Amanda Knapp
The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as part of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference. The franchise was established in 1961 as the Chicago Packers, and they were renamed the Chicago Zephyrs the following season. The team has had several name changes since its foundation, including the Baltimore Bullets and the Washington Bullets, before becoming the Wizards in 1997.
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What You'll Learn
- The Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C
- The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA)
- The franchise was established in 1961 as the Chicago Packers
- The team changed its name to the Wizards in 1997
- Michael Jordan played for the Wizards in the 2001-02 season
The Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C
The franchise was established in 1961 as the Chicago Packers in Chicago, Illinois. The team name referenced Chicago's meatpacking industry, as their home arena was next door to the Union Stock Yards. However, the name was unpopular due to its association with the NFL's Green Bay Packers, rivals of the Chicago Bears. As a result, the team was renamed the Chicago Zephyrs the following season.
In 1963, the team relocated to Baltimore, Maryland, and became the Baltimore Bullets. A decade later, in 1973, they moved again to the Washington metropolitan area, first adopting the name Capital Bullets before becoming the Washington Bullets the following season.
In 1997, the team underwent a rebranding, changing their name to the Wizards. This change was selected through a contest, with other options including the Dragons, Express, Stallions, and Sea Dogs. The new name generated some controversy due to its association with the Ku Klux Klan. Along with the name change, the team colours were updated from the traditional red, white, and blue to a lighter shade of blue, black, and bronze.
The Wizards have had notable players and personnel, including Michael Jordan, who came out of retirement in 2001 to play for the team at age 38. The team has also had success on the court, with players like Chris Webber, Strickland, and Walt Bellamy, who was named the league's Rookie of the Year during the team's inaugural season.
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The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA)
The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. They compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as part of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference. The Wizards were established in 1961 as the Chicago Packers, making them the NBA's first expansion team. The team changed its name to the Chicago Zephyrs the following season. In 1963, they moved to Baltimore, Maryland, and became the Baltimore Bullets. The team moved again in 1973 to the Washington metropolitan area, changing its name first to the Capital Bullets, then the Washington Bullets.
On May 15, 1997, the Bullets officially became the Wizards. The team's new name generated some controversy because "wizard" is a rank in the Ku Klux Klan, and Washington has a large African-American population. The Wizards' colours were changed from the traditional red, white, and blue to a lighter shade of blue, black, and bronze. The Wizards finished the 1997-98 season with a 42-40 record, just missing the playoffs.
In 1999, Michael Jordan, having retired from the Chicago Bulls, became the Washington Wizards' president of basketball operations and a minority owner. In 2001, Jordan came out of retirement at age 38 to play for the Wizards. He led the team to a 26-21 record before suffering an injury, and the Wizards ended the season with a 37-45 record, missing the Eastern Conference playoffs.
The Wizards play their home games at the Capital One Arena in the Chinatown neighbourhood of Washington, D.C. They share the arena with the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League (NHL) and the Georgetown University men's basketball team.
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The franchise was established in 1961 as the Chicago Packers
The Washington Wizards, an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., were established in 1961 as the Chicago Packers. They were the NBA's first expansion team, joining the league as part of an effort to increase competition among existing franchises. The team was founded by Dick Klein, who named his squad after his hometown of Chicago's Green Bay Packers football team. Klein's unconventional strategy worked, as the team gained recognition and success on a national level.
The Chicago Packers' name was also a reference to Chicago's meatpacking industry, as their home arena, the International Amphitheater, was next door to the Union Stock Yards. However, the name was extremely unpopular as it was also used by the NFL's Green Bay Packers, the rivals of the Chicago Bears. The team's star player was rookie Walt Bellamy, who averaged 31.6 points per game and 19 rebounds per game. Despite Bellamy's performance, the team finished with the NBA's worst record at 18-62.
After just one year, the organization changed its name to the Chicago Zephyrs, playing its home games at the Chicago Coliseum. In 1963, the franchise moved to Baltimore, Maryland, becoming the Baltimore Bullets. The team continued to change its name and location over the years, finally settling as the Washington Wizards in 1997. The Wizards have had notable players such as Chris Webber and Michael Jordan, who came out of retirement to play for the team in 2001.
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The team changed its name to the Wizards in 1997
The Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. They compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as part of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference. The team was established in 1961 as the Chicago Packers, based in Chicago, Illinois. The following season, they changed their name to the Chicago Zephyrs. In 1963, the team moved to Baltimore, Maryland, and became the Baltimore Bullets. Ten years later, in 1973, the team moved to the Washington metropolitan area and changed its name to the Capital Bullets, and then the Washington Bullets the following season.
However, in November 1995, owner Abe Pollin announced that he was changing the team's nickname because "Bullets" had acquired violent overtones that made him uncomfortable. This discomfort was heightened by the high homicide and crime rate in Washington, D.C., in the early 1990s. Pollin's decision was also influenced by the assassination of his longtime friend, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, who had been shot and killed. Pollin stated, "My friend was shot in the back by bullets. The name Bullets for a sports team is no longer appropriate."
A contest was held to choose a new name, with the options narrowed down to the Dragons, Express, Stallions, Sea Dogs, and the Wizards. On May 15, 1997, the Bullets officially became the Wizards, and the team colours were changed from the traditional red, white, and blue to a lighter shade of blue, black, and bronze. The new name generated some controversy because "wizard" is a rank in the Ku Klux Klan, and Washington has a large African American population. Despite this, the team began the 1997-98 season as the Wizards, playing five home games at the Capital Centre before moving to the MCI Center on December 2, 1997.
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Michael Jordan played for the Wizards in the 2001-02 season
The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The team competes in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as part of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference. The Wizards were established in 1961 as the Chicago Packers, and after several relocations and name changes, they settled in Washington in 1973 and became known as the Washington Bullets. The team adopted its current name, the Wizards, in 1997.
Michael Jordan, one of the greatest players in NBA history, joined the Washington Wizards for the 2001-02 season. This marked Jordan's return to the NBA as a player after his second retirement in 1999. At 38 years old, Jordan came out of retirement, citing his love of the game as the reason for his return. To comply with NBA rules, he had to give up his ownership stake in the team, as he was a minority owner and president of basketball operations before returning as a player.
Jordan's addition to the Wizards generated significant buzz and media attention, and the team saw a boost in popularity. In his first game with the Wizards on October 30, 2001, Jordan scored 19 points, along with five rebounds, six assists, and four steals in a close loss to the New York Knicks. Despite dealing with tendinitis in his wrist and knees, Jordan led the team in points per game and assists per game. He averaged 22.9 points, 5.7 rebounds, 5.2 assists, and 1.4 steals per game during the season.
Jordan's performance in the 2001-02 season earned him a selection for the 2002 NBA All-Star Game. Unfortunately, the Wizards' season was marred by injuries, including Jordan's knee injury, which caused him to miss the remainder of the season after 60 games. The Wizards concluded the season with a 37-45 record and missed the NBA playoffs for the fifth consecutive year. Despite the disappointing end, Jordan announced his return for the 2002-03 season, determined to lead the Wizards to a more successful campaign.
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Frequently asked questions
The Wizards play their home games at the Capital One Arena in the Chinatown neighbourhood of Washington, D.C.
The team is owned by Ted Leonsis through Monumental Sports & Entertainment.
The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as part of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference.
Owner Abe Pollin changed the name in 1995 because "Bullets" had acquired violent overtones. A contest was held, and the name was changed to the Wizards in 1997.
Michael Jordan came out of retirement to play for the Wizards in 2001. Juwan Howard, who sat on the committee that decided the Wizards' logo design, is another notable former Wizard.
