Wizards
WizardsWashington Wizards Betting Stats
The Washington Wizards are one of the older NBA franchises and have a storied past. This franchise began in Chicago, then relocated and renamed itself several times. Throughout its existence, the Wizards have won the NBA title while several superstars like Elvin Hayes donned the team’s colors. Hayes leads the Wizards’ team stats, historically.
But Washington tends to see its star players come and go. Bradley Beal, its latest elite talent, is the franchise’s newest leader. But even with his best efforts, Washington is a middle-of-the-pack team on the NBA odds at best.
General Information
Conference & Division
- Founded: 1961
- Conference: Eastern
- Division: Southeast
City: Washington, D.C.
Stadium: Capital One Arena
Championships & Titles
Years:
- NBA Championship
- 4 Conference Championships
- 8 Division titles
Washington Wizards All-Time Records
Most points all-time:
- Elvin Hayes, 15,551
Most rebounds all-time:
- Wes Unseld, 13,769
Most assists all-time:
- John Wall, 5,282
Most steals all-time:
- John Wall, 976
Most blocks all-time:
- Elvin Hayes, 1,558
Most wins all-time (coach):
- Gene Shue, 522
Washington Wizards Stats & Team History
The franchise began in Chicago as the “Packers” and then went on to become the “Zephyrs.” But it lasted just two seasons before moving to Baltimore and rebranding as the “Bullets” in 1963. Here, the team began acquiring stars like Elvin Hayes, and Wes Unseld. Gene Shue also joined the team as head coach in 1967. In 1971, the team made the NBA Finals in a losing effort.
In 1973, the team relocated once again to Washington, D.C. In its first season as the “Washington Bullets”, the team returned to the NBA Finals but were once again swept. Finally, the team won its first and only NBA title in 1978. They returned to the Finals for the final time (as of 2022).
Shue returned to coach the team in the early 1980s, as Hayes and Unseld departed. But Washington was nothing more than a fringe playoff contender at best. After a string of first-round exits, the Bullets began a period of futility that stretched from the 1988-89 season to the 2003-04 season: they made the NBA playoffs just once.
Even with stars like Chris Webber and Juwan Howard, the Bullets could not find consistent success. In 1995, the franchise rebranded thanks to the violent overtones of the name “Bullets”. By the start of the 1997-98 season, Washington became the Wizards.
In 1999, Michael Jordan became a top executive with the team and in 2001, he came out of retirement to play. However, these years did not alter Washington’s fate as an also-ran. The Wizards still failed to make the playoffs and Jordan went back to retirement after two fruitless seasons.
Washington became a contender again in 2004 thanks to strong performances from Antawn Jamison and Gilbert Arenas. However, the Wizards consistently lost to LeBron James’s Cavaliers. By the late 2000s, Washington was a moribund franchise again and the team had to rebuild.
Help came via the NBA Draft, as Washington won the NBA Draft Lottery and selected John Wall in 2010. In 2012, Washington acquired Beal. The duo became one of the best young tandems in the NBA and led the Washington Wizards’ team stats consistently.
With Wall and Beal, Washington made several playoff trips, but never got past the semifinals. Wall was eventually traded and Beal became the face of the franchise. The Wizards continue to struggle as a franchise.
