Washington Wizards
Encyclopedia
The Washington Wizards are a professional basketball
team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association
(NBA).
Prior to the 1964–65 NBA season the Bullets pulled off a blockbuster trade, sending Terry Dischinger
, Rod Thorn and Don Kojis
to the Detroit Pistons
for Bailey Howell
, Don Ohl
, Bob Ferry
and Wali Jones
. The trade worked out well; Howell proved to be a hustling, fundamentally sound player who helped the Bullets get into the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. In the 1965 NBA Playoffs
, the Bullets stunned the St. Louis Hawks 3–1, and advanced to the Western Conference Finals. In the finals, Baltimore managed to split the first four games with the Los Angeles Lakers
before losing the series 4–2.
In the late 1960s, the Bullets drafted two future Hall of Famers: Earl Monroe
, 1967 draft, #2 overall and Wes Unseld
, 1968 draft, #2 overall. The team improved dramatically, from 36 wins the previous season to 57 in the 1968–69 season, and Unseld received both the Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player awards. The Bullets reached the playoffs with high expectations to go further, but they were eliminated by the New York Knicks
in the first round. The next season the two teams met again in the first round, and although this one went to 7 games, the Knicks emerged victorious again.
In the 1970–71 season, the 42–40 Bullets again met the Knicks, this time though in the Eastern Conference Finals. With the Knicks team captain Willis Reed
injured in the finals, the injury-free Bullets took advantage of his absence, and in Game 7 at New York's Madison Square Garden
, the Bullets' Gus Johnson
made a critical basket late in the game to lift the Bullets over the Knicks 93–91 and advance to their first NBA Finals
in franchise history. They were swept in four games by the powerful Milwaukee Bucks led by future hall-of-famers Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
(known in 1971 as Lew Alcindor) and Oscar Robertson
.
(to the Suns), the Bullets remained a playoff contender throughout the 1970s. Following a less than spectacular 1971–72 NBA season
, the Bullets improved dramatically by acquiring Elvin Hayes
from the Houston Rockets
and drafting Kevin Porter.
After a slow start the Bullets began to make their charge in December, posting a 10–4 record on the way to capturing the Central Division title for the 3rd straight year. The Bullets would again face the Knicks in the 1973 NBA Playoffs
, losing for the fourth time in five series against New York.
In 1973, the team moved to Landover, Maryland
and became the Capital Bullets; they changed their name to the Washington
Bullets the following season.
During November 1973, while waiting for the completion of their new arena in Landover, the Bullets played their home games at Cole Field House
on the campus of the University of Maryland
in College Park
. The Capital Centre
(later known as the USAir/US Airways
Arena) opened on December 2, 1973, with the Bullets defeating the SuperSonics
. Through the mid-1970s, the Bullets still played a few games per season in Baltimore.
The 60–22 Bullets made it back to the 1975 NBA Playoffs
. That year Washington posted a 36–5 home record at the Capital Centre. In the first round of the playoffs, they survived a 7–game series against the Buffalo Braves
as both teams won all of their games at home. In the Eastern Conference Finals, they beat the defending NBA Champion Boston Celtics
in 6 games to advance to the NBA Finals
. The Bullets were favorites to win the NBA Championship, but were shockingly swept by the Rick Barry
-led Golden State Warriors
in 4 games. They lost game 4 at the Capital Centre.
The loss at the NBA Finals lingered into the 1975–76 NBA season as they won 12 fewer games than last year, and in the playoffs they were eliminated by the Cleveland Cavaliers
in 7 games. After the season the Bullets fired head coach K.C. Jones, despite having a career 62% winning percentage as the Bullets head coach.
In the 1976–77 NBA season under new head coach Dick Motta
, the Bullets would again fall short of the Central Division title for the second straight year. Elvin Hayes finished 6th in the league in rebounds with 12.5 rebounds per game. After opening the 1977 NBA Playoffs
with a 3–game series victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Bullets took a 2–1 series lead in the second round of against the Houston Rockets
. With a chance to take a 3–1 series lead at home, the Bullets would lose 107–103 as the Rockets went on take the series in 6 games.
and Wes Unseld
on the team, the Bullets finished the 77–78 season 44–38 and were a longshot to win the NBA Championship, but San Antonio journalist Dan Cook
used the famed phrase "The opera ain't over 'til the fat lady sings". This became the rallying cry for the Bullets as they finished a playoff run that led to the NBA Finals
, defeating the Seattle SuperSonics
in 7 games to bring a professional sports championship to Washington D.C. for the first time in 36 years.
having lost 8 of the final 11 games to finish the regular season at 54–28. In the playoffs the Bullets nearly blew a 3–1 series lead against the Atlanta Hawks
, but managed to hold off the Hawks in 7 games.
In the Eastern Conference Finals, they trailed the San Antonio Spurs
3–1, but they mounted a comeback by winning 2 straight games to force a Game 7 at the Cap Center. The Bullets would rally again, overcoming a 4th–quarter deficit to beat George Gervin
and the Spurs 107–105 in one of the NBA's all-time greatest games and advance to the NBA Finals and a rematch with the Seattle SuperSonics.
In Game 1 of the Finals, the Bullets defeated the SuperSonics, 99–97, on two game-winning free throws. They lost the next four games, and the series, to Seattle. The Bullets were the only team to play in the NBA Finals
four times during the 1970s.
as they captured the sixth and final playoff spot with a tiebreaker despite posting a 39–43 record. In the playoffs, they were swept by the Philadelphia 76ers
in a 2–game playoff series. The following year the Bullets failed to make the playoffs for the first time in 13 years. Wes Unseld
retired and Elvin Hayes
was traded to the Houston Rockets
the following season.
In '81, Washington played strong under the coaching of Gene Shue
and Don Moran, finishing the regular season with a 43–39 record, and although they advanced to the Eastern Conference semifinals in the playoffs, they had clearly lost their form of the late 1970s. The Bullets continued to play with the same talent they had in the previous year. They finished with a winning record, but in a highly competitive Atlantic Division they finished last and missed the playoffs.
The next two years saw the Bullets continue to play mediocre basketball as they finished with losing records but they made the playoffs in the new expanded NBA Playoffs
format that involved the 16 best teams to make the playoffs; the Bullets were eliminated in both years in the first round.
In 1985, the Bullets acquired Manute Bol
, whose specialty was blocking shots. That year, he blocked 397 shots (a Bullets record), part of a team that blocked 716 shots (a Bullets team record). But the Bullets finished with a disappointing 39–43 record, and were eliminated by the 76ers in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. The Bullets acquired center Moses Malone
from the Philadelphia 76ers
for center Jeff Ruland
the following season for hope of improvement. Malone would lead the team in scoring with a 24.1 points per game as he would be joined by Jeff Malone
who averaged 22.0 points per game. The Bullets' 42–40 record would be their last winning season until the 1996–97 NBA season. Washington was eliminated by the Detroit Pistons
in 3 games in the playoffs.
The Bullets selected Muggsy Bogues
twelfth overall in the '87 Draft, who at 5'3" is the smallest player in NBA history. The Bullets would get off to a slow start as coach Kevin Loughery
was fired 27 games into the season with the Bullets holding an 8–19 record. To replace Loughery, the Bullets hired former MVP Wes Unseld. Under Unseld the Bullets improved as they were able to reach the playoffs again with a record of 38–44. After losing the first 2 games on the road in the first round of the 1988 NBA Playoffs
to the Detroit Pistons, the Bullets fought back and forced a 5th game with 2 home wins. They would lose game 5 by 21 points. It would be 9 years before Washington would return to the NBA Playoffs.
, who averaged 24.3 and 22.3 points per game respectively to lead the team.
The lone highlight of the Bullets 30 win 1990–91 season was the successful comeback effort by Bernard King as he recovered from knee surgery he suffered while playing for the Knicks in the 1984–85 NBA season to finish 3rd in the NA in scoring with a 28.4 points per game. In 1990, the team would name Susan O'Malley
as its president, the first female president of a franchise in the history of the NBA. Susan O'Malley is the daughter of Peter O'Malley, the prominent lawyer from Maryland and former president of the Washington Capitals.
The Bullets posted records of 25–57 in the 1991–92 season and 22–60 in the 1992–93 season due to injuries and inconsistent play.
Injuries would continue to bite the Bullets as key players Rex Chapman
and Calbert Cheaney (the club's 1st round draft pick) miss significant stretches, and Pervis Ellison
misses almost the entire season. The result was a miserable 24–58 record for the 1993–94 season, but help from the Michigan Wolverines
was on the way.
The Bullets selected Juwan Howard
in the 1994 NBA Draft
and traded Tom Gugliotta
along with three first round draft picks to the Golden State Warriors for the rights to Chris Webber
. While the season started out with promise, a shoulder injury to Chris Webber (ironically against the Warriors) caused him to miss 19 games and the Bullets struggled through the rest of the season finishing a then franchise worst (percentage wise) 21–61. Webber averaged 20.1 ppg and 9.6 rpg but declined surgery for his dislocated shoulder. This would prove costly for the next season.
The Bullets' 95–96 season seemed over before it started as Webber suffered a dislocated left shoulder in a preseason game against Indiana on October 21 and opened the season on the injured list. He was activated on Nov. 27, but strained his shoulder against New York on Dec. 29. After hoping the injury would get better with rest, Webber finally underwent surgery on Feb. 1 which sidelined him for the remainder of the season. The Bullets were 9–6 with Webber in the lineup as he averaged a team-high 23.7 points plus 7.6 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.80 steals in 37.2 minutes per game when he was able to play. Other players injured included Mark Price
(who only played in 7 games) and Robert Pack
(31 games played out of 82). Bright spots of the season included the selection of Rasheed Wallace
in the 1995 NBA Draft and the All-Star play of Howard. Juwan averaged a career best 22.1 ppg and 8.1 rpg and kept the Bullets slim playoff hopes alive until the end of the season. The Bullets improved to 39–43 but just missed the playoffs.
Washington, boasting the league's tallest player (center Gheorghe Mureşan
7'7"), two very athletic forwards (Juwan and Webber) and one of the league's top point guards (Rod Strickland
), struggled at the start of the 1996–97 season to a 22–24 start. That led to the dismissal of Head Coach Jim Lynam. Bernie Bickerstaff
, an assistant coach with the Bullets when they won their only NBA Championship in 1978, was called upon to resurrect his former team. The Bullets responded, winning 16 of their final 21 games to finish 44–38, their best record since 1978–79. The late surge enabled the Bullets to climb within reach of the Cleveland Cavaliers for the final playoff spot. In a winner-take-the-eighth-playoff-spot game with the Cavaliers on the season's final day, the Bullets squeezed past Cleveland 85–81 to end the franchise's longest playoff drought. And while the Bullets were swept by the Bulls in the first round, they lost the three games by a total of just 18 points, a sign that the team is one to be reckoned with.
Webber led the way in scoring (20.1 ppg), rebounding (10.3) and blocks (1.9) and shot 51.8 percent from the floor to make his first All-Star team and became the first All-star of the franchise. Howard averaged 19.1 ppg and 8.0 rpg, while Strickland averaged 17.2 ppg and 1.74 spg and finished fifth in the league in assists with 8.9 per game. Muresan dominated the middle and led the NBA in field goal percentage (.599). Washington received contributions from Calbert Cheaney (10.6 ppg) and Tracy Murray
(10.0 ppg).
In 1995, owner Abe Pollin
announced he was changing the team's name because Bullets had acquired violent overtones that had made him increasingly uncomfortable over the years, particularly given the high homicide and crime rate in the early 1990s in Washington, D.C. The final straw was the assassination
of his longtime friend, Israeli Prime Minister
Yitzhak Rabin
. A contest was held to choose a new name and the choices were narrowed to the Dragons, Express, Stallions, Sea Dogs, or Wizards. On May 15, 1997, the Bullets officially became the Washington Wizards. The change generated some controversy because Washington is a predominantly African-American city and Wizard is a rank in the Ku Klux Klan
.
A new logo was unveiled and the team colors were changed from the traditional red, white and blue to blue, black and bronze, the same colors as the Washington Capitals
hockey
team owned by Pollin. That same year the Wizards moved to the then MCI Center, now called Verizon Center
. The Verizon Center is home to the Capitals, the Washington Mystics
of the Women's National Basketball Association
and the Georgetown Hoyas
men's college basketball team.
In 1998, they became the brother team to the WNBA's Washington Mystics, and remained officially thus until 2005 when the Mystics were sold to Lincoln Holdings (headed by Ted Leonsis
), parent company of the Washington Capitals. However, upon the purchase of the Wizards by Leonsis in 2010, the Wizards and Mystics again became sibling teams.
before moving to the MCI Center on December 2, 1997. The Wizards finished the season with a 42–40 record including 4 straight victories to end the season but just missed the playoffs. Highlights of the season included Chris Webber
leading the team in scoring (21.9 ppg) and rebounding (9.5 rpg). Strickland led the league in assists (10.5 apg) before suffering an injury near the end of the season. Tracy Murray averaged 15.1 ppg off the bench including a 50 point game against Golden State. Off court distractions led to the trade of Webber to the Sacramento Kings for Mitch Richmond
and Otis Thorpe
in May 1998.
The Wizards finished the lockout shortened season of 1998–99 with a record of 18–32. Mitch Richmond led the team in scoring with a 19.7 ppg average. In the 1999–2000 season, the Wizards finished with a 29–53 record. Mitch Richmond led the team with 17.4 ppg. In the 2000–2001 season, under newly hired coach Leonard Hamilton
, 1999 NBA Draft
pick Richard Hamilton
led the team in scoring with 18.1 ppg, but the team finished with a 19–63 record (a franchise low).
On February 23, 2001, the Wizards were involved in a blockbuster trade days before the trading deadline. The team sent Juwan Howard
, Obinna Ekezie
and Calvin Booth
to the Dallas Mavericks
. In return, Washington received Hubert Davis, Courtney Alexander
, Christian Laettner
, Loy Vaught
and Etan Thomas
along with $3 million.
in early 1999, Michael Jordan
became the Washington Wizards' president of basketball operations as well as a minority owner in January 2000. In September 2001, Jordan came out of retirement at age 38 to play for Washington. Jordan stated that he was returning "for the love of the game." Because of NBA rules, he had to divest himself of any ownership of the team. Before the All-Star break, Jordan was only one of two players to average more than 25 points, 5 assists, and 5 rebounds as he led the Wizards to a 26–21 record. After the All-Star break, Jordan's knee could not handle the workload of a full-season as he ended the season on the injured list, and the Wizards concluded the season with a 37–45 record. Jordan led the Wizards to an 18-win improvement from the previous season.
and signed budding star Larry Hughes
. Jordan even accepted a sixth-man role on the bench in order for his knee to survive the rigors of an 82–game season. A combination of numerous team injuries and uninspired play led to Jordan's return to the starting lineup
, where he tried to rebound the franchise from its early-season struggles. By the end of the season, the Wizards finished with a 37–45 record once again. Jordan ended the season as the only Wizard to play in all 82 games, as he averaged 20.0 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.5 steals in 37.0 minutes per game.
, making poor trades, and using the team's 2001 1st round draft
pick on high schooler Kwame Brown
. Without Jordan in the fold the following year, the Washington Wizards were not expected to win, and they did not. Despite the signing of future All-Star point guard Gilbert Arenas
, the team stumbled to a 25–57 record in the 2003–04 season.
The Wizards replaced Jordan's managerial role with coach Eddie Jordan
(no relation) and General Manager Ernie Grunfeld
.
, and the draft rights to Devin Harris
to the Dallas Mavericks
for Antawn Jamison
. During the regular season, the scoring trio of Arenas, Jamison and Hughes was the highest in the NBA and earned the nickname of "The Big Three". Hughes led the NBA in steals with 2.89 per game. Arenas and Jamison were both named to the 2005 Eastern Conference All-Star team, marking the first time Washington had two players in the All-Star game since Jeff Malone
and Moses Malone represented the Bullets in the 1987 All-Star Game.
With a 93–82 win over the Chicago Bulls
on April 13, 2005, the Wizards clinched a playoff spot for the first time since 1996–97. Long-suffering fans celebrated by buying over 16,000 playoff tickets in two and a half hours the day tickets went on sale. In game 3 of the first round
against the Bulls, the Wizards won their first playoff game since 1988. Adding to the "long-overdue" feeling was the fact that game 3 was the first NBA playoff game to be held within Washington, D.C. city limits. In the Wizards' game 5 victory in Chicago, Arenas hit a buzzer-beater to win the game and the Wizards took their first lead in a playoff series since 1986. In Game 6 at the MCI Center, Jared Jeffries
picked up a loose ball and went in for an uncontested tie-breaking dunk with 32 seconds left, thus giving the Wizards a 94–91 win and the team's first playoff series win in 23 years. They were only the 12th team in NBA history to win a playoff series after being down 0–2.
In the conference semifinals, the Wizards were swept by the Miami Heat
, the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference in the 2005 NBA Playoffs
.
and Antonio Daniels
. During the regular season, the Wizards again had the best scoring trio in the NBA, this time consisting of Arenas, Jamison and Butler as the "Big Three". The Wizards started the 2005–06 season at 5–1, but went on an 8–17 funk to go to 13–18 through 31 games. Then, they went 13–5 in the next 18 games. On April 5, 2006, the team was 39–35 and looking to close in on the 45-win mark achieved the previous year, until Butler suffered a thumb sprain and the Wizards lost all five games without him. Butler returned and the team pulled out their final three games, against the Pistons, Cavs and Bucks, all playoff-bound teams, to finish the year at 42–40 and clinch the 5th seed in the Eastern Conference
. They averaged 101.7 points a game, third in the NBA and tops in the East and clinched a playoff berth for the second year in a row for the first time since 1987.
Their first-round match-up with Cleveland was widely seen as the most evenly matched series in the 2006 NBA Playoffs
. The teams exchanged wins during the first two games in Cleveland, with Game 2 highlighted by the Wizards holding LeBron James
to 7–25 shooting from the floor while Brendan Haywood
gave James a hard foul in the first quarter that many cited as the key to shaking up the rest of James's game. In Game 3 at the Verizon Center, James hit a 4-footer on the way down with 5.7 seconds left to take the game and the series lead for the Cavs with a 97–96 win. Arenas missed a potential game-winning three-pointer on the other end to seal the win for the Cavs. Game 4 saw the Wizards heat up again, as Arenas scored 20 in the fourth quarter after claiming he changed his jersey, shorts, shoes and tights in the locker room and the Wizards won 106–96. Yet in Games 5 and 6, the Cavs would take control of the series, both games decided by one point in overtime.
In Game 5, despite the Wizards being down 107–100 with 1:18 to play, the team drove back and eventually tied the game on Butler's layup with 7.5 seconds remaining to send the game to OT, where James scored with 0.9 seconds left in overtime to send the Cavs to a 121–120 win. The series returned to the Verizon Center for Game 6, where the game went back and forth all night. The Wizards blew a 14-point first-quarter lead, then for 24 minutes, from early in the second quarter to early in the fourth, neither team led by more than five points at any time. The Wizards blew a seven-point lead with just under 5 to play and needed Arenas to hit a 31-footer at the end of regulation to take the game to overtime. In OT, Arenas missed two key free throws. Cleveland rebounded the ball, went downcourt and Damon Jones
hit a 17-foot baseline jumper with 4.8 seconds remaining to give the Cavs the lead for good. Butler missed a three-pointer on the other end to seal the game, and the series, for the Cavaliers.
The 2006–07 season started out very promisingly for the Wizards. In the off-season they signed free agents DeShawn Stevenson
and Darius Songaila
. Etan Thomas beat out Haywood for the starting center job. After starting the season 0–8 on the road, Washington rebounded to win 6 of 7 away from Verizon Center. After a November 4–9, Washington went 22–9 through December and January. Arenas scored a franchise-record 60 points against the Lakers
on December 17. He and Eddie Jordan were named player of the month and coach of the month for December, respectively. On January 3 and again on January 15, Arenas hit buzzer-beating three-pointers to beat Milwaukee
and Utah
.
On January 30, Jamison went down with a sprained left knee in a win against Detroit
. Washington went 4–8 in the 12 games without him. On February 3, Songaila made his Wizards debut against the Lakers. On February 18, Eddie Jordan became the first Wizards/Bullets coach to coach the NBA All-Star Game since Dick Motta
in 1978–1979. Arenas played in his third straight All-Star game and Butler made his All-Star Game
debut.
On March 14, Butler went out with a knee injury that kept him out of the lineup for six games. He returned for only three games until he fractured his right hand on April 1 against Milwaukee. On April 4, Arenas suffered a season-ending knee injury, of the meniscus. An April 15 article in The Washington Post
pointed out that with Arenas and Butler gone, the team had lost 42.3% of their offensive production, quite possibly "the most costly" loss for any team in the midst of a playoff hunt in NBA history.
Despite their late-season struggles without Arenas and Butler, the Wizards still managed to make the Eastern Conference playoffs, taking the 7th seed at 41–41. They were swept four games to none in a rematch of the previous year's first-round series against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Despite a depleted roster, the Wizards still managed to keep things close in every game in the series and only lost the final three games by a combined 20 points. The team enjoyed their best attendance figures in the post-Jordan era with a season attendance of 753,283 (18,372 per game).
to Detroit
, Calvin Booth to the Philadelphia 76ers
, and Michael Ruffin to the Milwaukee Bucks
as free agents. Washington signed Oleksiy Pecherov
, the team's first-round pick in 2006, as well as 2007 picks Nick Young
and Dominic McGuire
. Etan Thomas missed the regular season after undergoing open-heart surgery.
The team began the season starting 0–5, but rebounded to win six straight. After 8 games, Arenas underwent surgery to repair a torn medial meniscus in his left knee, as well as a microfracture surgery. This was the same knee he had injured the previous year. The injury forced Arenas out for a total of 68 games. Midway through the season, Butler was forced to the sidelines for a total of 20 games with what initially was a strained hip flexor, but turned out to be a labral tear. Despite all of the injuries, the Wizards managed to go 43–39 on the regular season, good for 5th place in the Eastern Conference and a first-round playoff matchup with the Cleveland Cavaliers for the third straight season.
The Washington Wizards made minor modifications on their team jerseys and logos. To accommodate the gold–black alternate jerseys they introduced the previous season along with the design change on the Verizon Center floor, they changed their secondary team colors from bronze
to metallic gold, and the player's name on the back of the jersey was changed from white/blue with bronze trim to gold (blue on home uniforms) with a change in lettering.
. The Wizards added guards Dee Brown and Juan Dixon
, and drafted JaVale McGee
18th overall in the 2008 NBA Draft.
In September, Arenas underwent a third operation on his surgically repaired left knee to clean out fluid and debris, and was expected to miss at least the first month of the season. The forecast came in longer than expected, as Arenas missed five months of action due to concerns on his knee before returning on March 29, 2009. In the first game of the preseason, Jamison suffered a right knee contusion, and was expected to miss the rest of the preseason. Haywood announced that he would undergo surgery on his right wrist and was expected to miss four to six months. The preseason marked the return of Etan Thomas who had missed all of the 2007–2008 season while recovering from open heart surgery. The Wizards added guard Fenny Falmagne from the Dakota Wizards on August 23, 2008 that later was waived by the team after knee injury..
The Wizards opened the season on October 29 with a loss against New Jersey
, and dropped 15 of their first 19 games. Head coach Eddie Jordan
was fired on November 24 after a 1–10 start, and was replaced by interim Ed Tapscott
. On December 10, Washington acquired guards Javaris Crittenton
and Mike James
in a three-team deal that sent Antonio Daniels to New Orleans. The team waived guard Dee Brown. They won 14 of their first 60 games, going 14–46 and are en route to suffering their worst season in franchise history, finishing with a franchise worst-tying 19–63.
One of the few high points of the season came on February 27 when recently-inaugurated President Barack Obama attended a Wizards game against the Chicago Bulls, sitting in a northeast court-side seat; the Wizards produced their second-biggest victory margin of the season with a 113–90 win, with Jamison pacing the side with 27 points.
Then on April 2, the Wizards shut down the red hot Cleveland Cavaliers, who came 61–13, and ended Cleveland's franchise best streak at 13. Several players had good nights. Butler score 25 points and 4 assists, Jamison scored 19 and 5 assists, and Haywood had 12 points and 10 assists. Despite a bad shooting night, Arenas recorded a double double with 11 points and 10 assists. Songaila had a notable game, scoring 17 points (which included 7 consecutive points in the 4th quarter) and grabbing 6 rebounds.
reached an agreement to become the new coach of the team in mid-April, 2009. Despite having the second best chance at obtaining the number one overall pick in the 2009 draft, the Wizards were randomly chosen to pick fifth overall in the NBA Draft Lottery. This pick was later traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves
, along with Songaila, Thomas, and Oleksiy Pecherov
, in exchange for Randy Foye
and Mike Miller. On May 21, 2009, Wizards president Ernie Grunfeld announced that the team has named Randy Wittman
and Sam Cassell
as assistant coaches.
Then on August 11, 2009, the Wizards signed Fabricio Oberto
, many weeks after he committed to signing with the team.
In November, majority owner Abe Pollin died at the age of 85. At the time of his passing, he was the longest-tenured owner in NBA history. Control of the franchise passed to his widow Irene, though minority owner Ted Leonsis
was known to be preparing a takeover bid.
On December 24, 2009, it was revealed that Arenas had admitted to storing unloaded firearms in his locker at Verizon Center
and had surrendered them to team security. In doing so, Arenas violated both NBA rules against bringing firearms into an arena and D.C. ordinances. On January 1, 2010, it was reported that Arenas and teammate Javaris Crittenton had unloaded guns in the Wizards' locker room during a Christmas Eve argument regarding gambling debts. The D.C. Metropolitan Police and the U.S. Attorney's
office are investigating.
In January, the NBA suspended Arenas indefinitely without pay while conducting their investigation into the incident. NBA Commissioner David Stern
said in a statement that while Arenas would likely face a lengthy suspension (possibly for the remainder of the 2009–10 season, if not longer), "his ongoing conduct has led me to conclude that he is not currently fit to take the court in an NBA game." Despite Stern's longstanding practice of not disciplining players until the legal process plays out, he felt compelled to act when Arenas's teammates surrounded him during pregame introductions prior to a game with the Philadelphia 76ers
and he pantomimed shooting them with guns made from his fingers. The Wizards issued a statement condemning the players' pregame stunt as "unacceptable".
On February 13, 2010, after a 17–33 record at the season's midway point, The Wizards traded Butler, Haywood, and Stevenson to the Mavericks in exchange for Josh Howard
, Drew Gooden, Quinton Ross and James Singleton
. Three days later, the Wizards traded Antawn Jamison
to the Cavaliers in exchange for Zydrunas Ilgauskas
and obtained Al Thornton
from the Los Angeles Clippers
in a three-team deal. Ilgauskas reported long enough to take a physical (to make the trade official). His contract was immediately bought out, making him a free agent. On February 26, 2010, the Wizards signed Shaun Livingston
to a ten-day contract.
With Gilbert Arenas suspended and Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison being traded, the Wizards finished the season at 26 wins and 56 losses, posting an abysmal 9–23 record to finish the season. They were the only Southeast Division
team not to make the post-season.
in June (through Monumental Sports and Entertainment). He had previously purchased the Washington Capitals
and Mystics
from the Pollin family. Leonsis has taken a fan-centric approach to running the franchise, by listening and responding to the concerns of Wizards supporters through his email and personal website. He has written a manifesto of 101 changes he hopes to implement during his ownership, including changing the team's colors back to the red, white and blue of the Bullets era, and possibly changing the team nickname back to 'Bullets' as well. Team President Ernie Grunfeld
later confirmed that the franchise's colors would revert to red, white and blue from the 2011–12 season onwards.
Despite having only the 5th-best odds of obtaining the #1 pick (10.3% overall), the Wizards won the 2010 NBA Draft
lottery and selected All-American Kentucky point guard John Wall
with the first overall pick. Later in the offseason, the team acquired the Chicago Bulls
' all-time leader in three-point field goals, Kirk Hinrich
and the draft rights to forward Kevin Seraphin
in exchange for the draft rights to Vladimir Veremeenko
.
In a blockbuster trade, the Wizards sent star player Gilbert Arenas
to the Orlando Magic
in return for Rashard Lewis
on December 18. Kirk Hinrich was traded to the Atlanta Hawks for Jordan Crawford
, Maurice Evans
, and Mike Bibby
, although Mike Bibby bought out his contract after playing two games and eventually signed with the Miami Heat
.
The Wizards finished with a 23–59 record, once again occupying the Southeast Division cellar.
On May 10, the Wizards unveiled a new color scheme, uniforms and logo. The team reverted to its traditional red, white and blue colors. The uniforms are based very closely on those worn during their glory years of the 1970s and early 1980s. Leonsis said the throwback to the old Bullets' uniforms was intentional; the new designs make no reference to theme of Wizards other than the actual name written across the home jersey.
In April 2008, Arenas made comments saying Cleveland was only a .500 team since a midseason blockbuster trade. After the conclusion of the 2007–08 regular season, the Wizards and Cavaliers were pitted against each other for the third season in a row. Following a regular-season win on March 13, guard DeShawn Stevenson
called James "overrated." James responded to the comment by saying that he would not return the insult, as that would be "almost like Jay-Z [responding to a negative comment] made by Soulja Boy
." Soulja Boy made an appearance at Game 3 of the series (played in Washington) in support of the Wizards; his music was played over the PA system. Jay-Z
, a close friend of James, got involved in the rivalry as well, making a song that trashed Stevenson. The day after Game 3, James reserved a private room at Love Nightclub in D.C. for himself and his teammates. Jay-Z's new song was played while Cavs guard Damon Jones
made negative gestures about the Wizards. After suffering a late-game loss in Game 4 at the hands of a Delonte West
three-pointer, Washington won Game 5 in Cleveland to bring the series back to Washington for Game 6 of the series. Prior to Game 6, reserve forward Songaila was suspended for striking James in the face after a skirmish for a rebound in the first quarter of Game 5, and without Songaila, the Wizards suffered a season-ending defeat to Cleveland, and lost the series 4–2.
Dating back to the start of the 2005–06 season, the Wizards and Cavaliers have played each other a combined 36 times (including preseason), far more than they have played any other team in the league.
The Hall honors Arnold "Red" Auerbach
, who played collegiately at D.C.'s George Washington University
, and Horace "Bones" McKinney
, who played for the Washington Capitols
in the early days of the NBA. Both men coached the Capitols, who played from the NBA's founding in 1946 until the team folded in 1951.
* Active (through 2009–2010 regular season)
NBA Finals MVP
NBA Rookie of the Year
NBA Most Improved Player
NBA Coach of the Year
NBA Executive of the Year
All-NBA First Team
All-NBA Second Team
All-NBA Third Team
NBA All-Defensive First Team
NBA All-Defensive Second Team
NBA All-Rookie First Team
NBA All-Rookie Second Team
which is available in the Washington, D.C. area and other parts of the mid-Atlantic states. Alternate local carriers include WDCW-TV
and cable station NewsChannel 8. Wizards games are announced by Steve Buckhantz
and Phil Chenier
. Chris Miller serves as a sideline reporter for some broadcasts (including most Wizards' home games). On the radio, Wizards games are broadcast on WJFK-106.7 FM
, with Dave Johnson and Glenn Consor doing analysis.
For online and print media, Michael Lee is the traveling beat reporter for the Washington Post. Coverage from the Post is also supplemented by Gene Wang. Three blogs also cover the team with media credentials, Mike Prada of Bullets Forever.com (apart of SB Nation), Kyle Weidie of Truth About It.net (apart of ESPN's TrueHoop Network), and Independent blog Wizards Extreme led by Matt and Asad Naqvi as well as Joe Glorioso. Jay Glassie is the Washington Wizards & NBA correspondent for ESPN 980 (980am – local sports radio station).
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
(NBA).
Early years
The club now known as the Wizards began play as the Chicago Packers in 1961, as the first modern expansion team in NBA history. After only one year, they changed their name to the Zephyrs. In 1963 the franchise moved to Baltimore, Maryland, and became the Baltimore Bullets (no relation to the 1940s–50s Baltimore Bullets ABA/NBA franchise). In their first year in Baltimore, the Bullets finished 4th in a 5–team Western Division.Prior to the 1964–65 NBA season the Bullets pulled off a blockbuster trade, sending Terry Dischinger
Terry Dischinger
Terence Gilbert "Terry" Dischinger is a retired American basketball player in the NBA. He currently practices orthodontics.-High school career:...
, Rod Thorn and Don Kojis
Don Kojis
Donald R. Kojis was a professional basketball player who attended Marquette University and was drafted by the Chicago Packers in the 2nd round of the 1961 NBA Draft...
to the Detroit Pistons
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
for Bailey Howell
Bailey Howell
Bailey E. Howell is a former professional basketball player now enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. A 6'7" forward from Mississippi State University, he played 12 seasons in the NBA as a member of the Detroit Pistons, Baltimore Bullets, Boston Celtics, and Philadelphia...
, Don Ohl
Don Ohl
Donald Jay Ohl is an American former professional basketball player who spent 10 seasons in the National Basketball Association. His nickname was Waxie because of his crew cut....
, Bob Ferry
Bob Ferry
Robert Dean "Bob" Ferry is a retired American basketball player and executive.A 6'8" center from Saint Louis University, Ferry was selected by the St. Louis Hawks with the seventh pick of the 1959 NBA Draft...
and Wali Jones
Wali Jones
Walter "Wali" Jones is a retired American professional basketball player. He was a 6'2" 180 lb guard....
. The trade worked out well; Howell proved to be a hustling, fundamentally sound player who helped the Bullets get into the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. In the 1965 NBA Playoffs
1965 NBA Playoffs
The 1965 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1964-1965 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Division champion Boston Celtics defeating the Western Division champion Los Angeles Lakers, four games to one in the NBA Finals.The Celtics won...
, the Bullets stunned the St. Louis Hawks 3–1, and advanced to the Western Conference Finals. In the finals, Baltimore managed to split the first four games with the Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
before losing the series 4–2.
Late 1960s and early 1970s
Earl Monroe
Vernon Earl Monroe is an American former professional basketball player known for his flamboyant dribbling, passing, and play-making. His nicknames is "Earl the Pearl".-Early years:...
, 1967 draft, #2 overall and Wes Unseld
Wes Unseld
Westley Sissel "Wes" Unseld is an American former basketball player. He spent his entire NBA career with the Baltimore/Capital/Washington Bullets, and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1988.-Early life and college career:Unseld starred on a Seneca High School team...
, 1968 draft, #2 overall. The team improved dramatically, from 36 wins the previous season to 57 in the 1968–69 season, and Unseld received both the Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player awards. The Bullets reached the playoffs with high expectations to go further, but they were eliminated by the New York Knicks
New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
in the first round. The next season the two teams met again in the first round, and although this one went to 7 games, the Knicks emerged victorious again.
In the 1970–71 season, the 42–40 Bullets again met the Knicks, this time though in the Eastern Conference Finals. With the Knicks team captain Willis Reed
Willis Reed
Willis Reed, Jr. is a retired American basketball player, coach and manager of basketball teams. He spent his entire professional playing career with the New York Knicks. In 1982, his outstanding record and achievements were recognized by his induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall...
injured in the finals, the injury-free Bullets took advantage of his absence, and in Game 7 at New York's Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
, the Bullets' Gus Johnson
Gus Johnson (basketball)
Gus Johnson was a professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association . He spent nine seasons with the Baltimore Bullets, and a final season split between the Phoenix Suns and the Indiana Pacers of the ABA...
made a critical basket late in the game to lift the Bullets over the Knicks 93–91 and advance to their first NBA Finals
NBA Finals
The NBA Finals is the championship series of the National Basketball Association . The series was named the NBA World Championship Series until 1986....
in franchise history. They were swept in four games by the powerful Milwaukee Bucks led by future hall-of-famers Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is a retired American professional basketball player. He is the NBA's all-time leading scorer, with 38,387 points. During his career with the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers from 1969 to 1989, Abdul-Jabbar won six NBA championships and a record six regular season...
(known in 1971 as Lew Alcindor) and Oscar Robertson
Oscar Robertson
Oscar Palmer Robertson , nicknamed "The Big O", is a former American NBA player with the Cincinnati Royals and the Milwaukee Bucks...
.
Late 1970s to late 1980s
Even after the trades of Earl Monroe (to the Knicks) and Gus JohnsonGus Johnson
Gus Johnson may refer to:* Gus Johnson , Hall of Fame professional basketball player* Gus Johnson , American drummer who played various notable jazz bands...
(to the Suns), the Bullets remained a playoff contender throughout the 1970s. Following a less than spectacular 1971–72 NBA season
1971–72 NBA season
The 1971–72 NBA season was the 26th season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Los Angeles Lakers winning the NBA Championship, beating the New York Knicks 4 games to 1 in the NBA Finals....
, the Bullets improved dramatically by acquiring Elvin Hayes
Elvin Hayes
Elvin Ernest Hayes is a retired American basketball player and radio analyst for Houston Cougars men's basketball, where he played college basketball...
from the Houston Rockets
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The team plays in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1967, and played in San Diego, California for four years, before being...
and drafting Kevin Porter.
After a slow start the Bullets began to make their charge in December, posting a 10–4 record on the way to capturing the Central Division title for the 3rd straight year. The Bullets would again face the Knicks in the 1973 NBA Playoffs
1973 NBA Playoffs
The 1973 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1972-1973 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion New York Knicks defeating the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers, four games to one in the NBA Finals. The Knicks...
, losing for the fourth time in five series against New York.
In 1973, the team moved to Landover, Maryland
Landover, Maryland
Landover is an unincorporated community in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States, within the census-designated place of Greater Landover. The Prince Georges County Sports and Learning Complex is in Landover...
and became the Capital Bullets; they changed their name to the Washington
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
Bullets the following season.
During November 1973, while waiting for the completion of their new arena in Landover, the Bullets played their home games at Cole Field House
Cole Field House
The William P. Cole, Jr. Student Activities Building, more commonly known as Cole Field House, was the home of the University of Maryland basketball teams from 1955 until it was replaced by Comcast Center in 2002...
on the campus of the University of Maryland
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
in College Park
College Park, Maryland
College Park is a city in Prince George's County, Maryland, USA. The population was 30,413 at the 2010 census. It is best known as the home of the University of Maryland, College Park, and since 1994 the city has also been home to the "Archives II" facility of the U.S...
. The Capital Centre
Capital Centre
The Capital Centre was an indoor arena located in Landover, Maryland, unincorporated Prince George's County, Maryland; a suburb of Washington, D.C. Completed in 1973, the arena sat 18,756 for basketball and 18,130 for hockey....
(later known as the USAir/US Airways
US Airways
US Airways, Inc. is a major airline based in the U.S. city of Tempe, Arizona. The airline is an operating unit of US Airways Group and is the sixth largest airline by traffic and eighth largest by market value in the country....
Arena) opened on December 2, 1973, with the Bullets defeating the SuperSonics
Seattle SuperSonics
The Seattle SuperSonics were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle, Washington that played in the Pacific and Northwest Divisions of the National Basketball Association from 1967 until 2008. Following the 2007–08 season, the team relocated to Oklahoma City, and now plays as...
. Through the mid-1970s, the Bullets still played a few games per season in Baltimore.
The 60–22 Bullets made it back to the 1975 NBA Playoffs
1975 NBA Playoffs
The 1975 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1974-1975 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Golden State Warriors defeating the Eastern Conference champion Washington Bullets, four games to none in the NBA Finals...
. That year Washington posted a 36–5 home record at the Capital Centre. In the first round of the playoffs, they survived a 7–game series against the Buffalo Braves
Buffalo Braves
The Buffalo Braves were a team in the National Basketball Association. They later moved to San Diego, California to become the San Diego Clippers then subsequently the Los Angeles Clippers....
as both teams won all of their games at home. In the Eastern Conference Finals, they beat the defending NBA Champion Boston Celtics
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
in 6 games to advance to the NBA Finals
NBA Finals
The NBA Finals is the championship series of the National Basketball Association . The series was named the NBA World Championship Series until 1986....
. The Bullets were favorites to win the NBA Championship, but were shockingly swept by the Rick Barry
Rick Barry
Richard Francis Dennis Barry III , better known as Rick Barry, is a retired American professional basketball player. He is considered by many veteran basketball observers to be one of the greatest pure small forwards of all time as a result of his very precise outside shot, uncanny court vision,...
-led Golden State Warriors
Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in Oakland, California. They are part of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
in 4 games. They lost game 4 at the Capital Centre.
The loss at the NBA Finals lingered into the 1975–76 NBA season as they won 12 fewer games than last year, and in the playoffs they were eliminated by the Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers are a professional basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They began playing in the National Basketball Association in 1970 as an expansion team...
in 7 games. After the season the Bullets fired head coach K.C. Jones, despite having a career 62% winning percentage as the Bullets head coach.
In the 1976–77 NBA season under new head coach Dick Motta
Dick Motta
John Richard "Dick" Motta is a former basketball coach whose career in the National Basketball Association spanned 25 years, and he continues to rank among the NBA's all-time top 10 in coaching victories....
, the Bullets would again fall short of the Central Division title for the second straight year. Elvin Hayes finished 6th in the league in rebounds with 12.5 rebounds per game. After opening the 1977 NBA Playoffs
1977 NBA Playoffs
The 1977 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1976-1977 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Portland Trail Blazers defeating the Eastern Conference champion Philadelphia 76ers four games to two in the Finals. It was...
with a 3–game series victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Bullets took a 2–1 series lead in the second round of against the Houston Rockets
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The team plays in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1967, and played in San Diego, California for four years, before being...
. With a chance to take a 3–1 series lead at home, the Bullets would lose 107–103 as the Rockets went on take the series in 6 games.
Miracle 1977–78 season
Although they had hall of famers Elvin HayesElvin Hayes
Elvin Ernest Hayes is a retired American basketball player and radio analyst for Houston Cougars men's basketball, where he played college basketball...
and Wes Unseld
Wes Unseld
Westley Sissel "Wes" Unseld is an American former basketball player. He spent his entire NBA career with the Baltimore/Capital/Washington Bullets, and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1988.-Early life and college career:Unseld starred on a Seneca High School team...
on the team, the Bullets finished the 77–78 season 44–38 and were a longshot to win the NBA Championship, but San Antonio journalist Dan Cook
Dan Cook
Daniel John Cook, Jr. was a sports writer for the San Antonio Express-News, where he worked for 51 years. He is most notable for popularizing the phrase "the opera ain't over 'til the fat lady sings." Described as a "sports icon", Cook also was a sports anchor at San Antonio television station...
used the famed phrase "The opera ain't over 'til the fat lady sings". This became the rallying cry for the Bullets as they finished a playoff run that led to the NBA Finals
NBA Finals
The NBA Finals is the championship series of the National Basketball Association . The series was named the NBA World Championship Series until 1986....
, defeating the Seattle SuperSonics
Seattle SuperSonics
The Seattle SuperSonics were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle, Washington that played in the Pacific and Northwest Divisions of the National Basketball Association from 1967 until 2008. Following the 2007–08 season, the team relocated to Oklahoma City, and now plays as...
in 7 games to bring a professional sports championship to Washington D.C. for the first time in 36 years.
A tough act to follow
In the 1978–79 NBA season the Bullets moved to the Atlantic Division, capturing the title in their first season there. They entered the 1979 NBA Playoffs1979 NBA Playoffs
The 1979 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1978-1979 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Seattle SuperSonics defeating the Eastern Conference champion Washington Bullets four games to one in the Finals. The Sonics...
having lost 8 of the final 11 games to finish the regular season at 54–28. In the playoffs the Bullets nearly blew a 3–1 series lead against the Atlanta Hawks
Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are part of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association .-The first years:...
, but managed to hold off the Hawks in 7 games.
In the Eastern Conference Finals, they trailed the San Antonio Spurs
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
3–1, but they mounted a comeback by winning 2 straight games to force a Game 7 at the Cap Center. The Bullets would rally again, overcoming a 4th–quarter deficit to beat George Gervin
George Gervin
George "The Iceman" Gervin is a retired American professional basketball player who played in both the American Basketball Association and National Basketball Association for the Virginia Squires, San Antonio Spurs, and Chicago Bulls...
and the Spurs 107–105 in one of the NBA's all-time greatest games and advance to the NBA Finals and a rematch with the Seattle SuperSonics.
In Game 1 of the Finals, the Bullets defeated the SuperSonics, 99–97, on two game-winning free throws. They lost the next four games, and the series, to Seattle. The Bullets were the only team to play in the NBA Finals
NBA Finals
The NBA Finals is the championship series of the National Basketball Association . The series was named the NBA World Championship Series until 1986....
four times during the 1970s.
1979–1988
Age and injuries finally caught up with the Bullets. In the 1979–80 NBA season, they barely made the playoffs1980 NBA Playoffs
The 1980 NBA Playoffs were the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1979-1980 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeating the Eastern Conference champion Philadelphia 76ers four games to two in the Finals...
as they captured the sixth and final playoff spot with a tiebreaker despite posting a 39–43 record. In the playoffs, they were swept by the Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers are a professional basketball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . Originally known as the Syracuse Nationals, they are one of the oldest franchises in the NBA...
in a 2–game playoff series. The following year the Bullets failed to make the playoffs for the first time in 13 years. Wes Unseld
Wes Unseld
Westley Sissel "Wes" Unseld is an American former basketball player. He spent his entire NBA career with the Baltimore/Capital/Washington Bullets, and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1988.-Early life and college career:Unseld starred on a Seneca High School team...
retired and Elvin Hayes
Elvin Hayes
Elvin Ernest Hayes is a retired American basketball player and radio analyst for Houston Cougars men's basketball, where he played college basketball...
was traded to the Houston Rockets
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The team plays in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1967, and played in San Diego, California for four years, before being...
the following season.
In '81, Washington played strong under the coaching of Gene Shue
Gene Shue
Eugene William "Gene" Shue is a retired American professional basketball player and coach in the National Basketball Association . During his playing days he was a 6'2" 170 lb guard....
and Don Moran, finishing the regular season with a 43–39 record, and although they advanced to the Eastern Conference semifinals in the playoffs, they had clearly lost their form of the late 1970s. The Bullets continued to play with the same talent they had in the previous year. They finished with a winning record, but in a highly competitive Atlantic Division they finished last and missed the playoffs.
The next two years saw the Bullets continue to play mediocre basketball as they finished with losing records but they made the playoffs in the new expanded NBA Playoffs
NBA Playoffs
The National Basketball Association Playoffs is a best-of-seven elimination tournament among sixteen teams in the Eastern Conference and Western Conference , ultimately deciding the final four teams who will play in the NBA Conference Finals.-Format:Following the NBA regular season, eight teams in...
format that involved the 16 best teams to make the playoffs; the Bullets were eliminated in both years in the first round.
In 1985, the Bullets acquired Manute Bol
Manute Bol
Manute Bol was a Sudanese-born basketball player and activist. At 7 feet, 7 inches , Bol was one of the tallest players ever to appear in the National Basketball Association, along with Gheorghe Mureşan. Unlike Mureşan, however, Bol was naturally tall and did not have a Pituitary disease...
, whose specialty was blocking shots. That year, he blocked 397 shots (a Bullets record), part of a team that blocked 716 shots (a Bullets team record). But the Bullets finished with a disappointing 39–43 record, and were eliminated by the 76ers in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. The Bullets acquired center Moses Malone
Moses Malone
Moses Eugene Malone is a retired American Hall of Fame basketball player who starred in both the American Basketball Association and the National Basketball Association...
from the Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers are a professional basketball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . Originally known as the Syracuse Nationals, they are one of the oldest franchises in the NBA...
for center Jeff Ruland
Jeff Ruland
Jeffrey Alan Ruland is a retired American basketball player and current coach. He is the former head coach of the Iona Gaels men's college basketball team and current head coach of the UDC Firebirds men's college basketball team.-Early life and collegiate career:A 6'11", 280 lb center, Ruland...
the following season for hope of improvement. Malone would lead the team in scoring with a 24.1 points per game as he would be joined by Jeff Malone
Jeff Malone
Jeffrey Nigel Malone is a retired American professional basketball player. He played college basketball at Mississippi State University, and is mostly known for his time with the Washington Bullets of the NBA, where he was an NBA All-Star twice, playing the shooting guard position...
who averaged 22.0 points per game. The Bullets' 42–40 record would be their last winning season until the 1996–97 NBA season. Washington was eliminated by the Detroit Pistons
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
in 3 games in the playoffs.
The Bullets selected Muggsy Bogues
Muggsy Bogues
Tyrone Curtis "Muggsy" Bogues is a retired American professional basketball player and former head coach of the now-defunct Charlotte Sting of the Women's National Basketball Association . The shortest player ever to play in the NBA, the Bogues played point guard for four teams during his...
twelfth overall in the '87 Draft, who at 5'3" is the smallest player in NBA history. The Bullets would get off to a slow start as coach Kevin Loughery
Kevin Loughery
Kevin Michael Loughery is an American former professional basketball player and coach.-Career Biography:...
was fired 27 games into the season with the Bullets holding an 8–19 record. To replace Loughery, the Bullets hired former MVP Wes Unseld. Under Unseld the Bullets improved as they were able to reach the playoffs again with a record of 38–44. After losing the first 2 games on the road in the first round of the 1988 NBA Playoffs
1988 NBA Playoffs
The 1988 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1987-1988 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeating the Eastern Conference champion Detroit Pistons four games to three in the Finals...
to the Detroit Pistons, the Bullets fought back and forced a 5th game with 2 home wins. They would lose game 5 by 21 points. It would be 9 years before Washington would return to the NBA Playoffs.
1989–1997
The Bullets got off to a 5–1 start in 1989, but hopes of a good season faded quickly as they lost 16 of 18 games from mid-December to mid-January. They would finish with a 31–51 record despite stellar seasons by Jeff Malone and Bernard KingBernard King
Bernard King is a retired American professional basketball player at the small forward position in the NBA...
, who averaged 24.3 and 22.3 points per game respectively to lead the team.
The lone highlight of the Bullets 30 win 1990–91 season was the successful comeback effort by Bernard King as he recovered from knee surgery he suffered while playing for the Knicks in the 1984–85 NBA season to finish 3rd in the NA in scoring with a 28.4 points per game. In 1990, the team would name Susan O'Malley
Susan O'Malley
Susan O'Malley is the former president of the Washington Wizards National Basketball Association team. She was hired in 1991. She is the first female president of an NBA franchise, and one of the first women in a major front-office position in major league sports.-References:...
as its president, the first female president of a franchise in the history of the NBA. Susan O'Malley is the daughter of Peter O'Malley, the prominent lawyer from Maryland and former president of the Washington Capitals.
The Bullets posted records of 25–57 in the 1991–92 season and 22–60 in the 1992–93 season due to injuries and inconsistent play.
Injuries would continue to bite the Bullets as key players Rex Chapman
Rex Chapman
Rex Everett Chapman is a retired American professional basketball player. Chapman was a college standout at the University of Kentucky and went on to play for four NBA teams through his 12-year career in the league...
and Calbert Cheaney (the club's 1st round draft pick) miss significant stretches, and Pervis Ellison
Pervis Ellison
Pervis Ellison is a former college and professional NBA basketball player.Ellison was nicknamed "Never Nervous Pervis" for his play with the University of Louisville. At 6 ft 9 in and 242 lb, he started all four years as the center under coach Denny Crum...
misses almost the entire season. The result was a miserable 24–58 record for the 1993–94 season, but help from the Michigan Wolverines
Michigan Wolverines
The Michigan Wolverines comprise 27 varsity sports teams at the University of Michigan. These teams compete in the NCAA's Division I and in the Big Ten Conference in all sports except men's ice hockey which competes in the NCAA D1 Central Collegiate Hockey Association, and women's water polo, which...
was on the way.
The Bullets selected Juwan Howard
Juwan Howard
Juwan Antonio Howard is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association . The Heat were his eighth different NBA team. He was drafted fifth overall in the 1994 NBA Draft by the Washington Bullets...
in the 1994 NBA Draft
1994 NBA Draft
The 1994 NBA Draft took place on June 29, 1994 in Indianapolis, Indiana. It is notable for the fact that two NBA rookies of the year were picked in the first round, as Jason Kidd and Grant Hill were co-winners of the award for the 1994–95 NBA season...
and traded Tom Gugliotta
Tom Gugliotta
Thomas James Gugliotta is a former American professional basketball player....
along with three first round draft picks to the Golden State Warriors for the rights to Chris Webber
Chris Webber
Mayce Edward Christopher "Chris" Webber, III , nicknamed C-Webb, is a retired American professional basketball player. He is a five-time NBA All-Star, a former All-NBA First Teamer, a former NBA Rookie of the Year, and a former #1 overall NBA Draftee...
. While the season started out with promise, a shoulder injury to Chris Webber (ironically against the Warriors) caused him to miss 19 games and the Bullets struggled through the rest of the season finishing a then franchise worst (percentage wise) 21–61. Webber averaged 20.1 ppg and 9.6 rpg but declined surgery for his dislocated shoulder. This would prove costly for the next season.
The Bullets' 95–96 season seemed over before it started as Webber suffered a dislocated left shoulder in a preseason game against Indiana on October 21 and opened the season on the injured list. He was activated on Nov. 27, but strained his shoulder against New York on Dec. 29. After hoping the injury would get better with rest, Webber finally underwent surgery on Feb. 1 which sidelined him for the remainder of the season. The Bullets were 9–6 with Webber in the lineup as he averaged a team-high 23.7 points plus 7.6 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.80 steals in 37.2 minutes per game when he was able to play. Other players injured included Mark Price
Mark Price
William Mark Price is a retired American basketball player who played for 12 seasons in the NBA, from 1986 to 1998...
(who only played in 7 games) and Robert Pack
Robert Pack
Robert John Pack, Jr. is a retired American professional basketball player and current assistant coach for the Los Angeles Clippers. Nicknamed "Pac-Man", the point guard had a thirteen season career in the NBA, most notably with the Denver Nuggets.-High school and college career:Pack attended...
(31 games played out of 82). Bright spots of the season included the selection of Rasheed Wallace
Rasheed Wallace
Rasheed Abdul Wallace is a retired American professional basketball power forward and center who played from 1995 to 2010 in the National Basketball Association...
in the 1995 NBA Draft and the All-Star play of Howard. Juwan averaged a career best 22.1 ppg and 8.1 rpg and kept the Bullets slim playoff hopes alive until the end of the season. The Bullets improved to 39–43 but just missed the playoffs.
Washington, boasting the league's tallest player (center Gheorghe Mureşan
Gheorghe Muresan
Gheorghe Dumitru Mureşan, , also known as Ghiţă or George, is a retired Romanian professional basketball player. At 7 ft 7 in , he is one of the tallest players in NBA history, along with Sudanese player Manute Bol, who was also 7 ft 7 in. Both Mureşan's parents are of average size, and,...
7'7"), two very athletic forwards (Juwan and Webber) and one of the league's top point guards (Rod Strickland
Rod Strickland
Rodney "Rod" Strickland is a retired American professional basketball player and currently in an administrative role for the University of Kentucky basketball team under head coach John Calipari. Strickland was formerly the director of basketball operations at the University of Memphis...
), struggled at the start of the 1996–97 season to a 22–24 start. That led to the dismissal of Head Coach Jim Lynam. Bernie Bickerstaff
Bernie Bickerstaff
Bernard Tyrone "Bernie" Bickerstaff is an assistant coach for the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers. Prior to the Trail Blazers, Bickerstaff was an assistant for the Chicago Bulls and Executive Vice President of the Charlotte Bobcats...
, an assistant coach with the Bullets when they won their only NBA Championship in 1978, was called upon to resurrect his former team. The Bullets responded, winning 16 of their final 21 games to finish 44–38, their best record since 1978–79. The late surge enabled the Bullets to climb within reach of the Cleveland Cavaliers for the final playoff spot. In a winner-take-the-eighth-playoff-spot game with the Cavaliers on the season's final day, the Bullets squeezed past Cleveland 85–81 to end the franchise's longest playoff drought. And while the Bullets were swept by the Bulls in the first round, they lost the three games by a total of just 18 points, a sign that the team is one to be reckoned with.
Webber led the way in scoring (20.1 ppg), rebounding (10.3) and blocks (1.9) and shot 51.8 percent from the floor to make his first All-Star team and became the first All-star of the franchise. Howard averaged 19.1 ppg and 8.0 rpg, while Strickland averaged 17.2 ppg and 1.74 spg and finished fifth in the league in assists with 8.9 per game. Muresan dominated the middle and led the NBA in field goal percentage (.599). Washington received contributions from Calbert Cheaney (10.6 ppg) and Tracy Murray
Tracy Murray
Tracy Lamonte Murray is a retired American professional basketball player who played for six different NBA franchises and two Greek clubs, with a final stint in France...
(10.0 ppg).
Bullets become the Wizards
Abe Pollin
Abe Pollin was the owner of a number of professional sports teams including the Washington Capitals in the National Hockey League , the Washington Mystics in the Women's National Basketball Association , and the Washington Wizards in the National Basketball Association...
announced he was changing the team's name because Bullets had acquired violent overtones that had made him increasingly uncomfortable over the years, particularly given the high homicide and crime rate in the early 1990s in Washington, D.C. The final straw was the assassination
Assassination of Yitzhak Rabin
The assassination of Yitzhak Rabin took place on November 4, 1995 at 21:30, at the end of a rally in support of the Oslo Accords at the Kings of Israel Square in Tel Aviv...
of his longtime friend, Israeli Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Israel
The Prime Minister of Israel is the head of the Israeli government and the most powerful political figure in Israel . The prime minister is the country's chief executive. The official residence of the prime minister, Beit Rosh Hamemshala is in Jerusalem...
Yitzhak Rabin
Yitzhak Rabin
' was an Israeli politician, statesman and general. He was the fifth Prime Minister of Israel, serving two terms in office, 1974–77 and 1992 until his assassination in 1995....
. A contest was held to choose a new name and the choices were narrowed to the Dragons, Express, Stallions, Sea Dogs, or Wizards. On May 15, 1997, the Bullets officially became the Washington Wizards. The change generated some controversy because Washington is a predominantly African-American city and Wizard is a rank in the Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan, often abbreviated KKK and informally known as the Klan, is the name of three distinct past and present far-right organizations in the United States, which have advocated extremist reactionary currents such as white supremacy, white nationalism, and anti-immigration, historically...
.
A new logo was unveiled and the team colors were changed from the traditional red, white and blue to blue, black and bronze, the same colors as the Washington Capitals
Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Since their founding in 1974, "The Caps" have won one conference championship to reach the 1998 Stanley Cup...
hockey
Hockey
Hockey is a family of sports in which two teams play against each other by trying to maneuver a ball or a puck into the opponent's goal using a hockey stick.-Etymology:...
team owned by Pollin. That same year the Wizards moved to the then MCI Center, now called Verizon Center
Verizon Center
Verizon Center is a sports and entertainment arena in Washington, D.C., USA, named after telecommunications sponsor Verizon Communications, and has been nicknamed the "Phone Booth" because of its association with telecommunications companies...
. The Verizon Center is home to the Capitals, the Washington Mystics
Washington Mystics
The Washington Mystics is a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded prior to the 1998 season. The team is owned by Monumental Sports & Entertainment , who also owns the Mystics'...
of the Women's National Basketball Association
Women's National Basketball Association
The Women's National Basketball Association is a women's professional basketball league in the United States. It currently is composed of twelve teams. The league was founded on April 24, 1996 as the women's counterpart to the National Basketball Association...
and the Georgetown Hoyas
Georgetown Hoyas
Georgetown's nickname is The Hoyas, but its mascot is "Jack the Bulldog." Various breeds of dogs have been used by the sports teams as mascots since the early 1900s. Several notable bull terriers like Sergeant Stubby and "Hoya" were used at football games in the 1920s, as was a Great Dane in the...
men's college basketball team.
In 1998, they became the brother team to the WNBA's Washington Mystics, and remained officially thus until 2005 when the Mystics were sold to Lincoln Holdings (headed by Ted Leonsis
Ted Leonsis
Theodore John Leonsis is an Internet pioneer, sports team owner, venture capital investor, filmmaker, author and philanthropist. His early new media company, Redgate Communications was acquired by America Online in 1994, and Leonsis became a senior AOL executive for the next 13 years...
), parent company of the Washington Capitals. However, upon the purchase of the Wizards by Leonsis in 2010, the Wizards and Mystics again became sibling teams.
Late '90s decline
The newly-named Wizards began the 1997–98 season playing 5 home games at the Capital CentreCapital Centre
The Capital Centre was an indoor arena located in Landover, Maryland, unincorporated Prince George's County, Maryland; a suburb of Washington, D.C. Completed in 1973, the arena sat 18,756 for basketball and 18,130 for hockey....
before moving to the MCI Center on December 2, 1997. The Wizards finished the season with a 42–40 record including 4 straight victories to end the season but just missed the playoffs. Highlights of the season included Chris Webber
Chris Webber
Mayce Edward Christopher "Chris" Webber, III , nicknamed C-Webb, is a retired American professional basketball player. He is a five-time NBA All-Star, a former All-NBA First Teamer, a former NBA Rookie of the Year, and a former #1 overall NBA Draftee...
leading the team in scoring (21.9 ppg) and rebounding (9.5 rpg). Strickland led the league in assists (10.5 apg) before suffering an injury near the end of the season. Tracy Murray averaged 15.1 ppg off the bench including a 50 point game against Golden State. Off court distractions led to the trade of Webber to the Sacramento Kings for Mitch Richmond
Mitch Richmond
Mitchell James "Mitch" Richmond is a retired American professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association. He played collegiately at Kansas State University. He was a 6-time NBA All-Star, a 5-time All-NBA Team member and a former NBA Rookie of the Year...
and Otis Thorpe
Otis Thorpe
Otis Henry Thorpe is a retired American professional basketball player in the NBA.-Early years:...
in May 1998.
The Wizards finished the lockout shortened season of 1998–99 with a record of 18–32. Mitch Richmond led the team in scoring with a 19.7 ppg average. In the 1999–2000 season, the Wizards finished with a 29–53 record. Mitch Richmond led the team with 17.4 ppg. In the 2000–2001 season, under newly hired coach Leonard Hamilton
Leonard Hamilton
Leonard Hamilton is the current head basketball coach at Florida State University. He is a former coach at Oklahoma State University, the University of Miami, and the NBA's Washington Wizards...
, 1999 NBA Draft
1999 NBA Draft
The 1999 NBA Draft was held on June 30, 1999 at the MCI Center in Washington, D.C. It was the first draft in which four players from the same college were picked in the first round, with Elton Brand , Trajan Langdon , Corey Maggette and William Avery being selected out of Duke University...
pick Richard Hamilton
Richard Hamilton (basketball)
Richard "Rip" Hamilton is an American basketball player who currently plays for the Detroit Pistons. Hamilton is 6'7" tall, weighs 193 lbs , and plays shooting guard. He currently is the Pistons' team captain....
led the team in scoring with 18.1 ppg, but the team finished with a 19–63 record (a franchise low).
On February 23, 2001, the Wizards were involved in a blockbuster trade days before the trading deadline. The team sent Juwan Howard
Juwan Howard
Juwan Antonio Howard is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association . The Heat were his eighth different NBA team. He was drafted fifth overall in the 1994 NBA Draft by the Washington Bullets...
, Obinna Ekezie
Obinna Ekezie
Obinna Ralph Ekezie is a Nigerian professional basketball player, formerly in the NBA. His name, Obinna, means "Father´s heart".-Career:...
and Calvin Booth
Calvin Booth
Calvin Lawrence Booth is an American professional basketball player who is currently a free agent.-College career:...
to the Dallas Mavericks
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association , and the reigning NBA champions, having defeated the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.According to a 2011...
. In return, Washington received Hubert Davis, Courtney Alexander
Courtney Alexander
Courtney Jason Alexander is an American professional basketball player, formerly in the NBA.After playing high school basketball at Masuk High School in Monroe, CT he moved to Durham, North Carolina to play for C. E...
, Christian Laettner
Christian Laettner
Christian Donald Laettner is a retired American professional basketball player and entrepreneur. He had a distinguished college and national career, and played in the National Basketball Association for thirteen seasons, from 1992–2005. He is presently a minority holder for the Major League...
, Loy Vaught
Loy Vaught
Loy Stephen Vaught is a retired American professional basketball player who spent ten seasons in the NBA, primarily with the Los Angeles Clippers....
and Etan Thomas
Etan Thomas
Dedreck Etan Thomas, commonly referred to as Etan Thomas , is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association.-College:...
along with $3 million.
Michael Jordan years
2001–02
After retiring from the Chicago BullsChicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...
in early 1999, Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan
Michael Jeffrey Jordan is a former American professional basketball player, active entrepreneur, and majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats...
became the Washington Wizards' president of basketball operations as well as a minority owner in January 2000. In September 2001, Jordan came out of retirement at age 38 to play for Washington. Jordan stated that he was returning "for the love of the game." Because of NBA rules, he had to divest himself of any ownership of the team. Before the All-Star break, Jordan was only one of two players to average more than 25 points, 5 assists, and 5 rebounds as he led the Wizards to a 26–21 record. After the All-Star break, Jordan's knee could not handle the workload of a full-season as he ended the season on the injured list, and the Wizards concluded the season with a 37–45 record. Jordan led the Wizards to an 18-win improvement from the previous season.
2002–03
Jordan announced he would return for the 2002–03 season, and this time he was determined to be equipped with reinforcements, as he traded for All-Star Jerry StackhouseJerry Stackhouse
Jerry Darnell Stackhouse is an American professional basketball player who plays both shooting guard and small forward. He most recently played for the Miami Heat. He is now an NBA TV analyst but remains as an eligible free agent....
and signed budding star Larry Hughes
Larry Hughes
Larry Darnell Hughes is an American professional basketball player who most recently played for the Charlotte Bobcats. He is a and shooting guard. Hughes attended Saint Louis University and was the eight pick in the 1998 NBA Draft, selected by the Philadelphia 76ers...
. Jordan even accepted a sixth-man role on the bench in order for his knee to survive the rigors of an 82–game season. A combination of numerous team injuries and uninspired play led to Jordan's return to the starting lineup
Starting lineup
A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...
, where he tried to rebound the franchise from its early-season struggles. By the end of the season, the Wizards finished with a 37–45 record once again. Jordan ended the season as the only Wizard to play in all 82 games, as he averaged 20.0 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.5 steals in 37.0 minutes per game.
Departure
After the season, majority owner Pollin fired Jordan as team president, much to the shock of players, associates, and the public. Jordan felt betrayed, thinking that he would get his ownership back after his playing days ended, but Pollin justified Jordan's dismissal by noting that Jordan had detrimental effects on the team, such as benching Hughes for Tyronn LueTyronn Lue
Tyronn Jamar Lue is a former American professional basketball player who last played for the Orlando Magic in the National Basketball Association...
, making poor trades, and using the team's 2001 1st round draft
2001 NBA Draft
The 2001 NBA Draft took place on June 27, 2001 in New York City, New York. Kwame Brown became the first high school player drafted with the first overall pick...
pick on high schooler Kwame Brown
Kwame Brown
Kwame James Brown is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Charlotte Bobcats. The , center was the 1st overall pick in the 2001 NBA Draft by the Washington Wizards, and was the first number one draft pick to be selected straight out of high school...
. Without Jordan in the fold the following year, the Washington Wizards were not expected to win, and they did not. Despite the signing of future All-Star point guard Gilbert Arenas
Gilbert Arenas
Gilbert Jay Arenas, Jr. is an American professional basketball player for the Orlando Magic of the National Basketball Association . He plays as a point guard and shooting guard....
, the team stumbled to a 25–57 record in the 2003–04 season.
The Wizards replaced Jordan's managerial role with coach Eddie Jordan
Eddie Jordan (basketball)
Edward Montgomery "Eddie" Jordan is a retired American professional basketball player and former coach of the Philadelphia 76ers, Washington Wizards and Sacramento Kings in the NBA.-Collegiate and pro career:...
(no relation) and General Manager Ernie Grunfeld
Ernie Grunfeld
Ernest "Ernie" Grunfeld is the General Manager of the Washington Wizards. He was also once a professional basketball player...
.
Mid-2000s resurgence and Gilbert Arenas years
2004–05
The 2004–05 NBA season saw the team (now in the new Southeast Division) post its best regular-season record in 26 years (45–37) and marked the first time the franchise had ever made the playoffs as the Wizards. In the off-season, the team traded Stackhouse, Christian LaettnerChristian Laettner
Christian Donald Laettner is a retired American professional basketball player and entrepreneur. He had a distinguished college and national career, and played in the National Basketball Association for thirteen seasons, from 1992–2005. He is presently a minority holder for the Major League...
, and the draft rights to Devin Harris
Devin Harris
Devin Lamar Harris is an American professional basketball player for the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association . Harris attended the University of Wisconsin–Madison...
to the Dallas Mavericks
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association , and the reigning NBA champions, having defeated the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.According to a 2011...
for Antawn Jamison
Antawn Jamison
Antawn Cortez Jamison is an American professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association . He currently plays power forward for the Cleveland Cavaliers and was a member of the USA National Team for the 2006 FIBA World Championships...
. During the regular season, the scoring trio of Arenas, Jamison and Hughes was the highest in the NBA and earned the nickname of "The Big Three". Hughes led the NBA in steals with 2.89 per game. Arenas and Jamison were both named to the 2005 Eastern Conference All-Star team, marking the first time Washington had two players in the All-Star game since Jeff Malone
Jeff Malone
Jeffrey Nigel Malone is a retired American professional basketball player. He played college basketball at Mississippi State University, and is mostly known for his time with the Washington Bullets of the NBA, where he was an NBA All-Star twice, playing the shooting guard position...
and Moses Malone represented the Bullets in the 1987 All-Star Game.
With a 93–82 win over the Chicago Bulls
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...
on April 13, 2005, the Wizards clinched a playoff spot for the first time since 1996–97. Long-suffering fans celebrated by buying over 16,000 playoff tickets in two and a half hours the day tickets went on sale. In game 3 of the first round
2005 NBA Playoffs
The 2005 NBA Playoffs was the postseason of the National Basketball Association's 2004–05 season.The San Antonio Spurs, the number two ranked team in the Western Conference, won the 2005 NBA Playoffs by defeating the defending champions, the Detroit Pistons, 4-3 in the NBA Finals...
against the Bulls, the Wizards won their first playoff game since 1988. Adding to the "long-overdue" feeling was the fact that game 3 was the first NBA playoff game to be held within Washington, D.C. city limits. In the Wizards' game 5 victory in Chicago, Arenas hit a buzzer-beater to win the game and the Wizards took their first lead in a playoff series since 1986. In Game 6 at the MCI Center, Jared Jeffries
Jared Jeffries
Jared Scott Carter Jeffries is an American professional basketball player who last played for the New York Knicks. He was drafted in 2002 by the Washington Wizards as the 11th overall pick...
picked up a loose ball and went in for an uncontested tie-breaking dunk with 32 seconds left, thus giving the Wizards a 94–91 win and the team's first playoff series win in 23 years. They were only the 12th team in NBA history to win a playoff series after being down 0–2.
In the conference semifinals, the Wizards were swept by the Miami Heat
Miami Heat
The Miami Heat is a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. The team is a member of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . They play their home games at American Airlines Arena in Downtown Miami...
, the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference in the 2005 NBA Playoffs
2005 NBA Playoffs
The 2005 NBA Playoffs was the postseason of the National Basketball Association's 2004–05 season.The San Antonio Spurs, the number two ranked team in the Western Conference, won the 2005 NBA Playoffs by defeating the defending champions, the Detroit Pistons, 4-3 in the NBA Finals...
.
2005–06
The 2005–06 NBA season was one filled with ups and downs. During the off-season, Washington acquired Caron ButlerCaron Butler
James Caron Butler, widely known as Caron Butler , is an American professional basketball player who most recently played at small forward for the NBA's Dallas Mavericks.-Early life:...
and Antonio Daniels
Antonio Daniels
Antonio Robert Daniels is an American professional basketball player. He most recently played for the Philadelphia 76ers.-Career:...
. During the regular season, the Wizards again had the best scoring trio in the NBA, this time consisting of Arenas, Jamison and Butler as the "Big Three". The Wizards started the 2005–06 season at 5–1, but went on an 8–17 funk to go to 13–18 through 31 games. Then, they went 13–5 in the next 18 games. On April 5, 2006, the team was 39–35 and looking to close in on the 45-win mark achieved the previous year, until Butler suffered a thumb sprain and the Wizards lost all five games without him. Butler returned and the team pulled out their final three games, against the Pistons, Cavs and Bucks, all playoff-bound teams, to finish the year at 42–40 and clinch the 5th seed in the Eastern Conference
Eastern Conference (NBA)
The Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association is made up of fifteen teams, organized in three divisions of five teams each.The three division winners and the non-division winner with the best record are seeded 1 through 4 for the playoffs in order of their records, with all...
. They averaged 101.7 points a game, third in the NBA and tops in the East and clinched a playoff berth for the second year in a row for the first time since 1987.
Their first-round match-up with Cleveland was widely seen as the most evenly matched series in the 2006 NBA Playoffs
2006 NBA Playoffs
The 2006 NBA Playoffs was the postseason of the National Basketball Association's 2005–06 season. The Miami Heat won the first championship in the history of the franchise by defeating the Dallas Mavericks 4-2 in the 2006 NBA Finals...
. The teams exchanged wins during the first two games in Cleveland, with Game 2 highlighted by the Wizards holding LeBron James
LeBron James
LeBron Raymone James is an American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association . Nicknamed "King James", he was a three-time "Mr. Basketball" of Ohio in high school, and was highly promoted in the national media as a future NBA superstar while a...
to 7–25 shooting from the floor while Brendan Haywood
Brendan Haywood
Brendan Todd Haywood is an American professional basketball player. The 7' 0", 263-lb. center currently plays for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association.-College:...
gave James a hard foul in the first quarter that many cited as the key to shaking up the rest of James's game. In Game 3 at the Verizon Center, James hit a 4-footer on the way down with 5.7 seconds left to take the game and the series lead for the Cavs with a 97–96 win. Arenas missed a potential game-winning three-pointer on the other end to seal the win for the Cavs. Game 4 saw the Wizards heat up again, as Arenas scored 20 in the fourth quarter after claiming he changed his jersey, shorts, shoes and tights in the locker room and the Wizards won 106–96. Yet in Games 5 and 6, the Cavs would take control of the series, both games decided by one point in overtime.
In Game 5, despite the Wizards being down 107–100 with 1:18 to play, the team drove back and eventually tied the game on Butler's layup with 7.5 seconds remaining to send the game to OT, where James scored with 0.9 seconds left in overtime to send the Cavs to a 121–120 win. The series returned to the Verizon Center for Game 6, where the game went back and forth all night. The Wizards blew a 14-point first-quarter lead, then for 24 minutes, from early in the second quarter to early in the fourth, neither team led by more than five points at any time. The Wizards blew a seven-point lead with just under 5 to play and needed Arenas to hit a 31-footer at the end of regulation to take the game to overtime. In OT, Arenas missed two key free throws. Cleveland rebounded the ball, went downcourt and Damon Jones
Damon Jones
Damon Darron Jones is an American professional basketball player. A 6'3" point guard–shooting guard, he played college basketball for three years with the University of Houston Cougars before declaring early for the 1997 NBA Draft, but he went undrafted.-High school career:Jones played for...
hit a 17-foot baseline jumper with 4.8 seconds remaining to give the Cavs the lead for good. Butler missed a three-pointer on the other end to seal the game, and the series, for the Cavaliers.
2006–07
DeShawn Stevenson
DeShawn Stevenson is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Dallas Mavericks of the NBA. Before his NBA career, he originally committed to play at the University of Kansas, but decided to enter the NBA directly from Washington Union High School in his hometown of...
and Darius Songaila
Darius Songaila
Darius Songaila is a Lithuanian professional basketball player. He is also a member of the Lithuania national team. He can play power forward and center positions. He currently plays for Galatasaray Medical Park in Turkey....
. Etan Thomas beat out Haywood for the starting center job. After starting the season 0–8 on the road, Washington rebounded to win 6 of 7 away from Verizon Center. After a November 4–9, Washington went 22–9 through December and January. Arenas scored a franchise-record 60 points against the Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
on December 17. He and Eddie Jordan were named player of the month and coach of the month for December, respectively. On January 3 and again on January 15, Arenas hit buzzer-beating three-pointers to beat Milwaukee
Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks are a professional basketball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. They are part of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1968 as an expansion team, and currently plays at the Bradley Center....
and Utah
Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz is a professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. They are currently a part of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
.
On January 30, Jamison went down with a sprained left knee in a win against Detroit
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
. Washington went 4–8 in the 12 games without him. On February 3, Songaila made his Wizards debut against the Lakers. On February 18, Eddie Jordan became the first Wizards/Bullets coach to coach the NBA All-Star Game since Dick Motta
Dick Motta
John Richard "Dick" Motta is a former basketball coach whose career in the National Basketball Association spanned 25 years, and he continues to rank among the NBA's all-time top 10 in coaching victories....
in 1978–1979. Arenas played in his third straight All-Star game and Butler made his All-Star Game
All-star game
An all-star game is an exhibition game played by the best players in their sports league, except in the circumstances of professional sports systems in which a democratic voting system is used...
debut.
On March 14, Butler went out with a knee injury that kept him out of the lineup for six games. He returned for only three games until he fractured his right hand on April 1 against Milwaukee. On April 4, Arenas suffered a season-ending knee injury, of the meniscus. An April 15 article in The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
pointed out that with Arenas and Butler gone, the team had lost 42.3% of their offensive production, quite possibly "the most costly" loss for any team in the midst of a playoff hunt in NBA history.
Despite their late-season struggles without Arenas and Butler, the Wizards still managed to make the Eastern Conference playoffs, taking the 7th seed at 41–41. They were swept four games to none in a rematch of the previous year's first-round series against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Despite a depleted roster, the Wizards still managed to keep things close in every game in the series and only lost the final three games by a combined 20 points. The team enjoyed their best attendance figures in the post-Jordan era with a season attendance of 753,283 (18,372 per game).
2007–08
The Wizards retained a majority of their roster from the 2006–07 season, only losing Jarvis HayesJarvis Hayes
Jarvis James Hayes is an American professional basketball player. A 6'8", 220 lbs. small forward from the University of Georgia and Western Carolina University, Hayes was selected by the Washington Wizards with the 10th overall pick of the 2003 NBA Draft. Throughout his NBA career, Hayes has...
to Detroit
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
, Calvin Booth to the Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers are a professional basketball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . Originally known as the Syracuse Nationals, they are one of the oldest franchises in the NBA...
, and Michael Ruffin to the Milwaukee Bucks
Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks are a professional basketball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. They are part of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1968 as an expansion team, and currently plays at the Bradley Center....
as free agents. Washington signed Oleksiy Pecherov
Oleksiy Pecherov
Oleksiy Pecherov is a Ukrainian basketball player. He stands at 7'0".The NBA's Washington Wizards selected him with the 18th pick in the 2006 NBA Draft; Pecherov signed a contract with the Wizards on July 5, 2007. Pecherov had previously played with Paris Basket Racing internationally...
, the team's first-round pick in 2006, as well as 2007 picks Nick Young
Nick Young (basketball)
Nick Young is an American professional basketball player with the Washington Wizards of the NBA at both the shooting guard and small forward positions.-High school career:...
and Dominic McGuire
Dominic McGuire
Dominic McGuire is an American professional basketball player. He is a 6'8" and 210 pound forward.-High school and college career:...
. Etan Thomas missed the regular season after undergoing open-heart surgery.
The team began the season starting 0–5, but rebounded to win six straight. After 8 games, Arenas underwent surgery to repair a torn medial meniscus in his left knee, as well as a microfracture surgery. This was the same knee he had injured the previous year. The injury forced Arenas out for a total of 68 games. Midway through the season, Butler was forced to the sidelines for a total of 20 games with what initially was a strained hip flexor, but turned out to be a labral tear. Despite all of the injuries, the Wizards managed to go 43–39 on the regular season, good for 5th place in the Eastern Conference and a first-round playoff matchup with the Cleveland Cavaliers for the third straight season.
The Washington Wizards made minor modifications on their team jerseys and logos. To accommodate the gold–black alternate jerseys they introduced the previous season along with the design change on the Verizon Center floor, they changed their secondary team colors from bronze
Bronze
Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal...
to metallic gold, and the player's name on the back of the jersey was changed from white/blue with bronze trim to gold (blue on home uniforms) with a change in lettering.
2008–09
The Wizards emerged from the offseason retaining two of the main pieces of their core: Arenas and Jamison. Arenas signed a six-year, $111 million contract, while Jamison signed a four-year, $50 million contract. The Wizards did not re-sign guard Roger Mason, who signed with the San Antonio SpursSan Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
. The Wizards added guards Dee Brown and Juan Dixon
Juan Dixon
Juan Dixon is an American professional basketball player. Dixon led the University of Maryland Terrapins to their first NCAA championship in 2002 and earned Most Outstanding Player honors at the 2002 Final Four.-Early life:...
, and drafted JaVale McGee
JaVale McGee
JaVale McGee is an American professional basketball player who was selected 18th overall by the Washington Wizards in the 2008 NBA Draft. He is a center who is listed at 7'0" and 252 lb...
18th overall in the 2008 NBA Draft.
In September, Arenas underwent a third operation on his surgically repaired left knee to clean out fluid and debris, and was expected to miss at least the first month of the season. The forecast came in longer than expected, as Arenas missed five months of action due to concerns on his knee before returning on March 29, 2009. In the first game of the preseason, Jamison suffered a right knee contusion, and was expected to miss the rest of the preseason. Haywood announced that he would undergo surgery on his right wrist and was expected to miss four to six months. The preseason marked the return of Etan Thomas who had missed all of the 2007–2008 season while recovering from open heart surgery. The Wizards added guard Fenny Falmagne from the Dakota Wizards on August 23, 2008 that later was waived by the team after knee injury..
The Wizards opened the season on October 29 with a loss against New Jersey
New Jersey Nets
The New Jersey Nets are a professional basketball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
, and dropped 15 of their first 19 games. Head coach Eddie Jordan
Eddie Jordan (basketball)
Edward Montgomery "Eddie" Jordan is a retired American professional basketball player and former coach of the Philadelphia 76ers, Washington Wizards and Sacramento Kings in the NBA.-Collegiate and pro career:...
was fired on November 24 after a 1–10 start, and was replaced by interim Ed Tapscott
Ed Tapscott
Ed Tapscott is the former interim head coach of the NBA's Washington Wizards.-Coaching:Tapscott, a graduate of Tufts University and American University Washington College of Law, was an assistant to Gary Williams at American University in the 1970s while a law student, and took over head coaching...
. On December 10, Washington acquired guards Javaris Crittenton
Javaris Crittenton
Javaris Cortez Crittenton is an American professional basketball player who has most recently played for the Dakota Wizards of the NBA D-League. He was previously the starting point guard for the Georgia Tech men's basketball team....
and Mike James
Mike James
Michael Lamont James is an American professional basketball player.-Early years:The youngest of seven siblings, James's childhood was not without challenges. Crime, drugs, and violence troubled his neighborhood streets. Lack of social and economic opportunity made urban living grueling and...
in a three-team deal that sent Antonio Daniels to New Orleans. The team waived guard Dee Brown. They won 14 of their first 60 games, going 14–46 and are en route to suffering their worst season in franchise history, finishing with a franchise worst-tying 19–63.
One of the few high points of the season came on February 27 when recently-inaugurated President Barack Obama attended a Wizards game against the Chicago Bulls, sitting in a northeast court-side seat; the Wizards produced their second-biggest victory margin of the season with a 113–90 win, with Jamison pacing the side with 27 points.
Then on April 2, the Wizards shut down the red hot Cleveland Cavaliers, who came 61–13, and ended Cleveland's franchise best streak at 13. Several players had good nights. Butler score 25 points and 4 assists, Jamison scored 19 and 5 assists, and Haywood had 12 points and 10 assists. Despite a bad shooting night, Arenas recorded a double double with 11 points and 10 assists. Songaila had a notable game, scoring 17 points (which included 7 consecutive points in the 4th quarter) and grabbing 6 rebounds.
2009–10
Flip SaundersFlip Saunders
Phillip "Flip" Saunders is an American basketball head coach of the Washington Wizards. He previously coached the Detroit Pistons and the Minnesota Timberwolves.-High school and college player:Saunders was born in Cincinnati, Ohio....
reached an agreement to become the new coach of the team in mid-April, 2009. Despite having the second best chance at obtaining the number one overall pick in the 2009 draft, the Wizards were randomly chosen to pick fifth overall in the NBA Draft Lottery. This pick was later traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves
Minnesota Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . Founded in 1989, the team is currently owned by Glen Taylor...
, along with Songaila, Thomas, and Oleksiy Pecherov
Oleksiy Pecherov
Oleksiy Pecherov is a Ukrainian basketball player. He stands at 7'0".The NBA's Washington Wizards selected him with the 18th pick in the 2006 NBA Draft; Pecherov signed a contract with the Wizards on July 5, 2007. Pecherov had previously played with Paris Basket Racing internationally...
, in exchange for Randy Foye
Randy Foye
Randy Foye is an American professional basketball player currently with the NBA's Los Angeles Clippers. He played collegiately at Villanova University. He was selected seventh overall in the 2006 NBA Draft by the Boston Celtics, immediately traded to the Portland Trail Blazers, and later traded to...
and Mike Miller. On May 21, 2009, Wizards president Ernie Grunfeld announced that the team has named Randy Wittman
Randy Wittman
Randy Scott Wittman is a retired American basketball player, in the guard position, and former coach of the NBA's Minnesota Timberwolves.-College:...
and Sam Cassell
Sam Cassell
Samuel James "Sam" Cassell , is a retired American professional basketball player who is an assistant coach for the Washington Wizards. The , point guard was selected out of Florida State University by the Houston Rockets with the 24th overall pick in the 1993 NBA Draft...
as assistant coaches.
Then on August 11, 2009, the Wizards signed Fabricio Oberto
Fabricio Oberto
Fabricio Raúl Jesús Oberto is an Argentine professional basketball player. At and , he plays as a center. With Liga Nacional de Básquet in his native Argentina, Oberto began playing professionally in 1993 and later played overseas with teams in Spain and Greece...
, many weeks after he committed to signing with the team.
In November, majority owner Abe Pollin died at the age of 85. At the time of his passing, he was the longest-tenured owner in NBA history. Control of the franchise passed to his widow Irene, though minority owner Ted Leonsis
Ted Leonsis
Theodore John Leonsis is an Internet pioneer, sports team owner, venture capital investor, filmmaker, author and philanthropist. His early new media company, Redgate Communications was acquired by America Online in 1994, and Leonsis became a senior AOL executive for the next 13 years...
was known to be preparing a takeover bid.
On December 24, 2009, it was revealed that Arenas had admitted to storing unloaded firearms in his locker at Verizon Center
Verizon Center
Verizon Center is a sports and entertainment arena in Washington, D.C., USA, named after telecommunications sponsor Verizon Communications, and has been nicknamed the "Phone Booth" because of its association with telecommunications companies...
and had surrendered them to team security. In doing so, Arenas violated both NBA rules against bringing firearms into an arena and D.C. ordinances. On January 1, 2010, it was reported that Arenas and teammate Javaris Crittenton had unloaded guns in the Wizards' locker room during a Christmas Eve argument regarding gambling debts. The D.C. Metropolitan Police and the U.S. Attorney's
United States Attorney for the District of Columbia
The United States Attorney for the District of Columbia is the United States Attorney responsible for representing the federal government in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.Because unlike typical municipalities, Washington, D.C...
office are investigating.
In January, the NBA suspended Arenas indefinitely without pay while conducting their investigation into the incident. NBA Commissioner David Stern
David Stern
David Joel Stern is the commissioner of the National Basketball Association. He started with the Association in 1966 as an outside counsel, joined the NBA in 1978 as General Counsel, and became the league's Executive Vice President in 1980. He became Commissioner in 1984 succeeding Larry O'Brien...
said in a statement that while Arenas would likely face a lengthy suspension (possibly for the remainder of the 2009–10 season, if not longer), "his ongoing conduct has led me to conclude that he is not currently fit to take the court in an NBA game." Despite Stern's longstanding practice of not disciplining players until the legal process plays out, he felt compelled to act when Arenas's teammates surrounded him during pregame introductions prior to a game with the Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers are a professional basketball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . Originally known as the Syracuse Nationals, they are one of the oldest franchises in the NBA...
and he pantomimed shooting them with guns made from his fingers. The Wizards issued a statement condemning the players' pregame stunt as "unacceptable".
On February 13, 2010, after a 17–33 record at the season's midway point, The Wizards traded Butler, Haywood, and Stevenson to the Mavericks in exchange for Josh Howard
Josh Howard
Joshua Jay Howard is an American professional basketball player who most recently played for the NBA's Washington Wizards. At and , he plays as a small forward.-High school:...
, Drew Gooden, Quinton Ross and James Singleton
James Singleton (basketball)
James Alexander Singleton is an American professional basketball player who formerly played in the NBA...
. Three days later, the Wizards traded Antawn Jamison
Antawn Jamison
Antawn Cortez Jamison is an American professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association . He currently plays power forward for the Cleveland Cavaliers and was a member of the USA National Team for the 2006 FIBA World Championships...
to the Cavaliers in exchange for Zydrunas Ilgauskas
Žydrunas Ilgauskas
Žydrūnas Ilgauskas , or "Big Z" , is a retired Lithuanian professional basketball center who played for the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association...
and obtained Al Thornton
Al Thornton
Al Thornton is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association . He had formerly played for the Los Angeles Clippers and the Washington Wizards...
from the Los Angeles Clippers
Los Angeles Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers are a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, United States. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
in a three-team deal. Ilgauskas reported long enough to take a physical (to make the trade official). His contract was immediately bought out, making him a free agent. On February 26, 2010, the Wizards signed Shaun Livingston
Shaun Livingston
Shaun Patrick Livingston is an American professional basketball player for the Milwaukee Bucks.-Early years:Livingston was born in Peoria, Illinois. He led Concordia Lutheran Grade School, coached by Mr. Tom Ruppert, to LSA state titles in 1999 and 2000...
to a ten-day contract.
With Gilbert Arenas suspended and Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison being traded, the Wizards finished the season at 26 wins and 56 losses, posting an abysmal 9–23 record to finish the season. They were the only Southeast Division
Southeast Division (NBA)
The Southeast Division is one of the three divisions in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . The division consists of five teams, the Atlanta Hawks, the Charlotte Bobcats, the Miami Heat, the Orlando Magic and the Washington WizardsThe division was created at the start of...
team not to make the post-season.
2010–present: The Leonsis/Wall era
Leonsis completed his takeover of the Wizards and Verizon CenterVerizon Center
Verizon Center is a sports and entertainment arena in Washington, D.C., USA, named after telecommunications sponsor Verizon Communications, and has been nicknamed the "Phone Booth" because of its association with telecommunications companies...
in June (through Monumental Sports and Entertainment). He had previously purchased the Washington Capitals
Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Since their founding in 1974, "The Caps" have won one conference championship to reach the 1998 Stanley Cup...
and Mystics
Washington Mystics
The Washington Mystics is a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded prior to the 1998 season. The team is owned by Monumental Sports & Entertainment , who also owns the Mystics'...
from the Pollin family. Leonsis has taken a fan-centric approach to running the franchise, by listening and responding to the concerns of Wizards supporters through his email and personal website. He has written a manifesto of 101 changes he hopes to implement during his ownership, including changing the team's colors back to the red, white and blue of the Bullets era, and possibly changing the team nickname back to 'Bullets' as well. Team President Ernie Grunfeld
Ernie Grunfeld
Ernest "Ernie" Grunfeld is the General Manager of the Washington Wizards. He was also once a professional basketball player...
later confirmed that the franchise's colors would revert to red, white and blue from the 2011–12 season onwards.
Despite having only the 5th-best odds of obtaining the #1 pick (10.3% overall), the Wizards won the 2010 NBA Draft
2010 NBA Draft
The 2010 NBA Draft was held on June 24, 2010 at the Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. The draft, which started at 7:00 pm Eastern Daylight Time , was broadcast in the United States on ESPN. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur...
lottery and selected All-American Kentucky point guard John Wall
John Wall (basketball)
Johnathan Hildred Wall, Jr. is an American basketball player with the Washington Wizards of the National Basketball Association. Wall was chosen first overall in the 2010 NBA Draft by the Wizards...
with the first overall pick. Later in the offseason, the team acquired the Chicago Bulls
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...
' all-time leader in three-point field goals, Kirk Hinrich
Kirk Hinrich
Kirk James Hinrich is an American professional basketball player, currently a guard for the NBA's Atlanta Hawks. He has also been a member of the USA National Team....
and the draft rights to forward Kevin Seraphin
Kevin Seraphin
Kevin Seraphin is a French professional basketball player who was drafted 17th overall in the 2010 NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls. He was subsequently traded to the Washington Wizards after being drafted, along with Kirk Hinrich and cash. He is listed at tall and he plays the power forward and...
in exchange for the draft rights to Vladimir Veremeenko
Vladimir Veremeenko
Vladimir Veremeenko is a Belarusian professional basketball player. A power forward from Gomel, he was drafted by the Washington Wizards with the 48th pick in the 2006 NBA Draft. He started his career at Avtodor Saratov, then moved with this team from Saratov to Saint Petersburg and played for new...
.
In a blockbuster trade, the Wizards sent star player Gilbert Arenas
Gilbert Arenas
Gilbert Jay Arenas, Jr. is an American professional basketball player for the Orlando Magic of the National Basketball Association . He plays as a point guard and shooting guard....
to the Orlando Magic
Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic is a professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association and are currently coached by Stan Van Gundy...
in return for Rashard Lewis
Rashard Lewis
Rashard Quovon Lewis is an American professional basketball player, currently with the NBA's Washington Wizards as a small forward and a power forward.-Seattle SuperSonics:...
on December 18. Kirk Hinrich was traded to the Atlanta Hawks for Jordan Crawford
Jordan Crawford
Jordan Lee Crawford is an American basketball player who currently plays for the Washington Wizards. He played collegiately at Indiana University and then Xavier University. His brother is Joe Crawford II, who has also played professional basketball...
, Maurice Evans
Maurice Evans (basketball)
Maurice Eugene Evans is an American professional basketball player who most recently played with the Washington Wizards of the National Basketball Association. A 6 ft 5 in guard/forward, Evans weighs 220 lb...
, and Mike Bibby
Mike Bibby
Michael "Mike" Bibby is an American professional basketball player who most recently played for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association. He is a 6'2" point guard, and he attended Shadow Mountain High School in Phoenix, Arizona and played collegiately at the University of Arizona. In...
, although Mike Bibby bought out his contract after playing two games and eventually signed with the Miami Heat
Miami Heat
The Miami Heat is a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. The team is a member of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . They play their home games at American Airlines Arena in Downtown Miami...
.
The Wizards finished with a 23–59 record, once again occupying the Southeast Division cellar.
On May 10, the Wizards unveiled a new color scheme, uniforms and logo. The team reverted to its traditional red, white and blue colors. The uniforms are based very closely on those worn during their glory years of the 1970s and early 1980s. Leonsis said the throwback to the old Bullets' uniforms was intentional; the new designs make no reference to theme of Wizards other than the actual name written across the home jersey.
Cleveland Cavaliers
In the 2006 NBA Playoffs, the Wizards matched up with LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in a first round matchup, in what would turn out to be the first of three consecutive postseason matchups, as well as James' first-ever playoff appearance. The series was considered to be one of the most evenly matched of all first-round series that year. After suffering a loss in Game 1, Washington came back to win Game 2 and steal home-court advantage heading back to Verizon Center for Game 3. Cleveland stole home-court advantage right back. Washington came back to tie the series at two apiece with a win in Game 4, but suffered two consecutive one-point overtime losses and thus were eliminated 4 games to 2. They met again in the first-round of the 2007 playoffs, but Washington was unable to win a game, losing the series 4–0.In April 2008, Arenas made comments saying Cleveland was only a .500 team since a midseason blockbuster trade. After the conclusion of the 2007–08 regular season, the Wizards and Cavaliers were pitted against each other for the third season in a row. Following a regular-season win on March 13, guard DeShawn Stevenson
DeShawn Stevenson
DeShawn Stevenson is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Dallas Mavericks of the NBA. Before his NBA career, he originally committed to play at the University of Kansas, but decided to enter the NBA directly from Washington Union High School in his hometown of...
called James "overrated." James responded to the comment by saying that he would not return the insult, as that would be "almost like Jay-Z [responding to a negative comment] made by Soulja Boy
Soulja Boy Tell 'Em
DeAndre Cortez Way , better known by his stage name Soulja Boy Tell 'Em, or simply Soulja Boy, is an American rapper, record producer, actor, entrepreneur, and internet personality....
." Soulja Boy made an appearance at Game 3 of the series (played in Washington) in support of the Wizards; his music was played over the PA system. Jay-Z
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
, a close friend of James, got involved in the rivalry as well, making a song that trashed Stevenson. The day after Game 3, James reserved a private room at Love Nightclub in D.C. for himself and his teammates. Jay-Z's new song was played while Cavs guard Damon Jones
Damon Jones
Damon Darron Jones is an American professional basketball player. A 6'3" point guard–shooting guard, he played college basketball for three years with the University of Houston Cougars before declaring early for the 1997 NBA Draft, but he went undrafted.-High school career:Jones played for...
made negative gestures about the Wizards. After suffering a late-game loss in Game 4 at the hands of a Delonte West
Delonte West
Delonte Maurice West is an American professional basketball player who last played with the Boston Celtics of the NBA.-High school career:...
three-pointer, Washington won Game 5 in Cleveland to bring the series back to Washington for Game 6 of the series. Prior to Game 6, reserve forward Songaila was suspended for striking James in the face after a skirmish for a rebound in the first quarter of Game 5, and without Songaila, the Wizards suffered a season-ending defeat to Cleveland, and lost the series 4–2.
Dating back to the start of the 2005–06 season, the Wizards and Cavaliers have played each other a combined 36 times (including preseason), far more than they have played any other team in the league.
Home arenas
- International AmphitheatreInternational AmphitheatreThe International Amphitheatre was an indoor arena, located in Chicago, Illinois, between 1934 and 1999. It was located on the west side of Halsted Street, at 42nd Street, on the city's south side, adjacent to the Union Stock Yards....
(1961–1962) - Chicago ColiseumChicago ColiseumThe Chicago Coliseum was the name of a succession of three large indoor arenas in Chicago, Illinois from the 1860s to 1982 that each served as a sports venue, convention center, and exhibition hall over the course of their respective histories. The first Coliseum briefly made an appearance in the...
(1962–1963) - Baltimore Civic Center1st Mariner Arena1st Mariner Arena is an arena located in Baltimore, Maryland. In 2003, it was renamed by 1st Mariner Bank, which purchased naming rights to the arena for 10 years. It was reported that 1st Mariner Bank will need to pay the city $75,000 for the next ten years to keep the naming rights to the complex...
(later the Baltimore Arena, now 1st Mariner Arena) (1963–1973, occasional games in 1990s) - US Airways ArenaCapital CentreThe Capital Centre was an indoor arena located in Landover, Maryland, unincorporated Prince George's County, Maryland; a suburb of Washington, D.C. Completed in 1973, the arena sat 18,756 for basketball and 18,130 for hockey....
(originally Capital CentreCapital CentreThe Capital Centre was an indoor arena located in Landover, Maryland, unincorporated Prince George's County, Maryland; a suburb of Washington, D.C. Completed in 1973, the arena sat 18,756 for basketball and 18,130 for hockey....
) (1973 – November 1997) - Verizon CenterVerizon CenterVerizon Center is a sports and entertainment arena in Washington, D.C., USA, named after telecommunications sponsor Verizon Communications, and has been nicknamed the "Phone Booth" because of its association with telecommunications companies...
(formerly MCI Center) (December 1997–present)
Basketball Hall of Famers
- Wes UnseldWes UnseldWestley Sissel "Wes" Unseld is an American former basketball player. He spent his entire NBA career with the Baltimore/Capital/Washington Bullets, and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1988.-Early life and college career:Unseld starred on a Seneca High School team...
: C-F, 1968–81, Inducted Class of 1988. Baltimore/Capital/Washington Bullets. - Elvin HayesElvin HayesElvin Ernest Hayes is a retired American basketball player and radio analyst for Houston Cougars men's basketball, where he played college basketball...
: F-C, 1972–81, Inducted Class of 1990. Baltimore/Capital/Washington Bullets. - Dave BingDave BingDavid "Dave" Bing is the mayor of Detroit, Michigan, a businessman, and a retired American professional basketball player who played 12 seasons in the National Basketball Association , primarily for the Detroit Pistons...
: PG, 1975–77, Inducted Class of 1990 Washington Bullets. - Earl "The Pearl" MonroeEarl MonroeVernon Earl Monroe is an American former professional basketball player known for his flamboyant dribbling, passing, and play-making. His nicknames is "Earl the Pearl".-Early years:...
: G, 1967–72. Inducted Class of 1990. Baltimore Bullets. - Walt Bellamy: C, 1961–65, Inducted Class of 1993. Chicago Packers/Zephyrs, Baltimore Bullets.
- Bailey HowellBailey HowellBailey E. Howell is a former professional basketball player now enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. A 6'7" forward from Mississippi State University, he played 12 seasons in the NBA as a member of the Detroit Pistons, Baltimore Bullets, Boston Celtics, and Philadelphia...
: F, 1964–66, Inducted Class of 1997. Baltimore Bullets. - Moses MaloneMoses MaloneMoses Eugene Malone is a retired American Hall of Fame basketball player who starred in both the American Basketball Association and the National Basketball Association...
: C-F, 1986–88, Inducted 2001. Washington Bullets. - Michael JordanMichael JordanMichael Jeffrey Jordan is a former American professional basketball player, active entrepreneur, and majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats...
: SG-SF, 2001–03, Inducted Class of 2009. Washington Wizards. - Gus JohnsonGus Johnson (basketball)Gus Johnson was a professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association . He spent nine seasons with the Baltimore Bullets, and a final season split between the Phoenix Suns and the Indiana Pacers of the ABA...
: SF, 1963–72, Inducted Class of 2010. Baltimore Bullets.
Retired numbers
- 10 – Earl "The Pearl" MonroeEarl MonroeVernon Earl Monroe is an American former professional basketball player known for his flamboyant dribbling, passing, and play-making. His nicknames is "Earl the Pearl".-Early years:...
, G, 1967–1971 (all in Baltimore) - 11 – Elvin HayesElvin HayesElvin Ernest Hayes is a retired American basketball player and radio analyst for Houston Cougars men's basketball, where he played college basketball...
, F, 1972–1981 (1972–1973 Baltimore) - 25 – Gus JohnsonGus Johnson (basketball)Gus Johnson was a professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association . He spent nine seasons with the Baltimore Bullets, and a final season split between the Phoenix Suns and the Indiana Pacers of the ABA...
, F, 1963–1972 (all in Baltimore) - 41 – Wes UnseldWes UnseldWestley Sissel "Wes" Unseld is an American former basketball player. He spent his entire NBA career with the Baltimore/Capital/Washington Bullets, and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1988.-Early life and college career:Unseld starred on a Seneca High School team...
, C, 1968–1981 (1968–1973 Baltimore); Head Coach, 1987–1994
International rights
| SF |  | Emir Preldžič Emir Preldžic Emir Preldžić is a Turkish professional basketball player of Bosnian origin who played for Slovenian national basketball team at the 2008 Olympic Qualification Tournament. He is 6 ft 9 in tall and he can play at both the small forward and power forward positions, and he can also play as a... | 2009 NBA Draft 2009 NBA Draft The 2009 NBA Draft was held on June 25, 2009, the WaMu Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur U.S... | 57th pick |
Washington Hall of Stars
The Washington Hall of Stars, a series of banners on the right-field wall of Robert F. Kennedy Stadium in Washington, honors several D.C. sports heroes. The Bullets/Wizards figures honored are:- 45 – Phil ChenierPhil ChenierPhilip Chenier is a former professional basketball player. He is presentlya television sports broadcaster for the NBA's Washington Wizards.-NBA playing career:...
, G, 1971–1980; Broadcaster - 11 – Elvin HayesElvin HayesElvin Ernest Hayes is a retired American basketball player and radio analyst for Houston Cougars men's basketball, where he played college basketball...
, F, 1972–1981 - 41 – Wes UnseldWes UnseldWestley Sissel "Wes" Unseld is an American former basketball player. He spent his entire NBA career with the Baltimore/Capital/Washington Bullets, and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1988.-Early life and college career:Unseld starred on a Seneca High School team...
, C, 1968–1981; Head Coach, 1987–1994 - Abe PollinAbe PollinAbe Pollin was the owner of a number of professional sports teams including the Washington Capitals in the National Hockey League , the Washington Mystics in the Women's National Basketball Association , and the Washington Wizards in the National Basketball Association...
, Team Owner, 1964–2009
The Hall honors Arnold "Red" Auerbach
Red Auerbach
Arnold Jacob "Red" Auerbach was an American basketball coach of the Washington Capitols, the Tri-Cities Blackhawks and the Boston Celtics. After he retired from coaching, he served as president and front office executive of the Celtics until his death...
, who played collegiately at D.C.'s George Washington University
George Washington University
The George Washington University is a private, coeducational comprehensive university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States...
, and Horace "Bones" McKinney
Bones McKinney
Horace Albert "Bones" McKinney was an American professional basketball player and coach....
, who played for the Washington Capitols
Washington Capitols
The Washington Capitols were a charter Basketball Association of America team based in Washington, D.C. The team was coached from 1946 to 1949 by NBA Hall of Famer Red Auerbach....
in the early days of the NBA. Both men coached the Capitols, who played from the NBA's founding in 1946 until the team folded in 1951.
Career
- Games – Wes UnseldWes UnseldWestley Sissel "Wes" Unseld is an American former basketball player. He spent his entire NBA career with the Baltimore/Capital/Washington Bullets, and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1988.-Early life and college career:Unseld starred on a Seneca High School team...
(984) - Games Started –
- Minutes Played – Wes UnseldWes UnseldWestley Sissel "Wes" Unseld is an American former basketball player. He spent his entire NBA career with the Baltimore/Capital/Washington Bullets, and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1988.-Early life and college career:Unseld starred on a Seneca High School team...
(35,832) - Field Goals Made – Elvin HayesElvin HayesElvin Ernest Hayes is a retired American basketball player and radio analyst for Houston Cougars men's basketball, where he played college basketball...
(6,251) - Field Goal Attempts – Elvin HayesElvin HayesElvin Ernest Hayes is a retired American basketball player and radio analyst for Houston Cougars men's basketball, where he played college basketball...
(13,658) - 3-Point Field Goals Made – Gilbert ArenasGilbert ArenasGilbert Jay Arenas, Jr. is an American professional basketball player for the Orlando Magic of the National Basketball Association . He plays as a point guard and shooting guard....
(868) - 3-Point Field Goal Attempts – Gilbert ArenasGilbert ArenasGilbert Jay Arenas, Jr. is an American professional basketball player for the Orlando Magic of the National Basketball Association . He plays as a point guard and shooting guard....
(2,430) - Free Throws Made – Elvin HayesElvin HayesElvin Ernest Hayes is a retired American basketball player and radio analyst for Houston Cougars men's basketball, where he played college basketball...
(3,046) - Free Throw Attempts – Elvin HayesElvin HayesElvin Ernest Hayes is a retired American basketball player and radio analyst for Houston Cougars men's basketball, where he played college basketball...
(4,499) - Offensive Rebounds – Elvin HayesElvin HayesElvin Ernest Hayes is a retired American basketball player and radio analyst for Houston Cougars men's basketball, where he played college basketball...
(2,225) - Defensive Rebounds – Elvin HayesElvin HayesElvin Ernest Hayes is a retired American basketball player and radio analyst for Houston Cougars men's basketball, where he played college basketball...
(5,903) - Total Rebounds – Wes UnseldWes UnseldWestley Sissel "Wes" Unseld is an American former basketball player. He spent his entire NBA career with the Baltimore/Capital/Washington Bullets, and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1988.-Early life and college career:Unseld starred on a Seneca High School team...
(13,769) - Assists – Wes UnseldWes UnseldWestley Sissel "Wes" Unseld is an American former basketball player. He spent his entire NBA career with the Baltimore/Capital/Washington Bullets, and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1988.-Early life and college career:Unseld starred on a Seneca High School team...
(3,822) - Steals – Greg BallardGreg BallardGregory Ballard is a retired American professional basketball player in the NBA.Ballard attended the University of Oregon where he played at the collegiate level at the forward position...
(762) - Blocked Shots – Elvin HayesElvin HayesElvin Ernest Hayes is a retired American basketball player and radio analyst for Houston Cougars men's basketball, where he played college basketball...
(1,558) - Turnovers – Juwan HowardJuwan HowardJuwan Antonio Howard is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association . The Heat were his eighth different NBA team. He was drafted fifth overall in the 1994 NBA Draft by the Washington Bullets...
(1,389) - Personal Fouls – Wes UnseldWes UnseldWestley Sissel "Wes" Unseld is an American former basketball player. He spent his entire NBA career with the Baltimore/Capital/Washington Bullets, and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1988.-Early life and college career:Unseld starred on a Seneca High School team...
(2,762) - Points – Elvin HayesElvin HayesElvin Ernest Hayes is a retired American basketball player and radio analyst for Houston Cougars men's basketball, where he played college basketball...
(15,551)
Per game
- Minutes Played – Walt Bellamy (41.6)
- Field Goals Made –
- Field Goals Attempted –
- 3-Point Field Goals Made –
- 3-Point Field Goal Attempted –
- Free Throws Made –
- Free Throws Attempted –
- Offensive Rebounds –
- Defensive Rebounds –
- Total Rebounds – Walt Bellamy (16.6)
- Assists – Rod StricklandRod StricklandRodney "Rod" Strickland is a retired American professional basketball player and currently in an administrative role for the University of Kentucky basketball team under head coach John Calipari. Strickland was formerly the director of basketball operations at the University of Memphis...
(8.9) - Steals – Tom GugliottaTom GugliottaThomas James Gugliotta is a former American professional basketball player....
(2.0) - Blocked Shots – Manute BolManute BolManute Bol was a Sudanese-born basketball player and activist. At 7 feet, 7 inches , Bol was one of the tallest players ever to appear in the National Basketball Association, along with Gheorghe Mureşan. Unlike Mureşan, however, Bol was naturally tall and did not have a Pituitary disease...
(3.8) - Turnovers –
- Personal Fouls –
- Points – Walt Bellamy (27.6)
Individual awards
NBA Most Valuable Player- Wes UnseldWes UnseldWestley Sissel "Wes" Unseld is an American former basketball player. He spent his entire NBA career with the Baltimore/Capital/Washington Bullets, and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1988.-Early life and college career:Unseld starred on a Seneca High School team...
– 1969
NBA Finals MVP
- Wes UnseldWes UnseldWestley Sissel "Wes" Unseld is an American former basketball player. He spent his entire NBA career with the Baltimore/Capital/Washington Bullets, and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1988.-Early life and college career:Unseld starred on a Seneca High School team...
– 1978
NBA Rookie of the Year
NBA Rookie of the Year Award
The National Basketball Association's Rookie of the Year Award is an annual National Basketball Association award given since the 1952–53 NBA season, to the top rookie of the regular season. The winner receives the Eddie Gottlieb Trophy, which is named in honor of the Philadelphia Warriors head...
- Walt Bellamy – 1962
- Terry DischingerTerry DischingerTerence Gilbert "Terry" Dischinger is a retired American basketball player in the NBA. He currently practices orthodontics.-High school career:...
– 1963 - Earl MonroeEarl MonroeVernon Earl Monroe is an American former professional basketball player known for his flamboyant dribbling, passing, and play-making. His nicknames is "Earl the Pearl".-Early years:...
– 1968 - Wes UnseldWes UnseldWestley Sissel "Wes" Unseld is an American former basketball player. He spent his entire NBA career with the Baltimore/Capital/Washington Bullets, and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1988.-Early life and college career:Unseld starred on a Seneca High School team...
– 1969
NBA Most Improved Player
NBA Most Improved Player Award
The National Basketball Association's Most Improved Player Award is an annual National Basketball Association award given since the 1985–86 NBA season, to the most improved player of the regular season. The winner is selected by a panel of sportswriters throughout the United States and Canada,...
- Pervis EllisonPervis EllisonPervis Ellison is a former college and professional NBA basketball player.Ellison was nicknamed "Never Nervous Pervis" for his play with the University of Louisville. At 6 ft 9 in and 242 lb, he started all four years as the center under coach Denny Crum...
– 1992 - Don MacLeanDon MacLean (basketball)Donald James MacLean is a retired American professional basketball player in the NBA. As a college player, he holds the distinction of being the all-time scoring leader of both the Pac-10 Conference and UCLA, although Kareem Abdul-Jabbar would have most likely attained both of those records had...
– 1994 - Gheorghe MureşanGheorghe MuresanGheorghe Dumitru Mureşan, , also known as Ghiţă or George, is a retired Romanian professional basketball player. At 7 ft 7 in , he is one of the tallest players in NBA history, along with Sudanese player Manute Bol, who was also 7 ft 7 in. Both Mureşan's parents are of average size, and,...
– 1996
NBA Coach of the Year
NBA Coach of the Year Award
The National Basketball Association's Coach of the Year is an annual National Basketball Association award given since the 1962–63 NBA season. The winner receives the Red Auerbach Trophy, which is named in honor of the head coach who led the Boston Celtics to nine NBA Championships from 1956 to 1966...
- Gene ShueGene ShueEugene William "Gene" Shue is a retired American professional basketball player and coach in the National Basketball Association . During his playing days he was a 6'2" 170 lb guard....
– 1969, 1982
NBA Executive of the Year
NBA Executive of the Year Award
The National Basketball Association's Executive of the Year Award is an annual award given since the 1972–73 NBA season, to the league's best general managers. Before 2009, the Executive of the Year is presented annually by Sporting News, although it is officially recognized by the NBA. Since then,...
- Bob FerryBob FerryRobert Dean "Bob" Ferry is a retired American basketball player and executive.A 6'8" center from Saint Louis University, Ferry was selected by the St. Louis Hawks with the seventh pick of the 1959 NBA Draft...
– 1979, 1982
All-NBA First Team
- Earl MonroeEarl MonroeVernon Earl Monroe is an American former professional basketball player known for his flamboyant dribbling, passing, and play-making. His nicknames is "Earl the Pearl".-Early years:...
– 1969 - Wes UnseldWes UnseldWestley Sissel "Wes" Unseld is an American former basketball player. He spent his entire NBA career with the Baltimore/Capital/Washington Bullets, and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1988.-Early life and college career:Unseld starred on a Seneca High School team...
– 1969 - Elvin HayesElvin HayesElvin Ernest Hayes is a retired American basketball player and radio analyst for Houston Cougars men's basketball, where he played college basketball...
– 1975, 1977, 1979
All-NBA Second Team
- Gus JohnsonGus Johnson (basketball)Gus Johnson was a professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association . He spent nine seasons with the Baltimore Bullets, and a final season split between the Phoenix Suns and the Indiana Pacers of the ABA...
– 1965, 1966, 1970, 1971 - Archie Clark – 1972
- Elvin HayesElvin HayesElvin Ernest Hayes is a retired American basketball player and radio analyst for Houston Cougars men's basketball, where he played college basketball...
– 1973, 1974, 1976 - Phil ChenierPhil ChenierPhilip Chenier is a former professional basketball player. He is presentlya television sports broadcaster for the NBA's Washington Wizards.-NBA playing career:...
– 1975 - Bob DandridgeBob DandridgeRobert L. "Bob" Dandridge is a retired American professional basketball player.-Early years:He attended Maggie L. Walker High School in Richmond, Virginia and Norfolk State University, teaming up with Pee Wee Kirkland. His teams had phenomenal years...
– 1979 - Moses Malone – 1987
- Rod StricklandRod StricklandRodney "Rod" Strickland is a retired American professional basketball player and currently in an administrative role for the University of Kentucky basketball team under head coach John Calipari. Strickland was formerly the director of basketball operations at the University of Memphis...
– 1998 - Gilbert ArenasGilbert ArenasGilbert Jay Arenas, Jr. is an American professional basketball player for the Orlando Magic of the National Basketball Association . He plays as a point guard and shooting guard....
– 2007
All-NBA Third Team
- Bernard KingBernard KingBernard King is a retired American professional basketball player at the small forward position in the NBA...
– 1991 - Juwan HowardJuwan HowardJuwan Antonio Howard is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association . The Heat were his eighth different NBA team. He was drafted fifth overall in the 1994 NBA Draft by the Washington Bullets...
– 1996 - Gilbert ArenasGilbert ArenasGilbert Jay Arenas, Jr. is an American professional basketball player for the Orlando Magic of the National Basketball Association . He plays as a point guard and shooting guard....
– 2005, 2006
NBA All-Defensive First Team
- Gus JohnsonGus Johnson (basketball)Gus Johnson was a professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association . He spent nine seasons with the Baltimore Bullets, and a final season split between the Phoenix Suns and the Indiana Pacers of the ABA...
– 1970, 1971 - Bob DandridgeBob DandridgeRobert L. "Bob" Dandridge is a retired American professional basketball player.-Early years:He attended Maggie L. Walker High School in Richmond, Virginia and Norfolk State University, teaming up with Pee Wee Kirkland. His teams had phenomenal years...
– 1979 - Larry HughesLarry HughesLarry Darnell Hughes is an American professional basketball player who most recently played for the Charlotte Bobcats. He is a and shooting guard. Hughes attended Saint Louis University and was the eight pick in the 1998 NBA Draft, selected by the Philadelphia 76ers...
– 2005
NBA All-Defensive Second Team
- Mike RiordanMike RiordanMichael W. Riordan is an American former professional basketball player.A 6'4" guard/forward from Holy Cross High School and Providence College, Riordan played 9 seasons in the National Basketball Association as a member of the New York Knicks and Baltimore/Capital/Washington Bullets...
– 1973 - Elvin HayesElvin HayesElvin Ernest Hayes is a retired American basketball player and radio analyst for Houston Cougars men's basketball, where he played college basketball...
– 1975 - Manute BolManute BolManute Bol was a Sudanese-born basketball player and activist. At 7 feet, 7 inches , Bol was one of the tallest players ever to appear in the National Basketball Association, along with Gheorghe Mureşan. Unlike Mureşan, however, Bol was naturally tall and did not have a Pituitary disease...
– 1986
NBA All-Rookie First Team
- Terry DischingerTerry DischingerTerence Gilbert "Terry" Dischinger is a retired American basketball player in the NBA. He currently practices orthodontics.-High school career:...
– 1963 - Rod Thorn – 1964
- Gus JohnsonGus Johnson (basketball)Gus Johnson was a professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association . He spent nine seasons with the Baltimore Bullets, and a final season split between the Phoenix Suns and the Indiana Pacers of the ABA...
– 1964 - Wali JonesWali JonesWalter "Wali" Jones is a retired American professional basketball player. He was a 6'2" 180 lb guard....
– 1965 - Jack MarinJack MarinJohn Warren "Jack" Marin is a retired American professional basketball player. A 201 cm guard/forward from Duke University, Marin was named to the 1967 NBA All-Rookie Team and spent 11 seasons in the NBA , playing for the Baltimore Bullets, Houston Rockets, Buffalo Braves and Chicago Bulls...
– 1967 - Earl MonroeEarl MonroeVernon Earl Monroe is an American former professional basketball player known for his flamboyant dribbling, passing, and play-making. His nicknames is "Earl the Pearl".-Early years:...
– 1968 - Wes UnseldWes UnseldWestley Sissel "Wes" Unseld is an American former basketball player. He spent his entire NBA career with the Baltimore/Capital/Washington Bullets, and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1988.-Early life and college career:Unseld starred on a Seneca High School team...
– 1969 - Mike Davis – 1970
- Phil ChenierPhil ChenierPhilip Chenier is a former professional basketball player. He is presentlya television sports broadcaster for the NBA's Washington Wizards.-NBA playing career:...
– 1972 - Nick WeatherspoonNick WeatherspoonNick Levoter Weatherspoon was an American professional basketball player. He was a 6' 7" small forward....
– 1974 - Mitch KupchakMitch KupchakMitchell "Mitch" Kupchak is a retired American basketball player and current general manager of the Los Angeles Lakers since the 2000–01 NBA season after predecessor Jerry West moved to the Memphis Grizzlies organization....
– 1977 - Jeff RulandJeff RulandJeffrey Alan Ruland is a retired American basketball player and current coach. He is the former head coach of the Iona Gaels men's college basketball team and current head coach of the UDC Firebirds men's college basketball team.-Early life and collegiate career:A 6'11", 280 lb center, Ruland...
- 1982 - Jeff MaloneJeff MaloneJeffrey Nigel Malone is a retired American professional basketball player. He played college basketball at Mississippi State University, and is mostly known for his time with the Washington Bullets of the NBA, where he was an NBA All-Star twice, playing the shooting guard position...
– 1984 - Tom GugliottaTom GugliottaThomas James Gugliotta is a former American professional basketball player....
– 1993 - John WallJohn Wall (basketball)Johnathan Hildred Wall, Jr. is an American basketball player with the Washington Wizards of the National Basketball Association. Wall was chosen first overall in the 2010 NBA Draft by the Wizards...
– 2011
NBA All-Rookie Second Team
- Larry StewartLarry Stewart (basketball)Larry Stewart is a retired American professional basketball player, formerly of the NBA. He is a 6'8", 220 lb forward....
– 1992 - Juwan HowardJuwan HowardJuwan Antonio Howard is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association . The Heat were his eighth different NBA team. He was drafted fifth overall in the 1994 NBA Draft by the Washington Bullets...
– 1995 - Rasheed WallaceRasheed WallaceRasheed Abdul Wallace is a retired American professional basketball power forward and center who played from 1995 to 2010 in the National Basketball Association...
– 1996 - Courtney AlexanderCourtney AlexanderCourtney Jason Alexander is an American professional basketball player, formerly in the NBA.After playing high school basketball at Masuk High School in Monroe, CT he moved to Durham, North Carolina to play for C. E...
– 2001 - Jarvis HayesJarvis HayesJarvis James Hayes is an American professional basketball player. A 6'8", 220 lbs. small forward from the University of Georgia and Western Carolina University, Hayes was selected by the Washington Wizards with the 10th overall pick of the 2003 NBA Draft. Throughout his NBA career, Hayes has...
– 2004
NBA All-Star Weekend
NBA All-Star Game
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Long Distance Shootout Three-point Shootout The Three-Point Shootout is a National Basketball Association contest held on the Saturday before the annual All-Star Game as part of the All-Star Weekend. In this contest, participants attempt to make as many three-point field goals as possible from five positions behind the three-point arc...
Slam Dunk Contest Slam Dunk Contest The Slam Dunk Contest is an annual National Basketball Association competition held during the NBA All-Star Weekend. The contest was inaugurated by the American Basketball Association at its All-Star Game in 1976 in Denver, the same year the slam dunk was legalized in the NCAA...
Skills Challenge Skills Challenge The Taco Bell Skills Challenge is a National Basketball Association contest held on the Saturday before the annual All-Star Game as part of the All-Star Weekend. First debuted in 2003, it is a competition among guards. In this contest, participant first shoots a layup...
Rookie Challenge Rookie Challenge The Rookie Challenge is an exhibition basketball game held by the National Basketball Association on the Friday before the annual All-Star Game as part of the All-Star Weekend....
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Media information
Most games are carried on TV on Comcast SportsNetComcast SportsNet
Comcast SportsNet is a group of regional sports networks in the United States primarily owned by the Comcast cable television company....
which is available in the Washington, D.C. area and other parts of the mid-Atlantic states. Alternate local carriers include WDCW-TV
WDCW
WDCW, channel 50, is the CW-affiliated television station for Washington, D.C. It transmits from the Hughes Memorial Tower located in the Brightwood section of the city. Owned by the Tribune Company, the station has studios on Wisconsin Avenue Northwest in the Glover Park section of Washington...
and cable station NewsChannel 8. Wizards games are announced by Steve Buckhantz
Steve Buckhantz
Steve Buckhantz is a television play-by-play announcer for the Washington Wizards.-Biography:His television announcing career began as Sports Director at WTTG, a Fox affiliate in Washington, D.C. A District native, Buckhantz grew up in Arlington, Virginia, where his father owned a construction...
and Phil Chenier
Phil Chenier
Philip Chenier is a former professional basketball player. He is presentlya television sports broadcaster for the NBA's Washington Wizards.-NBA playing career:...
. Chris Miller serves as a sideline reporter for some broadcasts (including most Wizards' home games). On the radio, Wizards games are broadcast on WJFK-106.7 FM
WJFK-FM
WJFK-FM, known on-air as 106.7 The Fan, is a sports radio-formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Manassas, Virginia, serving the metro Washington DC area...
, with Dave Johnson and Glenn Consor doing analysis.
For online and print media, Michael Lee is the traveling beat reporter for the Washington Post. Coverage from the Post is also supplemented by Gene Wang. Three blogs also cover the team with media credentials, Mike Prada of Bullets Forever.com (apart of SB Nation), Kyle Weidie of Truth About It.net (apart of ESPN's TrueHoop Network), and Independent blog Wizards Extreme led by Matt and Asad Naqvi as well as Joe Glorioso. Jay Glassie is the Washington Wizards & NBA correspondent for ESPN 980 (980am – local sports radio station).