The Salt Lake City Stars are an American minor-league professional basketball team. They are a member of the NBA G League , based in West Valley City, Utah , and are affiliated with the Utah Jazz . Before the 2016–17 season, they were based in Boise, Idaho . Their home arena is the Maverik Center .
112-873: The team was founded as a member of the Continental Basketball Association in 1997 and was league runner-up in the 2003–04 season, losing to the Dakota Wizards . After the 2005–06 season, the Stampede announced that the team would be joining the NBA Development League. From 2005 to 2015, the team played as the Idaho Stampede at the CenturyLink Arena in Boise . Before then, they played home games at
224-568: A 19-day strike due to deadlocked contract negotiations. A court order, as well as a state law that made strikes by public workers illegal in Connecticut, resulted in 274 teachers being arrested and jailed. In November 1978, a wave of arson passed through the city's East side , with the fire chief calling it as a microcosm of " the Bronx ". The city suffered from overall mismanagement, for which several city officials were convicted, contributing to
336-552: A band of the Paugussett , an Algonquian-speaking Native American people who occupied this area. One of their sacred sites was Golden Hill, which overlooked the harbor and was the location of natural springs and their planting fields. (It has since been blasted through for construction of an expressway .) The Golden Hill Indians were granted a reservation here by the Colony of Connecticut in 1639; it lasted until 1802. (One of
448-522: A local dwarf . He soon became part of Barnum's act and a star under the name " General Tom Thumb ". Barnum moved to Bridgeport and built four houses in the city over the course of his life, the first being Iranistan . In 1852, Barnum began an endeavor with William Noble to develop the land (inherited by Noble) on the other side of the Pequonnock River , across the river from Bridgeport to be known as " East Bridgeport " with Washington Park at
560-667: A major junction, the city began to industrialize. The city's first immigrants were Irish Catholics who settled in the Sterling Hill section of the Hollow . Having come to the US to escape the famine , they arrived in town during the 1830s to build the railroad. They mostly lived in wooden four to six family tenements , often subdivided homes. In 1842, showman P.T. Barnum spent a night in Bridgeport, and there met Charles Stratton ,
672-528: A native village that extended past the 1650s. It is also an ancient Paugusett burial ground. The burgeoning farming community grew and became a center of trade, shipbuilding, and whaling. The town was incorporated to subsidize the Housatonic Railroad and rapidly industrialized following the rail line's connection to the New York and New Haven railroad. The town was given its name because of
784-413: A no foul-out rule and a change in the way league standings were determined. Under the "7-Point System", seven points were awarded each game: three points for winning a game and one point for every quarter a team won. As a result, a winning team would wind up with four to seven points in the standings, while a losing team could collect from zero to three points. This made for at least some fan interest even in
896-541: A professional Northeastern regional league and as an unofficial feeder system to the NBA and ABA . The CBA's first commissioner was Harry Rudolph, father of NBA referee Mendy Rudolph . Steve A. Kauffman , currently a basketball agent, succeeded Rudolph as commissioner in 1975. Kauffman executed a plan to bring the Anchorage Northern Knights into the league beginning with the 1977–78 season. Kauffman kept
1008-500: A proposal in 1995, Las Vegas developer Steve Wynn was to build a large casino , but that project failed due to traffic concerns. The project was opposed as rival Donald Trump feared a Bridgeport casino would harm his Atlantic City properties and proposed to build a theme park and potential casino on the same site. New waves of migrants from places such as Brazil , Jamaica, Vietnam , Laos , Cambodia, Mexico , and other nations arrived in Bridgeport. Immigrants from Brazil, after
1120-529: A randomly selected fan could hit one shot from the far foul line, 69.75 feet (21.26 m). No one won the insured prize, but the shot attracted national media coverage in Sports Illustrated , The New York Times , and The Sporting News . In 1984, the CBA signed a cable television contract with BET with 10 CBA games televised on a tape delay. For national media attention, the league created
1232-414: A reputation for having an industrial character thanks to the factories located right along both sides of Interstate 95, and the city's lack of urban amities and its reputation as a "blue collar" city simply wasn't the image these companies wanted to identify with in order to attract top executives, Bridgeport was being farther from New York City than Stamford or White Plains with no immediate benefits, and
SECTION 10
#17327808897911344-499: A second 10-day contract. After the second 10-day contract, the team had to either return the player to his CBA team or sign him for the balance of the NBA regular season. The CBA teams, in turn, received compensation for each 10-day contract. By 1980, the CBA had become the official development league of the NBA. CBA teams had exclusive rights to players released by their NBA affiliated teams. NBA teams could sign players from any CBA team. By 1986, 54 former CBA players were playing in
1456-767: A stop became for performances with around 20 theatres. 1922 was the year the elegantly designed Majestic and Poli Palace theatres , were built downtown, along with the Savoy Hotel. The Poli Palace theatre (built by Sylvester Poli ) was the largest theatre in the state of Connecticut, with gilded hand-carved moldings and vaulted ceilings. The Ritz Ballroom was opened in 1923. In 1928, the city bought an 800-acre (320 ha) racetrack and landing field in Lordship to construct Bridgeport Airport . Spanish immigration in 1920 and 1921 brought hundreds of migrants from Spain, particularly from Pedreguer , Valencia , where "practically
1568-501: Is in place. In 2017, MGM had announced plans to build a waterfront casino and shopping center in the city, awaiting approval by the state government. If built, the development would have created 2,000 permanent jobs and about 5,779 temporary jobs. After a legal battle with the Mohegan and Pequot tribes on the right to build a casino in Connecticut, the project "appears to be dead", and tenants such as Bridgeport Boatworks now occupy
1680-638: The American Basketball League (1961–1962) in adding a three-point line, the Eastern League added a three-point line for its 1964–65 season. Although three-point shots during the 1960s were few and far between, the Eastern League developed several scorers who used the three-point shot to their advantage. For the 1970–71 season, the league rebranded itself the Eastern Basketball Association, operating as
1792-532: The Civil War , the town held several iron foundries and factories manufacturing firearms , metallic cartridges , horse harnesses , locks , and blinds . Wheeler & Wilson 's sewing machines were exported throughout the world. Bridgeport absorbed the West End and the village of Black Rock and its busy harbor in 1870. In 1875, P. T. Barnum was elected mayor of the town, which afterwards served as
1904-778: The Delaware Blue Coats ). These rumors were not far off, as on April 4, 2016, the Utah Jazz and the D-League announced that the Stampede would relocate to Salt Lake City for the 2016–17 season and would be renamed the Salt Lake City Stars. The Stars would play at the Bruin Arena at Salt Lake Community College in Taylorsville, Utah for five seasons. On October 10, 2022, it was announced that
2016-632: The First World War , Bridgeport was also producing steam-fitting and heating apparatuses, brass goods, phonographs , typewriters , milling machines, brassieres , and saddles . Brideport's Italian immigrants settled in the " Central End ", today's Little Italy, and the city was the 3rd most Italian in the state by 1910. Their newspapers were the weekly La Tribuna de Connecticut (1906–1908) and later La Sentinella (1920–1948) The West End along Wordin Avenue, known as "Hunktown", grew into one of
2128-738: The Ford Idaho Center in Nampa . The Stampede's sole NBA affiliate is the Utah Jazz , with whom they originally had a hybrid partnership. However, on March 24, 2015, the Utah Jazz and the Idaho Stampede announced that the Jazz had purchased the Stampede, becoming the 8th NBA team to become owners of their D-League affiliate. They also had past affiliations with the Denver Nuggets , Seattle SuperSonics , Toronto Raptors and most recently
2240-859: The Hazleton Mountaineers had three African-American players on their roster during the season – Bill Brown, Zack Clayton and John Isaacs . Isaacs previously played with an all-black touring squad (the Washington Bears), while Brown and Clayton were alumni of the Harlem Globetrotters . During the 1955–56 season, the Hazleton Hawks Eastern League team was the first integrated professional league franchise with an all-black starting lineup: Tom Hemans, Jesse Arnelle , Fletcher Johnson, Sherman White and Floyd Lane. The all-black Dayton Rens competed in
2352-615: The Locomobile Company of America was a prominent early automobile manufacturer , producing a prototype of the Stanley Steamer and various luxury cars . The town was also the center of America's corset production, responsible for 19.9% of the national total, and became the headquarters of Remington Arms following its 1912 merger with the Union Metallic Cartridge Co. Around the time of
SECTION 20
#17327808897912464-711: The New York Knicks defeated the Allentown Jets 131–102 at Allentown; and a contest in April 1961, in which the Boston Celtics also played an exhibition contest against Allentown (defeating the Eastern Leaguers soundly). The Eastern League became a haven for players who wanted to play professionally, but were barred from the NBA because of academic restrictions. Even though Ray Scott had left
2576-566: The Paugussett Native American tribe until English settlement in the 1600s, Bridgeport was incorporated in 1821 as a town, and as a city in 1836. Showman P. T. Barnum was a resident of the city and served as the town's mayor (1871). Barnum built four houses in Bridgeport and housed his circus in town during winter. The city in the early 20th century saw an economic and population boom, becoming by all measures Connecticut's chief manufacturing city by 1905. Bridgeport
2688-603: The Portland Trail Blazers , with the Jazz taking sole affiliation after the 2013–2014 season. The team was purchased by the Jazz on March 24, 2015, and signed a one-year lease at CenturyLink Arena . Shortly after the Jazz bought the Stampede, rumors abounded about the team's relocation to Orem, Utah to be closer to the parent club; coincidentally, Orem was home to the D-League's Utah Flash from 2007 until 2011 (the team now plays in Wilmington, Delaware as
2800-641: The Russian tzar for a million rifles and 100 million rounds of ammunition. The construction site was protected by the National Guard to prevent Bolshevik arson. The factory by 1916 employed 16,000 people and led to the construction of " Remington City " in the Mill Hill neighborhood, and " Remington Village " in the East End, by Remington Arms . In the summer of 1915, a series of strikes imposed
2912-575: The University of Bridgeport , Housatonic Community College , Paier College , and part of Sacred Heart University as well as the state's only zoo . Bridgeport is officially nicknamed "Park City", due to its 35 public parks taking up 1,300 acres, including two large ones. Although none are headquartered within the city itself, more than a dozen Fortune 500 companies are based in its metropolitan area , which it shares with Stamford . Bridgeport by various sites has been consistently ranked as among
3024-708: The eight-hour day on the town's factories; rather than moving business elsewhere, the success spread the eight-hour day throughout the Northeast . Due to housing shortages in many US cities during World War I, the federal government created the US Housing Corporation . This resulted in 7 USHC housing developments being built in Bridgeport, notably Seaside Village in the South End and Black Rock Gardens in Black Rock . By this point, Remington Arms
3136-752: The "CBA Sportscaster Contest" to select a color commentator for its BET telecasts. With tryouts nationwide, the promotion was featured on the NBC Nightly News , Entertainment Tonight , Sports Illustrated and other media. The contest was won by a NJ high school basketball coach, Bill Lange, who later coached the Philadelphia Spirit minor league team in the United States Basketball League. After two tape-delayed seasons on BET, CBA games moved to ESPN , with 13 games televised live. ESPN sportscaster Bob Ley did
3248-682: The 117-unit Citytrust bank building on Main Street. The recession halted, at least temporarily, two major mixed-use projects including a $ 1-billion waterfront development at Steel Point, but other redevelopment projects have proceeded, such as the condominium conversion project in Bijou Square. In 2009, the City Council under Mayor Finch approved a new master plan for development, designed both to promote redevelopment in selected areas and to protect existing residential neighborhoods. The plan
3360-527: The 12-story 855 Main Street (People's Savings Bank building), and 18-floor Park City Plaza , (State National Bank building) built 1972. The plan for three identical towers never materialized, due to the Oil Crisis and corporate vacancies. Bridgeport was largely bypassed by the New York City companies fleeing Manhattan for suburban Fairfield County locations for various reasons; the city developed
3472-682: The 1760s. The area officially became known as Stratfield in 1695 or 1701, due to its location between the already existing towns of Strat ford and Fair field . During the American Revolution , Newfield Harbor was a center of privateering . By the time of the State of Connecticut 's ratification of the Articles of Confederation in 1781, many of the local farmers held shares in vessels trading at Newfield Harbor or had begun trading in their own name. Newfield initially expanded around
Salt Lake City Stars - Misplaced Pages Continue
3584-474: The 1948–49 National Basketball League. During the early years of the CBA, when it was known as the EPBL, the league's relationship with the NBA was frosty at best. The NBA sent several players to the Eastern League for extra playing time, and for several seasons two Eastern League teams played the opening game of a New Year's Eve doubleheader at Madison Square Garden (with the NBA playing the nightcap game). Although
3696-488: The 1950s through the 1960s, many NBA teams had unofficial quotas on the number of black players on their teams. Many players joined other professional leagues, including the EPBL. The league was fast and physical, often played in tiny, smoke-filled gyms across the Northeastern United States , and featuring the best players who could not make many NBA teams because of the quotas. Following the lead of
3808-466: The 1979–80 NBA season, the NBA used the CBA to test an innovation as part of the basket, the breakaway rim , in the 1980–81 CBA season. Three designs were chosen to be used in games, being chosen from ten prototype designs. Several college basketball players were asked to try to break the rims before being introduced in the CBA. When force was placed upon the spring-loaded rim, it would be pulled down, then spring safely back in place. The NBA and CBA adopted
3920-614: The 2000–01 season. Before the 2000–01 season, the CBA signed a television contract with BET to broadcast up to 18 games, including the CBA All-Star Game, although the CBA folded midway through the season. Several of its teams briefly joined the now-defunct International Basketball League . Highlights of Thomas's ownership of the CBA included: In fall 2001, CBA and IBL teams merged with the International Basketball Association and purchased
4032-451: The 25 most ethnically and culturally diverse American cities. Bridgeport was inhabited by the Paugussett native American tribe during the start of European colonization . The earliest European communal settlement was in the historical Stratfield district , along US Route 1 , known in colonial times as the King's Highway. Close by, Mount Grove Cemetery was laid out on what was
4144-535: The 52-acre (21 ha) State Street redevelopment project, demolishing 52 acres of State Street, clearing the land for development. Replaced with modern high-rise office buildings, parking, the Route 8/25 expressway towards Waterbury and Newtown , and a shopping mall at its core. Large parts of Main Street were demolished in what was called the Congress Street Renewal project, nothing was built on
4256-528: The 57 pick in the 1986 CBA draft; in the 1994 CBA draft Mexican soccer player Jorge Campos was drafted by the Mexico Aztecas , despite his ineligibility. In 1997, Lamar Odom , then a highly recruited high school prospect, was given the opportunity to enter the CBA draft and choose the team he wanted to play for, reversing the traditional drafting process; Odom, however, decided not to hire an agent and opted to play in college. The commissioners of
4368-589: The Bridgeport Steamship Company (1824) and Bridgeport Whaling Company (1833) had been incorporated and the Housatonic Railroad chartered (1836). The HRRC ran upstate along the Housatonic Valley , connecting with Massachusetts 's Berkshire Railroad at the state line. Bridgeport was chartered as Connecticut's fifth city in 1836 in order to enable the town council to secure funding (ultimately $ 150,000) to provide to
4480-495: The CBA were: Bridgeport, Connecticut Bridgeport is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Connecticut and the fifth-most populous city in New England , with a population of 148,654 in 2020. Located in eastern Fairfield County at the mouth of the Pequonnock River on Long Island Sound , it is a port city 60 miles (97 km) from Manhattan and 40 miles (64 km) from The Bronx . It borders
4592-505: The CBA. From 1978 through 1986, CBA commissioner Jim Drucker created several new rules to raise fan interest, which were then adopted by the league: The CBA established a draft in 1985, following the NBA's decision to reduce its draft from 10 rounds to 7. This allowed the CBA teams to have a wider selection of players: the selection criteria were the same as the NBA draft. As with the NBA draft, players had to renounce their college eligibility if they wanted to declare early. While initially
Salt Lake City Stars - Misplaced Pages Continue
4704-563: The Cuban population continued to decrease. "There has been a big shift in ethnic groups. Just look at the restaurants that have opened in the last few years—Mexican, Brazilian, Chilean and Jamaican." an interviewee, local chamber of council president Paul Timpanelli stated in 2000 according to the Connecticut Post . In 1999, city-owned Sikorsky Memorial Airport ceased its commercial regional flight offerings. In 2003, Mayor Ganim
4816-599: The Eastern League a year before) were now in ABA uniforms. The ABA continued to siphon off NBA and Eastern League players, leaving the Eastern League with only six teams in 1972 and four teams in 1975. Only the ABA-NBA merger in June 1976 kept the Eastern League alive, as an influx of players from defunct ABA teams joined the league. In 1979, the NBA signed four players from the newly renamed CBA. The CBA, receiving no compensation from
4928-588: The HRRC and ensure that it would terminate in Bridgeport. The Naugatuck Railroad —connecting Bridgeport to Waterbury and Winsted along the Naugatuck River —was chartered in 1845 and began operation four years later. The same year, the New York and New Haven Railroad began operation, connecting Bridgeport to New York and the other towns along the north shore of the Long Island Sound . Now
5040-463: The NBA for these signings, sued the NBA. The suit was settled and in exchange for the right to sign any CBA player at any time, the NBA paid the CBA $ 115,000; it also paid the CBA $ 80,000 to develop NBA referees in the CBA. During this time, the NBA created the "10-day-contract", where an NBA team could sign a CBA player for 10 days, at the pro rata NBA minimum salary (as per the NBA's collective bargaining agreement ). The NBA team could re-sign him to
5152-403: The NBA played exhibition games with the Eastern League during the late 1940s and early 1950s, the exhibition games ceased in 1954 when the Eastern League signed several college basketball players involved in point-shaving gambling scandals during their college years, including Jack Molinas , Sherman White , Floyd Layne , and Al Roth . The Eastern League also signed 7-foot center Bill Spivey ,
5264-571: The NBA, including Phil Jackson (Albany Patroons), Bill Musselman ( Tampa Bay Thrillers ), Eric Musselman (Rapid City Thrillers), Flip Saunders (LaCrosse Catbirds) and George Karl (Montana Golden Nuggets). In 2001, the NBA formed its own minor league, the National Basketball Development League (the NBDL or "D-League"). At the end of the 2005–2006 season, three current and one expansion CBA franchises jumped to
5376-562: The NBA. In 1987 the CBA announced that teams were allowed to sign players banned for drug use by the NBA. Mitchell Wiggins , who was suspended by the NBA for cocaine use, was one of the first players signed in the CBA under the new rule that was implemented in conjunction with the NBA and NBA Players Association . During the 1993–94 season, the NBA–CBA affiliate relationship was replaced by an annual draft of NBA players. The draft gave CBA teams exclusive negotiating rights with NBA players in
5488-493: The NBDL. During the 2006–07 season no players were called up from the CBA to the NBA, ending a streak of over 30 seasons of at least one call-up per year. That soon led to the beginning of the end for the CBA. The CBA followed largely the same basketball rules as the NBA and most other professional leagues. Sometimes rules adopted by the CBA on an experimental basis later became permanent in that league and were adopted by other levels of basketball as well; others remained unique to
5600-415: The Pequannock River then Newfield. It was assumed before the Revolution that this land would grow into a city. "Bridgeport grew up without a plan, or in spite of one". In 1800, the village became the Borough of Bridgeport, the first so incorporated in the state. It was named for the Newfield or Lottery Bridge across the Pequonnock, connecting the wharves on its east and west banks. Bridgeport Bank
5712-514: The University of Portland two months after his matriculation, the NBA could not sign Scott to a contract until Scott's class graduated. The EPBL, however, could sign him and Scott played 77 games for the Allentown Jets before later joining the NBA's Detroit Pistons . By the 1967–68 season, the Eastern League lost many of its players when the upstart American Basketball Association formed. Players such as Lavern "Jelly" Tart, Willie Somerset , Art Heyman and Walt Simon (all of whom were all-stars in
SECTION 50
#17327808897915824-611: The West End. In 1894, Bridgeport's Slavic immigrants played a major role in the development of the Orthodox Christian faith in America when they met with Fr Alexis Toth (now Saint Alexis) and founded Holy Ghost Russian Orthodox Church in the city's Eastside. This parish became the mother church of all Orthodox Churches in New England. From 1870 to 1910, Bridgeport became the largest industrial center in Connecticut; its population rose from around 25,000 to over 100,000, including thousands of Irish , Slovaks , Hungarians , Germans , English , and Italian immigrants . Jewish migration to
5936-471: The assets of the defunct CBA (including its name, logo and records) from the bankruptcy trustee and resumed operations as the CBA, assuming the former league's identity and history. The league obtained eight new franchises (for a total of ten) for the 2006 season. The Atlanta Krunk Wolverines and Vancouver Dragons deferred their participation until the 2007–2008 season and the Utah Eagles folded on January 25, 2007. The CBA's 2007–08 season began with 10 franchises,
6048-438: The center. The new neighborhood had homes, commerce, and factories, centered around East Main Street . The neighborhood eventually became the East Side of Bridgeport (occasionally spelled "Eastside"). In 1863, during the Civil War , the Bridgeport Standard ran a series of articles encouraging the creation of a public park in the city. This led wealthy residents P.T. Barnum , William Noble and Nathaniel Wheeler to purchase
6160-419: The centerfold of their game program, each identified with a unique serial number, and attempt to throw it through the moon roof of a new Ford Thunderbird parked at mid-court. Four fans were successful and a tie-breaker determined the winner who drove home with the new $ 17,000 car. In August 1999, the CBA's teams were purchased by an investment group led by former NBA star Isiah Thomas . The group bought all of
6272-532: The city began in the 1881, with an influx of Polish , Russian , and especially Hungarian Jews calling Bridgeport home. Bridgeport Jew Edwin Land grew up to invent the Polaroid . In 1905, Bridgeport was already "the largest industrial center in the state, $ 49,381,348 was invested in manufacturing and the products being valued at $ 44,586,519." The city was a port of entry with its imports being valued at around $ 656,271 in 1908. The Singer factory joined Wheeler & Wilson in producing sewing machines and
6384-429: The city filed for bankruptcy protection but was declared solvent by a federal court. Later that same year, Mayor Mary C. Moran lost the election to Joseph Ganim , at 33 years old, the youngest person to hold that office. and under him the city was able to begin redevelopment with the construction of the Arena at Harbor Yard and the Ballpark at Harbor Yard . Bridgeport made numerous efforts at revitalization. In
6496-551: The city was packed, and a crowd formed outside, as well. Lincoln received a standing ovation before taking the 9:07 pm train that night back to Manhattan. A plaque marks the site where Lincoln spoke; later that year, he was elected president. The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke three times at the Klein Auditorium during the 1960s, as well as at the University of Bridgeport and the original Central High School (today Bridgeport City Hall )., as well as in Bridgeport City Hall. Additionally, President George W. Bush spoke before
6608-411: The city's population exploded from 102,054 to 143,555, due to the city's role in the First World War. Bridgeport had the largest factory in the world at the time, the new Remington Arms plant on Boston Avenue (on the East Side). Built in 1915, it had 13 separate buildings, each of them 5 stories, connected by a long corridor half a mile long. The purpose of the building was to fulfil a company order from
6720-434: The city's population stabilize at 143,555 after the war. The Roaring Twenties brought more leisure and entertainment. In 1919, the city of Bridgeport bought Pleaseure Beach (also known as Steepchase Island) for $ 220,000. Pleasure Beach was an amusement park and beach on an island in the East End next to Stratford . In 1920, the city parks commissioner began the process of creating a zoo in Beardsley Park . Bridgeport
6832-462: The city's population, or 15,000 people, the largest Puerto Rican population in Connecticut, and they would continue to grow. Groups such as the local Young Lords branch organized themselves on East Main Street , leading to activism to advance the Puerto Rican community with increased access to health care, better housing, food and an end to poverty and police brutality. As cities across the country were renovating their central business district after
SECTION 60
#17327808897916944-460: The city. Laotians refugees settled in the West End opening businesses Bridgeport's Mexican population grew gradually, from 24 people counted in 1970, 599 people in 1990, to 2,687 by the 2000 census, becoming at that point the second largest Latino group in the city behind the city's Puerto Ricans (31,117 people), surpassing the Cuban population. Likewise, the population from other Central and South American nations continued to increase while
7056-425: The coasting trade with Boston , New York , and Baltimore and the international trade with the West Indies . The commercial activity of the village was clustered around the wharves on the west bank of the Pequonnock, while the churches were erected inland on Broad Street. In 1787, the Fairfield County Court ordered the laying out and widening of what is now State Street and Main Street in downtown Bridgeport, along
7168-410: The company became part of the International Silver Company in 1898. (The H&E brand continued well into the 1950s and was advertised in national magazines such as LIFE and Ladies' Home Journal .) Hungarian immigrants began to arrive, which led to the Ráckόczi Hungarian Aid Association in Bridgeport in 1887 and the American Hungarian Immigrant Aid Society in 1892. They established themselves in
7280-464: The construction of a big box retailer in 2013, along with other stores, shops, and a lighthouse with a marina and oyster bar). The plan for high-end mixed use apartments is in place, although concerns about gentrification have been raised. A hotel is also in the works. A new proposed train station in East Bridgeport , meant to be completed in 2021, was postponed in 2019. By 2013 the city and local business owners agreed that work needed to be done in
7392-456: The downtown area north of Fairfield Avenue, nicknamed Downtown North , above. Made up of old empty brick buildings which were neglected for years, the city and developers began their rehabilitation starting in 2015, most of which are now converted apartments or retail. Bridgeport's downtown renovation has resulted in various restaurants, the renovation of the Bishop Arcade Mall , a comedy club , and theatres. A 2022 plan to renovate McLevy Hall
7504-544: The draft was limited to players who were not drafted in the NBA, this later changed, and on several occasions players were drafted by both the NBA and the CBA. Some examples include Nick Van Exel (1993, Los Angeles Lakers of the NBA and Rapid City Thrillers of the CBA), Dontonio Wingfield (1994, Seattle SuperSonics and Rapid City Thrillers), Stephen Jackson (1997, Phoenix Suns and La Crosse Bobcats ), and Jason Hart (2000, Milwaukee Bucks and Idaho Stampede ). CBA franchises usually selected players who had
7616-425: The economic and social decline. The once busy Lafayette Shopping Plaza began to lose customers after Gimbel's closed in 1984. Replaced with a Read's store , the mall was later bought by Hi-Ho Industries and renamed "Hi-Ho Mall", until it closed in 1993 and became Housatonic Community College in 1997. Bridgeport remained the state's second city and as Hartford's population continued to shrink, Bridgeport became
7728-508: The entire town migrated" to Bridgeport. During the Great Depression the city elected Socialist party candidate Jasper McLevy as mayor in 1933. McLevy's election made headlines as a New England city had a socialist mayor. Known for cutting costs, he would serve as mayor for 12 terms, finally losing in 1957. The Great Migration led southern African-Americans to Bridgeport around the 1930s (thanks to railroads) along with black foreigners (such as Cape Verdean ), By 1930, Bridgeport had
7840-423: The event of their release from an NBA roster. The CBA team owned exclusive rights to the draftee in perpetuity. During the 1980s and 1990s, the NBA's relationship with the CBA grew to the point where dozens of former CBA stars found their way onto NBA rosters, including Tim Legler (Omaha Racers), Mario Elie (Albany Patroons), and John Starks (Cedar Rapids Silver Bullets). The CBA also sent qualified coaches to
7952-447: The exodus of manufacturing companies, would result in even higher taxes for residents. The city in 1995 saw a serious reduction in violent crime, notably in its East Side, where crime rate fell by nearly half, homicides dropped, burglaries by 3/4s and stolen car thefts by more than half, among other stats, as the Phoenix Project led to barricading city streets, confusing out of town drug buyers, and preventing sellers to escape. In 1991,
8064-476: The former University of Kentucky standout who was accused of point-shaving; although Spivey was acquitted of all charges, the NBA still banned him from the league for life. After a few seasons, however, the NBA and EPBL resumed exhibition games in the 1950s (including a 1956 matchup in which the NBA's Syracuse Nationals lost to the EPBL's Wilkes-Barre Barons at Wilkes-Barre's home court). Other EPBL-NBA exhibition matchups include an October 1959 contest in which
8176-629: The general court in Hartford established the official borders of the Paugussett Reservation. Bridgeport's early years were marked by residents' reliance on fishing and farming . This was similar to the economy of the Paugussett, who had cultivated corn , beans, and squash; and fished and gathered shellfish from both the river and sound. A village called Newfield began to develop around the corner of State and Water streets in
8288-674: The greatest number of teams to start a CBA season since the 2000–01 season. In addition to six returning franchises the CBA added three expansion teams – the Oklahoma Cavalry , the Rio Grande Valley Silverados and East Kentucky Miners ; the Atlanta Krunk joined the league after sitting out the 2006–07 season. The 2008–2009 season began with only four teams, instead of the expected five. The Pittsburgh Xplosion folded under unclear circumstances, and
8400-455: The harbor at the mouth of the Pequonnock River , today's Bridgeport Harbor . Ludlow disobeyed orders and instead established a settlement in Unconway (today's Fairfield ), probably due to fears of the large Paugussett settlement at Golden Hill, which was a sacred site of theirs, so it is believed that they perhaps instead settled in sparsely populated land surrounding the village. In 1659,
8512-492: The higher chance to sign for them instead of signing overseas or in the NBA, even though some teams used their picks in the later rounds to select players who were likely to be drafted in the NBA, in the event these players were cut in the preseason. Some teams also used their picks for publicity: for example, Cheryl Miller , a female player who played for USC in college, was selected by the Rockford Lightning with
8624-497: The individually owned franchises of the CBA, in a $ 10 million acquisition. Over the course of the next 18 months, Thomas was faced with a plethora of business troubles, losing the league's partnership with the NBA and ultimately abandoning the league into a blind trust that left teams unable to meet payroll or pay bills. The combined-ownership plan was unsuccessful and, by 2001, the CBA had declared bankruptcy and ceased operations; it folded on February 8, 2001, without managing to complete
8736-556: The land on Long Island Sound and donating the land to the city in 1864. The land on the shore became Seaside Park . A second park was built near East Main Street, when in 1878, James Beardsley donated more than 100 acres (40 ha) to the city along the Pequonnock River under the condition that the land be "kept the same forever as a public park". Both parks were designed by Frederick Law Olmsted , known for creating Central Park . These two large public parks gave Bridgeport
8848-675: The land. Constructed with federal funding, on Lafayette Boulevard and Broad Street, the 450,000 acre, 2 story (with basement) Lafayette Shopping Plaza was erected, a downtown shopping mall with a Sears and a Gimbels department store as anchors connected to it.Military contracts during the 1950s and 1960s enabled the Bridgeport-Lycoming division of AVCO , founded 1951, to employ at times more than 12,000 people, building tanks, helicopters, and other military hardware. Decreased demand led to layoffs, and then closure in 1984. Other examples of urban development include two city landmarks,
8960-474: The largest Hungarian communities in the US. It was visited by Hungarian republicans trying to take down the Austro-Hungarian monarchy, in order to garner support. The West Side nearby was home to Slovenians , French-Canadians and Swedish immigrants . By 1910 Bridgeport had grown into second largest city in Connecticut at 102,052, behind New Haven . Between 1910 and 1920, during World War I,
9072-479: The largest city in Connecticut in 1974, with a population of 142,546.A 1981 Times article read; "Bridgeport... for years has suffered an image problem when compared with Hartford because of that city's role as state capital and as the site of a number of large corporations." Mayor Mandanici 's response was "Hartford reported state sales taxes of $ 712.7 million, but Bridgeport yielded state sales taxes of $ 890.4 million. That's economic power, right?" In 1985, Bridgeport
9184-413: The late stages of games that were otherwise blowouts; the trailing team could still get a standings point by winning the final quarter, especially if the team that was leading chose to rest some or all of its starters. The league used this method to calculate division standings from its implementation in 1983 until the league's end in 2009. After Darryl Dawkins shattered two basketball backboards during
9296-601: The league featured the "Easy Street Shootout". In that shootout, 14 contestants, one from each CBA city, were selected and the person making the longest shot won a $ 1,000,000 zero-coupon bond . The winner was Don Mattingly of the Evansville Thunder , unrelated to the New York Yankee baseball player . After the league's 1985 All-Star Game in Casper, Wyoming , the CBA invited fans to make a paper airplane from
9408-529: The league name because he felt having a team in the Eastern League from Alaska might get the league additional notice and recognition. The establishment of the Anchorage franchise garnered national media attention, including a feature story in Sports Illustrated . Kauffman served as commissioner until 1978, when his deputy commissioner, Jim Drucker , took the reins. Drucker's eight-season reign
9520-473: The league scheduled games against American Basketball Association (ABA) teams for the first month of the season in an attempt to stay solvent. The maneuver was not enough. On February 2, 2009, the league announced a halt to operations, turning a scheduled series between the Albany Patroons and Lawton-Fort Sill Cavalry into the league-championship series. During the 1946–47 Eastern League season,
9632-421: The loss of many large companies and affluent residents, leaving Bridgeport struggling with issues of poverty and violent crime. Since the beginning of the 21st century, Bridgeport has begun extensive redevelopment of its downtown and other neighborhoods. Bridgeport's crime rate started going down significantly around 2010; by 2018, it had been reduced by almost 50 percent. Bridgeport is home to three museums ,
9744-479: The mid-20th century caused the loss of thousands of jobs and residents. Like other urban centers in Connecticut, Bridgeport suffered during the deindustrialization of the United States in the 1970s and 1980s. Pleasure Beach was sold 5 years after a rollercoaster caught fire. A year later the park closed for good. The old Bridgeport station caught fire in 1978. In September 1978, Bridgeport teachers went on
9856-486: The most resilient design among the three for the 1981–82 season. Also during this time, the CBA created a series of halftime promotions. The most successful was the "1 Million Dollar CBA Supershot". In an era where the typical basketball halftime promotion, even in NCAA Division I and the NBA, featured a winning prize worth less than $ 100, the CBA's Supershot, created in 1983, offered a grand prize of $ 1 million if
9968-511: The nation's inflation crisis, established themselves in the city due to the large Portuguese population already present, easing the language barrier. Bridgeport was a common second US destination for Vietnamese refugees "There's already an established community here, so that's why they come," from the New York Times in 1996. Along with them, Thai , Koreans , Chinese , and especially Laotians and Cambodians established themselves in
10080-449: The need for bridges over the Pequonnock River that provided a navigable port at the mouth of the river. Manufacturing was the mainstay of the local economy until the 1970s. The first documented European settlement within the present city limits of Bridgeport took place in 1644, centered at Black Rock Harbor and along North Avenue between Park and Briarwood Avenues. The place was called Pequonnock ( Quiripi for "Cleared Land"), after
10192-414: The new 18-story Bridgeport Center overlooking McLevy Square, and was designed by famous architect Richard Meier and was meant to give the city a new icon Bridgeport in 1989 had more homicides per capita than any Northeastern US city over 100,000 people. Bridgeport had a smaller police force than smaller cities like Hartford or New Haven, yet hiring due to city financial issues, having not recovered from
10304-671: The nickname "The Park City". The county's Catholic seat, St. Augustine Cathedral was finished in 1869, built by the Irish who had arrived 30 year earlier. Saint James Church , predating the Archdiocese of Hartford , was the first Catholic congregation in Fairfield County, starting with 250 members in 1842. The congregation gave rise to St Augustine's in Sterling Hill , the seat of the Diocese of Bridgeport . Following
10416-561: The play-by-play and former NBA player and coach Kevin Loughery provided color commentary. Drucker left as Commissioner, and his TV production company, Global Sports, produced the ESPN telecasts. In 1985, the CBA followed with the "Ton-of-Money Free Throw", which featured a prize of 2,000 pounds (910 kg) of pennies ($ 5,000) if a randomly selected fan could make just one free throw. Two of fourteen contestants were successful. The next year,
10528-428: The proposed space. The construction of Honey Locust Square began on the East End, which when complete will house a supermarket (something the neighborhood lacks), a public library, a health center, and a retail building. On March 10, 1860, Abraham Lincoln spoke in the city's Washington Hall, an auditorium at the old Bridgeport City Hall (now McLevy Hall), at the corner of State and Broad Streets. The largest room in
10640-578: The public, today's Discovery Museam and Planetarium . Known for the newly developed approach of hands on-exhibits, the Museam became science oriented later on. Continued development of new suburban housing outside of Bridgeport in the city's adjacent suburbs such as Fairfield and Milford attracted middle and upper-class residents, leaving the city with a higher proportion of poor. By the 1960s, Puerto Ricans had begun to immigrate to settle to Bridgeport in large numbers, and by about 1970 had made up 10% of
10752-759: The team will be moving into the Maverik Center as their home arena beginning with the 2022–2023 season. Roster Last transaction: November 25, 2024 Continental Basketball Association The Continental Basketball Association ( CBA ), originally known as the Eastern Pennsylvania Basketball League , and later as the Eastern Professional Basketball League and the Eastern Basketball Association ,
10864-464: The third largest percentage of African Americans in New England . The Italian population by 1930 had more than doubled, now the city's largest ethnic group. The build-up to World War II helped the city's recovery in the late 1930s. Suburban development made its expansion into the undeveloped North End neighborhood. On Park Avenue in 1962 the Museam of Art, Science and Industry (MASI) was opened to
10976-608: The towns of Trumbull to the north, Fairfield to the west, and Stratford to the east. Bridgeport and other towns in Fairfield County make up the Greater Bridgeport Planning Region , as well as the Bridgeport–Stamford–Norwalk–Danbury metropolitan statistical area , the second largest metropolitan area in Connecticut. The Bridgeport–Stamford–Norwalk–Danbury metropolis forms part of the New York metropolitan area . Inhabited by
11088-537: The trend of establishing headquarters outside of major cities in suburban campuses all played a factor. As such, most skyscraper construction models for downtown Bridgeport from the 70s were never built, unlike Hartford (a city already home to major insurance companies) or Stamford . Much of north downtown Bridgeport would end up abandoned, neglected and boarded up as department and discount stores closed, leaving only federal and municipal buildings along now empty lots. Restructuring of heavy industry starting after
11200-652: The tribes acquired land for a small reservation in the late 19th century that was recognized by the state. It is retained in the Town of Trumbull .) In 1639, Roger Ludlow , deputy governor of the English Connecticut Colony was ordered by the colony's General Assembly in Hartford to establish two plantations, one at Cupheg the mouth of the Housatonic River (today Stratford), and one at
11312-593: The war, Bridgeport attempted its own urban renewal projects in its old downtown in the early 1960s during the construction of the highways. Hunktown, with a population of 15,000 and the Irish neighborhood in the South End were demolished and replaced with highways and an industrial park. The Trumbull Shopping Park was built just outside Bridgeport city limits in Trumbull in 1965, Connecticut's first fully enclosed shopping mall. Bridgeport under Mayor Tedesco went under
11424-493: The winter headquarters of Barnum and Bailey's Circus and Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show . Barnum also helped establish Fairfield County's first hospital (Conn.'s 3rd) and the Bridgeport-Port Jefferson ferry , connecting the town to Long Island . Harvey Hubbell founded Hubbell Incorporated in Bridgeport in 1888. The Holmes & Edwards Silver Co. was founded in 1882, its wares sold nationally, and
11536-409: The world by 1946, Bridgeport-based ACME Shear closed its Bridgeport plant in 1996 due to mergers and acquisitions. The industrial operations relocated to Fremont, North Carolina . Between 1984 and 1989 the construction of the new $ 75 million headquarters for People's United Bank , the second largest bank in New England . The 10-story Connecticut National Bank building was demolished and replaced with
11648-827: Was a men's professional basketball minor league in the United States from 1946 to 2009. The Continental Basketball Association was founded on April 23, 1946, under its previous name, the Eastern Pennsylvania Basketball League. It went on to bill itself as the "World's Oldest Professional Basketball League", since its founding pre-dated the founding of the National Basketball Association by two months. The league fielded six franchises, five of which were in Pennsylvania : Allentown , Hazleton , Lancaster , Reading , and Wilkes-Barre . A sixth team, Binghamton ,
11760-506: Was established in 1806. In 1821, the township of Bridgeport became independent of Stratford. In 1821, a small community of remaining Golden Hill Pauguasett Natives, along with free blacks and runaway slaves was established in the South End along Main Street known as Little Liberia , with its own churches, schools and hotels, and served as a stop in the underground railroad. Many remaining Paugusset Indians also lived there. The West India trade died down around 1840, but by that time
11872-563: Was involved in a corruption scandal after being investigated by the FBI as he received gifts from developers in exchange for being allowed to build in Bridgeport. He was sentenced to federal prison, and was replaced by John Fabrizi . In the early 21st century, Bridgeport has taken steps toward redevelopment of its downtown and other neighborhoods. In 2004, artists' lofts were developed in the former Read's Department Store on Broad Street. Several other rental conversions have been completed, including
11984-698: Was located in New York , but moved to Pottsville in Pennsylvania mid-season. In 1948, the league was renamed the Eastern Professional Basketball League, and additional franchises were added in three additional Pennsylvania cities, Williamsport , Scranton , and Sunbury , three New Jersey cities, Trenton , Camden , and Asbury Park , three in Connecticut , New Haven , Hartford , Bridgeport , and in Wilmington, Delaware , and Springfield, Massachusetts . From
12096-510: Was producing 50% of America's cartridges during the war, with 17,000 employees, and homes for new workers were needed. The factory became a General Electric plant after the war. The First World War had continued the city's expansion so that, on the eve of the Great Depression , there were more than 500 factories in Bridgeport, including Columbia Records ' primary pressing plant and a Singer Sewing Machine factory. The 1920s saw
12208-470: Was still Connecticut's chief manufacturing center, its major industries including General Electric , Remington Shaver, Bryant Electric , and Raybestos plants. A New York Times in 1985 stated Bridgeport was the fifth largest banking center in New England, with five of the banks based Bridgeport having assets of more than $ 6 billion. The largest scissors, shear and surgical materials manufacturer in
12320-660: Was the longest in the league's history. Drucker, son of NBA referee Norm Drucker , continued as commissioner until 1986. As commissioner, the league was renamed the Continental Basketball Association in 1978, eventually leading to expansion across the country. During Drucker's term, the league expanded from 8 to 14 teams, landed its first national TV contracts and saw franchise values increase from $ 5,000 to $ 500,000, an aggregate increase in equity value from $ 24,000 to $ 7 million. The league instituted novel rule changes including sudden-death overtime,
12432-493: Was the site of the world's first mutual telephone exchange (1877), the first dental hygiene school (1949), and the first bank telephone bill service in the US (1981). Inventor Harvey Hubbell II invented the electric plug outlet in Bridgeport in 1912. The Frisbie Pie Company was founded and operated in Bridgeport. The world's first Subway restaurant opened in the city's North End in 1965. After World War II , industrial restructuring and suburbanization caused
12544-566: Was updated in April 2019. In 2010, the Bridgeport Housing Authority and a local health center announced plans to build a $ 20 million medical and housing complex at Albion Street, making use of federal stimulus funds and designed to replace some of the housing lost with the demolition of Father Panik Village . The Steel Point (or Steelpointe) project of Bridgeport's on the lower portion of the East Side finally led to
#790209