semi-pro basketball star

We just found a record that says that my grandpa played semi-professional basketball. It says, "The roaring Cincinnatus Merchants Semi-Professional basketball team of Cincinnatus has become an invincible team. The Merchants have smashed every opponent they have played this year... The team has been greatly bolstered by the return of Daley and Tice from Baltimore, Maryland, sensational basketball ALL STARS..." (the original had "all stars" written in all caps.)

Who knew?