Washington Wizards · Franchise era 3 of 8
The long middle: the Washington Wizards story
Franchise era
1981–82—1995–96
The long middle
Washington Wizards
The story in one sentence
Washington remained competitive at times but won no playoff series as injuries and turnover prevented a full rebuild.
01
Sporadic playoff teams, no lasting core
02
Jeff Malone, Bernard King and Manute Bol gave the era its recognizable core.
03
Its ending created the conditions for webber and howard.
Timeline
How it unfolded
Before 1981–82
What came before
A veteran, physical core reached three Finals in five seasons and won the 1978 championship.
1982
Eastern Conference Semifinals: Washington Bullets vs Boston Celtics
1986
Eastern Conference First Round: Washington Bullets vs Philadelphia 76ers
1988
Eastern Conference First Round: Washington Bullets vs Detroit Pistons
After 1995–96
What came next
A gifted young frontcourt ended the playoff drought, but the organization traded Webber before the group matured.
The core