Started life in Baltimore as the Bullets and were one of the premier squads of the ’70s; it’s been a near constant disaster ever since and the ’90s rebrand to Wizards didn’t help
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The name game: 13 current NBA franchises that have changed names
Some do it because they’ve moved, some do it just to re-brand, and others have more questionable motives. These are the 13 NBA teams out of the current 30 that have, at some point, changed names.
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- As first NBA expansion franchise (as Chicago Packers)
- Conference Finals upset over Knicks (1971)
- Conference Finals upset over 76ers (1978)
- Expansion draft picks (as Chicago Packers, 1961)
- In the 1975 Eastern Conference Finals (“Virtual NBA Finals”)
- Lengthy playoff drought
- Name change from Bullets to Wizards
- Name etymology
- Overcoming 3-1 series deficit in 1979 Conference Finals
- Re-location from Chicago to Baltimore
- Re-location from Baltimore to Washington
- Rivalry with Cavaliers
- Struggling in the regular season of their ’77-’78 championship season
- Trading Gilbert Arenas to the Magic for Rashard Lewis
- Upset by Warriors in 1975 NBA Finals
- Upsetting SuperSonics in 1978 NBA Finals
- Wes Unseld tenure as coach
- Wes Unseld tenure as general manager