Established in Chicago as the Packers in 1961, the team later moved to Washington in 1974 and rebranded as the Bullets. Throughout the 1970s, they made it to four Conference Finals and clinched their sole championship victory during that era, with Elvin Hayes playing a crucial role on the championship team.
Hayes was the top pick in the 1968 NBA Draft by the San Diego Rockets, making the All-Star team in each of his first 12 seasons in the league. While he posted his best statistics early in his career, Hayes was still a beast when he joined this organization in 1972. The big man played the next nine seasons with Washington, averaging 21.3 points, 12.7 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.1 steals and 2.4 blocks per game. Hayes played at least 80 games in each of his 16 seasons and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1990.
Prior to his departure, Beal was just a handful of games away from being the franchise leader in total points scored. The third overall pick in the 2012 Draft, Beal spent his first 11 seasons with the Wizards. The sharpshooter made three All-Star appearances between 2017 and 2021 and averaged 30 points per game in two of those seasons (2019-20, ’20-21).
Malone was the 10th overall pick in the 1983 NBA Draft and spent his first seven seasons with Washington. He made two All-Star appearances for the team that drafted him, averaging 20.2 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 2.8 assists throughout his Bullets career. Malone’s final season in Washington was in 1990 when he was traded to the Utah Jazz.
One of the most notable Washington players in recent history, Wall was drafted by the Wizards with the top pick in the 2010 NBA Draft. His elite speed helped him earn a reputation as one of the best players in the NBA through his first seven seasons. Wall finished second in Rookie of the Year voting and made the All-Star team five times with the Wizards. Wall averaged 19 points, 4.3 rebounds, 9.2 assists and 1.7 steals in his nine seasons with the Wizards.
Unseld was the second overall pick by the Baltimore Bullets in the 1968 NBA Draft and won both Rookie of the Year and MVP honors in his debut season. Unseld made five All-Star appearances and played his entire 13-year career with the franchise. While ranking fifth on the team’s all-time scoring list, Unseld is one of the greatest rebounders in NBA history, ranking sixth all-time with 14 rebounds per game. He also won a title with Washington in 1978 and was named Finals MVP.
More Wizards All-Time Leading Scorers
Kevin Loughery (9,833 Points)Gus Johnson (9,781 Points)Phil Chenier (9,778 Points)