Bay State Bombardiers

The Bay State Bombardiers were a short-lived minor league basketball club in the Continental Basketball Association (1978-2009). The CBA was the official developmental league of the NBA during the 1980’s and 1990’s, only one step removed but also million light years away from the bright lights of Madison Square Garden and The Forum.

The team originated in Bangor, Maine as the Maine Lumberjacks (1978-1983). The club moved south in March 1983 when Lumberjacks investor John Ligums relocated the team to Brockton, Massachusetts, twenty minutes south of his home in the tony Boston suburb of Milton.

The Bombardiers spent one tumultuous season playing out of a high school gymnasium in Brockton. Former ABA star Johnny Neumann was the team’s Head Coach.

In June 1984, Ligums moved the Bombardiers an hour west to Worcester, Massachusetts and hired recently retired Boston Celtics star and future Hall-of-Famer Dave Cowens to replace Neumann as coach.

Like so many CBA franchises – the league churned through dozens of cities in the 1980’s and 90’s – the Bombardiers struggled financially in Worcester. John Ligums sold the Bombardiers to Pensacola, Florida interests in July 1986. The nomadic franchise became the Pensacola Tornados (1986-1991) and later played in Birmingham (AL), Rochester (MN) and Harrisburg (PA) before finally folding in 1995.

Read more: Fun While it Lasted

This Gildan Unisex Basic Softstyle t-shirt is made of a thicker, heavier cotton, but it's still soft and comfy. And the double stitching on the neckline and sleeves add more durability to what is sure to be a favorite!

• 100% ring-spun cotton
• 4.5 oz/y² (153 g/m²)
• Pre-shrunk
• Shoulder-to-shoulder taping
• Quarter-turned to avoid crease down the center

Size guide