Washington Wizards History

The Washington Wizards began as the Chicago Packers in 1961, spent several seasons in Baltimore, and finally landed in Washington, as the Washington Bullets, in 1974.

After achieving only moderate success for a decade, the Bullets developed into a solid unit in the 1970s, built around rugged center Wes Unseld and talented scorer and rebounder Elvin Hayes. Washington made it to the NBA Finals four times during the 1970s and defeated the Seattle SuperSonics for the NBA championship in 1977-78.

The Bullets were a model of consistency through the '80s, establishing an NBA record by winning at least 35 games in each of 22 consecutive years, from 1967-68 through 1988-89. A seven-year postseason drought ended in 1996-97 when the Bullets advanced to the playoffs, losing a hard-fought series to the Chicago Bulls. The final game of that series, a 96-95 loss on April 30, 1997, marked the end of an era.

On May 15, the team officially became known as the Washinton Wizards, a decision made by owners Irene and Abe Pollin in conjunction with the team's anti-violence campaign. At the same time, the team prepared for a move from suburban Landover, Maryland, to the MCI Center in downtown Washington.

At the beginning of the 1960s the NBA was an eight-team league coping with growing pains. The Boston Celtics were launching their dynasty, the Lakers had just moved from Minneapolis to Los Angeles, and stars such as Wilt Chamberlain, Oscar Robertson, and Bill Russell were bringing a higher profile to the pro game.

NBA owners decided to initiate the first expansion since the league's inception in 1949, and after paying an entry fee of $500,000 the Packers were admitted in 1961.

1961-62: Bellamy Leads "Pack" Attack

1962-63: A New Nickname But Familiar Results

1963-67: Bellamy & Co. Head For Baltimore

1967-69: Earl "The Pearl"

1969: Unseld Cops MVP And Rookie Of The Year Awards

1969-71: The Highest-Scoring Team In Franchise History

1971-73: Bullets Lose Their "Pearl"

1973-74: Team Feels Effects Of Unseld's Absence

1974-76: Spectacular Season Falls Short

1976-77: Bullets Replace Jones With Motta

1977-78: The Glory Days

1978-81: Sonics Turn Tables On Bullets In Finals

1981-85: Unseld Retires, Hayes Traded

1985-87: Bullets Throw A "Block" Party

1987-90: The Bol & Bogues Show

1990-92: Washington's King Reigns Over NBA

1992-93: Gugliotta Gives Bullets Hope For The Future

1993-94: Bad Luck Continues To Bite Bullets

1994-95: Injuries, Player Moves Leave Bullets Low On Firepower

1995-96: So Close, Yet So Far

1996-97: Bullets Storm Back to Playoffs

1997-98: Wizards Edged at Wire

1998-99: Mr. Richmond Goes to Washington

1999-00: MJ Comes Aboard

2000-01: Rip Takes Over

2001-02: The Jordan Effect

The team's first roster featured the usual expansion mix of aging players, journeymen, and college draft choices. The best of the lot was 6-11 Walt Bellamy, a center from Indiana who had been selected with the first pick in the draft.

The 1961-62 season began on October 19, when the Packers lost to the New York Knicks, 120-103, in the franchise's first NBA game. On October 27 they notched their first win by beating the St. Louis Hawks, 117-106. Victories proved hard to come by after that, and the Packers, coached by Jim Pollard, finished a distant last in the Western Division with an 18-62 record.

Bellamy averaged 31.6 points and 19.0 rebounds, both franchise records that would stand for more than three decades. The big center also set club season records for points (2,495), field goals (973), and rebounds (1,500). He was second in the league in scoring to Wilt Chamberlain (50.4 ppg), led the league in field goal percentage at .519, and was named NBA Rookie of the Year.

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For 1962-63 the Packers changed their name to the Zephyrs, but that didn't fool anyone-fans and opponents alike recognized that they were the same old team. Chicago evened its record at home at 17-17, but they continued to struggle on the road. The Zephyrs again finished in last place in the West, with a 25-55 record.

The team boasted two terrific offensive players. Bellamy repeated as team leader in scoring (27.9 ppg) and rebounding (16.4 rpg). Terry Dischinger, a 6-7 forward, added 25.5 points per game and was named NBA Rookie of the Year, succeeding Bellamy as the second top newcomer for the franchise.

The 1963 NBA Draft yielded Rod Thorn of West Virginia. More important to the future of the franchise was the second-round pick, Gus Johnson of Idaho, who eventually became one of the best players in team history. In his nine seasons with the club, the 6-6, 235-pound Johnson pioneered the modern power forward position-specializing in ferocious, driving slam dunks that had been relatively uncommon in the league before he made them a regular part of his repertoire.

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On March 25, 1963, the franchise moved to Baltimore and was renamed the Bullets. (The Syracuse Nationals also moved that year, becoming the Philadelphia 76ers.) Baltimore's roster included Bellamy, Dischinger, and Johnson, along with Gene Shue and Kevin Loughery, two players who later went on to coach the Bullets.

The club finished the 1963-64 season at 31-49, good enough for fourth place in the Western Division. Bellamy ranked fourth in the NBA with 27.0 points per game, backed by Dischinger (20.8 ppg, ninth in the league), and Johnson (17.3). Bellamy also set a club record by making 22 field goals against Philadelphia on January 21.

A blockbuster trade before the next season sent Dischinger, Thorn, and Don Kojis to the Detroit Pistons for Bailey Howell, Don Ohl, Bob Ferry, and Wally Jones. The trade worked out well for Baltimore, mostly because Howell was a hustling, fundamentally sound player, and the 1964-65 team improved slightly to 37-43. The Bullets excelled at home, compiling a 23-14 record, but they struggled on the road, winning only 12 contests. Bellamy was great anytime and anywhere, but especially on December 4 when he set a club record by hauling down 37 rebounds against St. Louis.

Despite its losing record, Baltimore made it into the playoffs in 1965. The Bullets shredded St. Louis in the division semifinals before falling in six games to Los Angeles in the Western Division Finals. For the fourth consecutive season Bellamy led the team in scoring (24.8 ppg) and rebounding (14.6 rpg). Behind him the Bullets made balanced contributions, with Howell, Johnson, Ohl, and Loughery all averaging double figures in scoring.

A few games into the 1965-66 season Bellamy was sent to New York for Jim Barnes, Johnny Green, and Johnny Egan. The team made up for the loss of its superstar by emulating the team-oriented approach that had made the Boston Celtics so successful during that era. Guard Don Ohl led the team in scoring (20.6 ppg), and six other players averaged in double figures. The team set franchise marks for free throws made and attempted, connecting on 2,267 of 3,186 during the season. Bailey Howell topped the Bullets in rebounding (9.9 rpg), the only time during the franchise's first two decades that it didn't produce a double-figure rebounder. The team-effort philosophy was less successful in Baltimore than in Boston, although the Bullets managed to finish 38-42, good enough for second place in the West behind the Los Angeles Lakers. The Bullets advanced to the playoffs but were swept by St. Louis in the division semifinals.

Through most of the 1960s the Bullets struggled to win as many games as they lost. They never had enough talent or depth to be truly competitive, but they had too much hustle and pride to roll over in the face of adversity. Better days were coming, but first, things changed for the worse.

The 1966-67 team finished in last place in the Eastern Division, its new home after the NBA added the expansion Chicago Bulls in the West. Baltimore's 20-61 record was the second worst in franchise history; only the team's first year in Chicago had been more futile. The darkest moments of a dreary campaign came when the Bullets lost a club-record 13 consecutive games from December 17 to January 8 and never recovered.

After cycling through five coaches in five seasons, Baltimore changed reins three times in 1966-67, finally settling on former Bullets player Gene Shue. Shue lasted seven seasons in his first stint as the team's coach, then returned in the early 1980s for another tour of duty. The team also struck gold in the 1967 NBA Draft. Baltimore had the second pick and selected 6-3 guard Earl "the Pearl" Monroe, who had amassed a Division II-record 2,935 points at Winston-Salem State College.

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Monroe helped the Bullets improve to 36-46 in 1967-68. The Pearl was a flashy player, a deft ballhandler, and a creative, unconventional shotmaker. He was the first player to make the reverse spin on the dribble a trademark move. After four seasons in Baltimore, Monroe would join the New York Knicks and team with Walt Frazier to form the most dominant backcourt duo of the era. For the time being, however, he was lighting it up for the Bullets. For the season, Monroe led the squad in scoring (24.3 ppg, fourth in the league) and assists (4.3 apg) and was named NBA Rookie of the Year.

On February 3 Monroe set the club single-game scoring mark by toasting the Los Angeles Lakers for 56 points. On February 24 he set another record with 26 free throw attempts in a game against Detroit. On March 1 he led the team to a club-record 156-point effort against the San Diego Rockets. (Baltimore won the game, 156-114.)

Picking second in the NBA Draft for the second consecutive year, the Bullets hit the jackpot once again when they selected 6-7, 245-pound center Wes Unseld, a two-time All-American from Louisville. Unseld played 13 seasons with the Bullets, turning them into an Eastern Division power, and then served for seven years as their coach.

Baltimore showed dramatic improvement in 1968-69, with rookie Unseld leading the way. The Bullets' 57-25 record was the best in the NBA, and they rocketed from the cellar to the top spot in the Eastern Division. They played solid ball early in the campaign and went on a tear in December, winning a club-record nine straight games. The high-scoring team (116.4 ppg) built a 49-17 record by late February before splitting the final 16 contests. The Bullets were 29-9 at home and nearly as effective on the road, where they fashioned a 24-15 mark. The team lost only once in five games at neutral sites.

The team possessed multiple offensive threats. Monroe averaged 25.8 points, his career high and second in the league to San Diego rookie Elvin Hayes's 28.4 average. Loughery added 22.6 points per game and was joined in double figures by Gus Johnson (17.9 ppg), Jack Marin (15.9), Wes Unseld (13.8), and Ray Scott (11.8).

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Unseld averaged 18.2 rebounds as a rookie, his career best and the second-highest total in franchise history. His superior performance did not go unrewarded-he was named both Rookie of the Year and NBA Most Valuable Player at season's end. He and Wilt Chamberlain are the only players ever to receive both awards during the same season.

Gene Shue was honored for the team's 21-game improvement by being named 1968-69 NBA Coach of the Year. Although they were swept by the Knicks in the opening round of the playoffs, the Bullets were on the verge of becoming contenders. They saw postseason action in each of the next 11 seasons and reached the Finals four times.

Unseld defined the blue-collar ethic that characterized the successful Bullets teams of the 1970s. He was not a great scorer, but Bill Russell had already proven that a center could control a game in other ways. Unseld was short for a center, but he was bulky and quick and had a great sense of the game. His strengths were rebounding and passing; his knack for clearing the boards and then making a quick and accurate outlet pass turned the Bullets into a dangerous, fast-breaking team.

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