Share to:

 

St. Louis Bombers

For the rugby football club, see St. Louis Bombers Rugby Football Club.
St. Louis Bombers
St. Louis Bombers logo
DivisionWestern
Founded1946
Folded1950
HistorySt. Louis Bombers
1946–1950
ArenaSt. Louis Arena
LocationSt. Louis, Missouri
Team colorsRed and White
  
General managerEmory D. Jones
Head coachKen Loeffler (1946–1948)
Grady Lewis (1948–1950)
Division titles1 (1948)

The St. Louis Bombers were a National Basketball Association team based in St. Louis from 1946 to 1950.

Franchise history

The St. Louis Bombers were originally part of the Basketball Association of America (BAA) in 1946. Ken Loeffler, head coach at the University of Denver, was the team's first head coach. He left the team in 1948 due to a disagreement with team president C. D. Hamilton Jr. over a bonus.[1]

On May 7, 1949, the Bombers signed Saint Louis University star Ed Macauley to one of the highest contracts in professional basketball.[2] Later that year, the BAA merged with the National Basketball League (NBL) to form the National Basketball Association (NBA).[3]

On January 27, 1950, general manager Emory D. Jones announced that the ownership was looking to sell the team due to poor on-court performance and low attendance (3,550 per game).[4] On April 22, 1950, the Bombers announced that they were dropping their franchise.[5] The Bombers were one of six teams that either folded or departed the NBA after the 1949–50 season.[6]

The NBA would return to St. Louis in 1955 when the Milwaukee Hawks became the St. Louis Hawks. Ed Macauley would end up back in St. Louis in a deal that sent Bill Russell to the Boston Celtics, and played a key role in the Hawks 1958 NBA championship.[7] The Hawks have played in their current home of Atlanta since 1968.

Arena

The Bombers played at the St. Louis Arena. The arena was torn down in 1999.[7]

Notable alumni

Players

Main article: List of St. Louis Bombers (NBA) players

Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame

St. Louis Bombers Hall of Famers
Players
No. Name Position Tenure Inducted
50 Ed Macauley C/F 1949–1950 1960
Coaches
Name Position Tenure Inducted
Ken Loeffler Head coach 1946-1948 1964

Season-by-season record

BAA/NBA champions Division champions Playoff berth
Season League Division Finish Wins Losses Win% GB Playoffs Awards
1946–47 BAA Western 2nd 38 23 .623 1 Lost First round (Warriors) 1–2
1947–48 BAA Western 1st 29 19 .604 — Lost BAA Semifinals (Warriors) 3–4 †
1948–49 BAA Western 4th 29 31 .483 16 Lost Division semifinals (Royals) 0–2 ‡
1949–50 NBA Central 5th 26 42 .382 25
Regular season record 122 115 .515 1946–1950
Playoff record 4 8 .333 Postseason Series Record: 0–3
  • † The 1948 BAA Playoffs did not establish Eastern and Western finalists and generated one finalist from the East, one from the West, only by coincidence. Philadelphia and St. Louis were the finalists from the Eastern and Western divisions and met in a best-of-seven series to determine one league championship finalist.[8]
  • ‡ The 1949 BAA Playoffs matched Eastern teams exclusively, and Western teams exclusively, so that the league semifinals generated Eastern and Western finalists as well as championship finalists.

References

  1. ^ "Ken Loeffler Quits St. Louis Bombers". The Pittsburgh Press. April 28, 1948. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
  2. ^ "Maculey Signs With Bombers". St. Petersburg Times. May 8, 1949. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
  3. ^ "NBL, BAA merge, end pro net war". The Republic. UP. 4 August 1949. p. 11. Retrieved 21 June 2024 – via Newspapers.com.Open access icon
  4. ^ "Bomber Bosses Would Sell Out to Top Bidder". St. Joseph Gazette. January 28, 1950. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
  5. ^ "Bombers Fizzle Out". The Pittsburgh Press. April 23, 1950. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
  6. ^ Grayson, Harry (October 20, 1950). "The Scoreboard". Warsaw Times - Union. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
  7. ^ a b "St. Louis Bombers (1946-1950)". sportsecyclopedia.com.
  8. ^ "1947–48 BAA Season Summary". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved 2015-03-01.
Kembali kehalaman sebelumnya