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The team dropped out of the league on January 8, 1953


Team folded at the end of the 1951/1952 season.


Team folded at the end of the 1951/1952 season.


Folded when the American Basketball League collapsed.



Team folded at the end of the 1951/1952 season.

Dropped out of the league on November 23, 1949


Team folded at the end of the 1951/1952 season.


Dropped to the minor league Eastern Basketball League after the ABL folded

The franchise was terminated by the league on December 4, 1947


The team folded during their only season.









Moved to Brooklyn during on January 18, 1943 and dropped out of league during the 1st half of the 1943/44 season.

Moved to Brooklyn during on January 18, 1943 and dropped out of league during the 1st half of the 1943/44 season.

Folded after only one season.










They dropped out of the league on January 11, 1938 near the halfway point of their first and only season.

The team dropped out during the 1st half of the 1941/42 season, but returned for the next season, before folding.


The team dropped out during the 1st half of the 1941/42 season, but returned for the next season, before folding.


Absorbed into the Troy Celtics on December 19, 1939.



Absorbed into the New York Jewels on January 26, 1940

Merged with the New Britain Jackaways to become the New Britain Mules on January 18, 1935, folding thereafter.

The team dropped out during the 1st half of the 1941/42 season, but returned for the next season, before folding.


Merged with the Newark Mules to become the New Britain Mules for the second half of the 1934-35 season, folding thereafter.

Merged with the Newark Mules to become the New Britain Mules for the second half of the 1934-35 season, folding thereafter.

Merged with the New Britain Jackaways to become the New Britain Mules on January 18, 1935, folding thereafter.



The team dropped out during the 1st half of the 1941/42 season, but returned for the next season, before folding.

Absorbed into the New York Jewels on January 26, 1940

Merged with the Newark Mules to become the New Britain Mules for the second half of the 1934-35 season, folding thereafter.

The team's name is an acronym, derived from South Philadelphia Hebrew Association (the group that initially funded the team), and the team's players, at least in its earlier years, were primarily Jewish. 1949 would be the last year the Sphas were affiliated with a league, but thanks to Gottlieb's friendship with Abe Saperstein, president and owner of the Harlem Globetrotters, the Sphas lived on as one of the exhibition teams that the Globetrotters would play, although they would retain only the franchise name, not the Jewish makeup of the team.

what a year. the competitiveness of the ABL really brought the NBA out of its duldrums.