- 1995
- 1997
- 2010
- 2010 - 2020
-
New Nickname: Wizards
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 ... -
Opening of Verizon Center
The Verizon Center, located in the Washington, D.C. neighborhood of Chinatown, originally opened on December 2, 1997, as the MCI Center, named after its sponsor, MCI Inc. Nearly a decade later, in January 2006, Verizon Communications purchased MCI Inc., and the arena’s name was changed accordingly. The following year, in 2007, the “first true indoor high-definition LED scoreboard” was installed ... -
Ted Leonsis Takes Over
Leonsis became the majority owner of the Washington Wizards in June 2010, inheriting a team that had 26 wins and 56 losses during the previous season. Leonsis has taken a fan-centric approach to run the franchise, by listening and responding to the concerns of Wizards supporters through his email and personal website. On May 10, 2011, the Wizards unveiled a ... -
John Wall era
On April 7, 2010, Wall announced that he would forgo his final three seasons of collegiate eligibility and enter the 2010 NBA draft, where he was expected to be the first overall selection for the Washington Wizards. On May 3, Wall signed with agent Dan Fegan. On June 23, 2010, Reebok revealed Wall as its latest signing, casting him as ...
The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member club of the league’s Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The team plays its home games at the Verizon Center, in the Chinatown neighborhood of Washington, D.C.
Established
1961
City
Chicago – Baltimore – Washington D.C.
League History
1961 – Present / National Basketball Association
Team History
1997 – Present / Washington Wizards
1974 – 1997 / Washington Bullets
1973 – 1974 / Capital Bullets
1963 – 1973 / Baltimore Bullets
1962 – 1963 / Chicago Zephyrs
1961 – 1962 / Chicago Packers
Nickname
Wizards – In the early 1990s, Washington Bullets owner Abe Pollin was becoming frustrated with the association of his team's nickname and gun violence. After Pollin's friend, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, was assassinated, Pollin decided to take action and announced his plans to rename the team. (Though Dan Steinberg of D.C. Sports Bog wrote a very detailed history of the name change, and called into question the impact Rabin's death had on the decision.)
A name-the-team contest was held and fans voted on a list of finalists that included Wizards, Dragons, Express, Stallions, and Sea Dogs.
Championship
NBA Championships 0
1978
Arena
2018 - Present / Capital One Arena
2007 – 2017 / Verizon Center
1997 – 2006 / MCI Center
1994 – 1997 / US Airways Arena
1973 – 1993 / Capital Centre
*Baltimore*
1963 – 1973 / Baltimore Civic Center
*Chicago*
1962 – 1963 / Chicago Coliseum
1961 – 1962 / International Amphitheatre
Owner
2010 – Present / Ted Leonsis
2009 – 2010 / Estate of Abe Pollin and Ted Leonsis
1999 – 2009 / Abe Pollin and Ted Leonsis
1964 – 1999 / Abe Pollin
1961 – 1964 / David Trager
Retired Number
10 / Earl “The Pearl” Monroe
11 / Elvin Hayes
25 / Gus Johnson
41 / Wes Unseld
45 / Phil Chenier
*Blue is this team’s history