Washington Wizards · Franchise era 1 of 8
From Chicago to Baltimore: the Washington Wizards story
Franchise era
1961–62—1972–73
From Chicago to Baltimore
Washington Wizards
The story in one sentence
The Packers became the Zephyrs and then the Baltimore Bullets, reaching the 1971 Finals after Unseld's immediate MVP impact.
01
A traveling franchise finds Unseld
02
Wes Unseld, Earl Monroe and Gus Johnson gave the era its recognizable core.
03
Its ending created the conditions for the champion bullets.
Timeline
How it unfolded
The foundation
The franchise context
Washington's franchise has crossed names and cities, from the Unseld–Hayes championship Bullets to the electric Arenas teams and the Wall–Beal backcourt.
1965
Eastern Conference Semifinals: Washington Bullets vs Los Angeles Lakers
1971
Eastern Conference Semifinals: Washington Bullets vs New York Knicks
1971
NBA Finals: Washington Bullets vs Milwaukee Bucks
After 1972–73
What came next
A veteran, physical core reached three Finals in five seasons and won the 1978 championship.
The core