St. Louis Bombers

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

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
  
Division titles1 (1948)

Franchise history

The St. Louis Bombers were originally part of the Basketball Association of America (BAA) in 1946.

The BAA merged with the National Basketball League (NBL) in 1949 to become the National Basketball Association (NBA).

The Bombers were one of seven teams that quickly left the NBA. The NBA contracted after the 1949–50 season, losing six of its 17 teams. The Anderson Packers, Sheboygan Red Skins and Waterloo Hawks jumped to the NPBL, while the Chicago Stags, Denver Nuggets and Bombers folded. Midway through the 1950–51 season, the Washington Capitols folded as well, bringing the number of teams in the league down to ten.[1]

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.[2] 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.[2]

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.NamePositionTenureInducted
50Ed MacauleyC/F1949–19501960
Coaches
NamePositionTenureInducted
Ken LoefflerHead coach1946-19481964

Season-by-season record
BAA/NBA champions Division champions Playoff berth
Season League Division Finish Wins Losses Win% GB Playoffs Awards
1946–47BAAWestern2nd3823.6231Lost First round (Warriors) 1–2
1947–48BAAWestern1st2919.604—Lost BAA Semifinals (Warriors) 3–4 †
1948–49BAAWestern4th2931.48316Lost Division semifinals (Royals) 0–2 ‡
1949–50NBACentral5th2642.38225
Regular season record122115.5151946–1950
Playoff record48.333Postseason 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.[3]
  • ‡ 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. "1949-50 NBA Season Summary". Basketball-Reference.com.
  2. "St. Louis Bombers (1946-1950)". sportsecyclopedia.com.
  3. "1947–48 BAA Season Summary". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved 2015-03-01.
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