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Team and League History

November 3, 1947
Jim Price announces that he will own the Birmingham franchise in the new Southern Professional Basketball League. The team will be named the Birmingham Vulcans.

The season is to begin later this month and the Vulcans will play their games at the Municipal Auditorium and the National Guard Armory.

Price also names Wheeler Flemming as player-coach. Kevin Connors, first baseman for the Mobile Bears baseball club, was to be the coach but he could not secure a release from the Boston Celtics.

1947-48   Southern Professional Basketball League

Birmingham Vulcans

Gadsden Whiz Kids / Bessemer Whiz Kids

Houston Mavericks

Jackson Senators

Memphis Legionnaires

Montgomery Rebels

Nashville Vols

December 15, 1947
Manuel Dorsky and Abe Epsman quit the Vulcans after the game against the Gadsden Whiz Kids. The two players are some of the better players in the league. Dorsky said they had not been paid for the game they played in the month of November.

Dorsky said they quit because team owner Jim Price "held out on the paycheck" and they weren't the only dissatisfied players on the team. "There are more than us not satisfied. Some other players are going to quit before this thing is settled."

Price issued a statement saying, "I have released Manuel Dorsky for the good of the club. I haven't released Abe Epsman yet, but it looks like it's coming. They have caused dissention on the club by criticizing the players when on the bench. The reason they did not get paid for the game in November was that it would cause extra bookkeeping at the end of the year. We close our season February 29th, so we brought the November game over to the December records. All players have been paid in full."

December 19, 1947
After losing to the Montgomery Rebels by one point, 69-68, Price protests the outcome of the game with the league. At the end of the game a Rebel player was given an extra free throw due to an inadvertent whistle from the scorer's table. The league agreed and decreed the game will be replayed at a later date.

December 27, 1947
League commissioner Raymond Johnson announces that the winless Gadsden club has been relocated to Bessemer and will be known as the Bessemer Whiz Kids.

January 12, 1948
The league announces the Memphis Legionnaires franchise will move to Mobile and become the Mobile Bears. Games will be played in Mobile's Recreation Center.

January 23, 1948
Player-coach Wheeler Flemming resigns due to "constant changes in personnel which made it impossible to form a winning combination." General manager Jim Price responds by saying, "We are parting on the best of terms. I'm already lining up his successor and I'm keeping the wires hot looking for new players. Anybody who can strengthen our team, I'll sign."

January 26, 1948
Price announces the Vulcans have a new coach. Cherry Foster, one of Howard College's all-time basketball greats, will take over the team. Foster graduated from Howard in 1931.

February 16, 1948
Price announces that Vulcans head coach Cherry Foster is leaving the team to attend to his construction business in South Alabama. Price says he will coach the team until a replacement is found.

March 2, 1948
Johnson announces that Birmingham, Montgomery, and Nashville will form the playoff teams after Jackson withdraws due to injuries to three of their players. The three teams will play one another until a team has lost three games. Then, the remaining two teams will play a best three out of five series for the championship.

March 12, 1948
It is reported that all the former Vulcans players are considering suing team owner Jim Price for salaries they have not received for weeks. Price agrees the players are due some remaining payments but not to the extent they contend. Price says the team has enough money deposited with the league to pay the players what he believes they are due.

Epilogue
The Southern Professional Basketball League would play the following year but not with the Birmingham Vulcans. Owner Jim Price would instead field a new team for the SPBL named the Birmingham Steelers.

The Bessemer Whiz Kids also decide to fold after the season completes.

The SPBL decides to cease operations soon after the 1948-49 season ends.

Champions of the   Southern Professional Basketball League
Year	Team
1947-48	Montgomery Rebels
1948-49	Montgomery Rebels

	Years local team participated

			Teams of the             Southern Professional Basketball League
xxx		xxx		xxx		xxx		xxx		xxx
	NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO
	Bessemer Whiz Kids 1947-48		Birmingham Steelers 1948-49		Birmingham Vulcans 1947-48		Gadsden Whiz Kids 1947-48		Jackson Senators 1947-48
	NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO		NEED LOGO
	Laurel Oilers 1948-49		Memphis Legionnaires 1947-48		Mobile Bears 1947-48		Montgomery Rebels 1947-48 to 1948-49		Nashville Vols 1947-48 to 1948-49
	NEED LOGO
	New Orleans Sports 1948-49

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Last update: January 26, 2023