This premium Wildwood Aces Basketball tee celebrates a brief but fascinating chapter in New Jersey basketball history. The Aces were one of seven founding franchises in the United States Basketball League in the summer of 1985, playing as part of a low-level minor league loop focused in New England, New York, and New Jersey.
The team gained a modest following among local basketball fans at their home court in the Wildwood Convention Hall, despite finishing dead last in the seven-team USBL in 1985 with a 6-18 record. Their fortunes improved dramatically in their second season when, under new head coach Lefty Ervin, the Aces improved to 2nd place with a 23-10 record. The team featured several notable players, including former Villanova star Stewart Granger, a former 1st round pick of the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers in 1983, and drafted Gary McLain, who had been a starting point guard on Villanova's 1985 NCAA championship team. Despite their improvement, attendance remained modest, with the Philadelphia Inquirer reporting that the Wildwood Aces averaged between 400 and 500 fans per game at Convention Hall during the 1986 season. The team's brief run in Wildwood ended when prior to the 1987 season, owner Peter Bonastia, a Northern New Jersey real estate developer, moved the Aces to Philadelphia.
Our reproduction features the team's iconic logo with an authentically distressed, cracked, vintage feel that honors the original design while giving it that perfectly worn-in look of a treasured game-day shirt from the mid-'80s.
Product Details:
- Printed on premium Gildan 5000 blanks
- 5.3 oz, 100% preshrunk cotton for comfort and durability
- Classic unisex fit suitable for all fans
- Tear-away label for maximum comfort
- Available in sizes S-5XL
- Multiple popular colors available
- Front logo only (blank back)
- Produced using state-of-the-art direct-to-garment printing technology
Perfect for New Jersey basketball enthusiasts, USBL memorabilia collectors, or anyone who appreciates the unique stories of short-lived minor league sports franchises.
Own a piece of Jersey Shore basketball history that brought professional hoops to the Wildwood boardwalk for two exciting summers.