hit only 5 of 63 field goal attempts (star Mac Kinsbrunner was 0 for 18) and suffered a two-point loss to the Jersey Reds who claimed their first ABL championship.