Some think the Wizards should start over. Problem is… they can’t.
As a little kid in Catlett, Virginia, I knew the Washington Bullets as winners. I know… I know… It’s hard to believe. They were winners. Even though I don’t remember the stunning 4-1 loss to the Golden State Warriors in 1974 NBA Finals, I certainly remember the back to back NBA Finals appearances against the Seattle Supersonics. Especially in 1978 when the Bullets won the title and everyone’s car radio blasted the song Bullets Fever.
As the 1970’s came to an end, there were four teams that made three appearances in the NBA Championship series… the New York Knicks, Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers and Washington/Baltimore Bullets.
The winning was enough for my parents to make several trips out to the Capital Center in Landover, MD, eventually becoming season ticket holders.
Growing up, I would see the likes of Larry Bird, Dr. J, George Gervin etc. come through the arena that looked like a giant potato chip. It was exciting but you could see the Bullets fading. By the mid-1980s, the Bullets had faded to a middle of the pack team who thought bringing in veterans like Gus Williams and Bernard King would return them back to glory. It never happened.
By the late 80’s the Bullets were in NBA’s no mans land. Gene Shue, Kevin Loughery, and Wes Unseld took the franchise to five straight playoff series which led to five straight first round exits. The worst thing that might’ve happened to the Bullets was the 87-88 season when Loughery was fired after an 8-19 start and Unseld rallied the troops, finishing 30-25. That was good enough to make the playoffs. Why was this bad? It was bad because Unseld was like a son to owner Abe Pollin and Pollin’s loyalty knew no bounds.
It was Wes that helped deliver a championship to DC. He would be given every chance to succeed and every chance to ruin the franchise.
Over the next six seasons, the Bullets would lose their way… a lot and Unseld’s coaching tenure ended with three consecutive sub-30 win seasons including a 22-60 campaign.
When the 96-97 season got here, it started to look like the Bullets had a future. They were young and had potential stars in Calbert Cheney, Chris Webber, Juwan Howard and rookie, Rasheed Wallace. It’s hard to believe that the Bullets could have the top two players from the Fab Five and a star from the University of North Carolina. And, Webber was to be the crown jewel of the bunch. The Bullets virtually stole him from the Warriors. Imagine that!!! The Bullets getting the better part of the deal. They traded Tom Gugliotta and three first round picks that turned into Todd Fuller, Vince Carter (who was traded) and Chris Mihm. They might as well got him for a pack of Bubblicious and a case of New Coke.
Unfortunately we slowly watched a blessing turn into a curse. Wallace was sent to Portland for Rod Strickland and Harvey Grant. The deal was supposed to help the Bullets cope with the loss of Juwan Howard, who had signed a $100M deal in Miami but then the league office stepped in. The NBA had determined the Heat’s salary cap space had been miscalculated and voided the deal.
Armed with Howard, Webber, Cheney and Strickland, the Bullets would make the playoffs in 96-97 eventually losing to the Bulls 3-0 in the first round. Despite being saddled with another first round loss, the feeling was different. There was excitement for the franchise for the first time in years.
More importantly, my parents would get season tickets again as plans grew to move out of the big potato chip for a sparking new arena in the city. We went to the one home playoff game which would prove to be the last at, what was known as, USAir Arena then. The Bullets had a chance to pull off a win against Michael Jordan and the Bulls but displayed incredible poise and won 96-95 to complete the sweep. His Airness couldn’t help but to compliment the Bullets after a hard fought series.
“They’re truly one of the teams of the future,” said Bulls guard Michael Jordan, who scored a game-high 28 points, including 14 in the fourth quarter. “They gave us a run for the money.”
It was deflating because it would have been nice for my Mom to witness a playoff win before they closed the building especially against the Bulls. Not only was she a certified Michael Jordan hater but she was the President of the “I hate Jordan” fan club… unofficially of course. The Bulls would beat the Wizards one last time in Landover as the team played six home games there until the new arena opened.
But, it didn’t dim her excitement for next season even with the name change… another thing she hated. No matter. When the first game at, what was known as MCI Center was played, there she was with a smile you couldn’t take off her face. The Wizards would beat the Seattle Supersonics, 95-78. That would be the first of four straight wins in the new arena. The Wizards would finish ninth in the conference missing the playoffs by one game.
In the offseason, they would make a franchise crippling decision. Abe Pollin and the front office decided to trade Chris Webber to the Sacramento Kings for Mitch Richmond and Otis Thorpe. It’s hard to think that an NBA would trade their leading scorer, rebounder and shot blocker for two solid but not franchise defining players. The Wizards did just that and then tried to sell it to a fan base who knew better. Everyone from Maryland to DC to Virginia knew this would end badly and it did.
It’s why they can’t start over. The Webber/Howard/Strickland team was one of the most beloved teams by the fans of the franchise since the 70’s. They felt like Pollin and Unseld pulled the rug right out from under them. And my parents, who had given up but eventually got back their season tickets, was part of that “they”.
The Wizards would go seven straight years without making the playoffs. All the goodwill was gone and it’s never came back even with a new generation of fans.
As Washington DC and the suburbs has changed in tastes, demographic and financial success, the franchise has fallen behind the NFL team which now plays where the old Capital Center used to sit, the Capitals and the Nationals.
If the Wizards blow up the team and by blow up, I mean trade John Wall or Bradley Beal, the little bit of good grace they have with local fans will be gone.
Washington DC is an interesting town when it comes to basketball. People mistakenly say its not an NBA town because they’re just looking at the Wizards. The city is an NBA city but they aren’t a Wizards city as much as the city is a Capitals town but not an NHL town. Once the Capitals get eliminated, this town isn’t interested in the NHL. They move to the Nationals. But the basketball fans in the city stay engaged with the NBA playoffs whether the Wizards are in it or not.
Ted Leonsis built a rabid, dedicated fan base for the Capitals so why can’t he do it for the Wizards? It’s because the fan is different. Where hockey is largely a regional sport in this country, the NBA is still a national fan base league. The league is based on their stars no matter what city they play in.
It’s why playing in Oakland can get you as much shine as being in New York. Being in Oklahoma City can get you just as much attention as playing in Los Angeles. NBA fans aren’t as territorial as fans of other sports. The league’s fan base is smart enough to appreciate greatness no matter what city the player plays in.
Players like Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Dr. J and I could go on and on were always respected by the opponent’s fan base. That doesn’t necessarily happen here in the city when you say Sidney Crosby because the local hockey fans care about the Caps and the Caps only. They don’t really care about the NHL as a whole.
So, if the Wizards want this town, they aren’t getting it without earning the trust of a fan base they’ve hurt so many times.
General Manager, Ernie Grunfeld, can try and trade their only viable big man, Marcin Gortat and his manageable contract but for what? Do you trade for talent or cap space?
The other option is the trade an up-and-coming player with a cap friendly contract like Kelly Oubre. The fear is, they do that and the fan base will lose their minds especially once Oubre wins a ring in another uniform. Yes… we all know that would happen.
Then there’s the issue of Otto Porter’s contract. By the 2020 season, the former Georgetown Hoya will be making, in excess of, $28M. Porter has yet to live up to his deal and lets be honest, there’s a good chance he never will.
Give up any thought of a Philadelphia 76ers type “trust the process” solution. The organization would lose the little bit of trust they have left. Plus the fans in this town would trust Congress to make franchise defining decisions before Grunfeld and that says a lot.
So the Wizards are back to the 1980’s. A first round playoff exit. A roster which seems to struggle being consistent. A GM no one trusts and an owner who won’t give up on him.
My parents have given up their season tickets… again. And this time around, I find it hard to believe that they will ever get them again. My Mother still watches on TV whenever they play. She hasn’t given up hope, at least, not yet. Her heart still firmly holds to the hope that the city will have a Fever… one last time.
