Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are an NBA basketball team based in Washington, D.C., with Capital One Arena as their home venue.
Contents24 sections
Key facts
1961
Began as the Chicago Packers.[1]
1962The Zephyrs name
The team became the Chicago Zephyrs.[2]
1963Moving to Baltimore
The franchise moved to Baltimore and became the Baltimore Bullets.[2]
1964Pollin’s acquisition
Abe Pollin, Arnold Heft and Earl Foreman purchased the team.[2]
1969Two awards for Unseld
Wes Unseld won NBA MVP and Rookie of the Year in the same season, becoming the second player after Wilt Chamberlain to achieve that combination.[3]
1973–1974Moving to the capital region
The franchise moved to the Washington area in 1973 as the Capital Bullets and became the Washington Bullets the next year.[2]
1978NBA champions
Wes Unseld, Elvin Hayes and Bob Dandridge led the Bullets past the Seattle SuperSonicsOklahoma City ThunderThe Oklahoma City Thunder are an American NBA basketball team based at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City.Open the full entry to win the NBA championship. Unseld received the Finals MVP award.[3]
1996
Announced the Wizards name for 1997–98.[4]
May 1997A new visual identity
The team unveiled new logos and colors.[2]
December 1997A new home opens
The arena now known as Capital One Arena opened in downtown Washington on December 2.[5]
2001–2003
Michael Jordan returned with Washington, retiring in 2003.[6]
June 2010Sale approved
The NBA Board of Governors approved the sale of the Wizards to Ted Leonsis-controlled Lincoln Holdings, which would acquire the Pollin family’s majority ownership.[7]
June 24, 2010
Selected John Wall first overall.[2]
March 2017A division title
Washington clinched the Southeast Division by beating the Los Angeles LakersLos Angeles LakersThe Los Angeles Lakers are an NBA basketball team based at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. The club originated in Minneapolis in 1947.Open the full entry 119–108. It was the franchise’s first division title in 38 years; John Wall recorded 34 points and 14 assists in the game.[8]
June 2023
Bradley Beal was traded to the Suns.[9]
March 2024Arena renovation agreement
Monumental Sports & Entertainment and D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser signed a term sheet for renovating Capital One Arena and expanding associated business space.[10]
May 2024Keefe becomes head coach
Brian Keefe was appointed head coach after previously serving as an assistant with the Wizards.[11]
January 2026
Acquired Trae Young from the Hawks.[12]
February 2026
Acquired Anthony Davis from the Mavericks.[13]
April 2026
Finished 17–65 and missed the playoffs.[14]
June 2026
Selected AJ Dybantsa first overall.[15]
Home arena and ownership
Capital One Arena is at 601 F Street NW in Washington, D.C.[16]
The arena renovation has six phases and is scheduled for completion before the 2027–28 season. The building remains open during NBA and NHLNHLThe National Hockey League (NHL) is a men’s professional ice hockey league with clubs in the United States and Canada. Founded in Montreal in 1917, it comprises 32 teams and awards the Stanley Cup to its playoff champion.Open the full entry seasons while construction proceeds.[17]
Ted Leonsis is the team’s controlling owner and leads Monumental Sports & Entertainment.[18]
Related Organizations, Websites, and Public Accounts
Washington Wizards: Official website: https://www.nba.com/wizards/ (opens in a new window).[19]
Washington Wizards: X: https://x.com/WashWizards (opens in a new window).[20]
Washington Wizards: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/washwizards (opens in a new window).[21]
Washington Wizards: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Wizards (opens in a new window).[22]
Washington Wizards: YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is Google’s video-sharing and creator platform, founded in 2005 by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim and acquired by Google in 2006. Built around video uploading, viewing, and creator earnings, the platform has developed Shorts, YouTube Music, Premium, YouTube TV, and products for children, and is headquartered in San Bruno, California, United States.Open the full entry: https://www.youtube.com/@WashingtonWizards (opens in a new window).[23]
Sources
- Washington Wizards (opens in a new window)
- Washington Wizards 2014–15 Media Guide (opens in a new window)
- Wes Unseld (opens in a new window)
- FOR BULLETS, 'WIZARDS' CASTS MAGIC SPELL (opens in a new window)
- About Capital One Arena (opens in a new window)
- Franchise History (opens in a new window)
- NBA Board of Governors approves sale of Wizards (opens in a new window)
- Washington Wizards top Los Angeles Lakers to clinch Southeast Division (opens in a new window)
- Suns Acquire Beal, Goodwin, Todd (opens in a new window)
- Mayor Bowser and Monumental Sports Advance Public-Private Partnership to Transform Capital One Arena (opens in a new window)
- Brian Keefe (opens in a new window)
- Wizards Acquire Four-Time All-Star Trae Young (opens in a new window)
- Wizards Acquire 10-Time All-Star Anthony Davis (opens in a new window)
- Season Preview: Washington Wizards (opens in a new window)
- Wizards tab AJ Dybantsa with No.1 overall pick in2026 NBA Draft (opens in a new window)
- Washington Wizards (opens in a new window)
- Capital One Arena Transformation — FAQs (opens in a new window)
- Monumental Sports — Who We Are (opens in a new window)
- Washington Wizards — official website (opens in a new window)
- Washington Wizards — X (opens in a new window)
- Washington Wizards — Instagram (opens in a new window)
- Washington Wizards — Facebook (opens in a new window)
- Washington Wizards — YouTube (opens in a new window)