Washington Wizards Logos
In the nation’s capital, the Washington Wizards play professional basketball in the Eastern Conference Southeast Division. Just like any team at the start of the season, their goal is to advance deep into the postseason with the hopes of punching their ticket for the NBA playoffs and a shot at the Finals.
The team went through a few name changes over the years – Chicago Packers, Chicago Zephyrs, Baltimore Bullets, Capital Bullets, and Washington Bullets – before they transitioned to being the Washington Wizards in 1997. (As it was voted on by the public, the team could have also been the Washington Dragons, Express, Stallions, or Sea Dogs.)
Capital of Ball
Founded in 1961 as the first modern expansion team, the franchise began life as the Chicago Packers. This historic organization has made the playoffs almost 50 percent of the time, and has made a trip as recently as the 2014-15 NBA season. Their only Finals victory occurred in the 1977-78 season, when they beat the Seattle SuperSonics 4 games to 3. This was one of the team’s four trips to the NBA Finals in the 1970s.
There were also two seasons in which Michael Jordan came out of retirement to play for the Washington Wizards from 2001 to 2003. However, those years could be considered immemorable by many – Air Jordan wasn’t able to elevate the franchise into the playoffs or get close to his points-per-game average from his days with the Chicago Bulls.
Supreme Basketball Court
Over the years, there have been four different logos used by the Washington Wizards.
1997–2007: The team’s first year as the Wizards brings about an overhaul to the logo including a change of colors, away from the red, white, and blue to a blue and gold motif. The wizard, with a “W” for his torso and white space to indicate a beard, stands on a basketball crescent moon while spinning a basketball on his finger. With his opposite hand, he looks to be casting a spell. The team name, “Wizards,” lives beneath the logo.
2008–2011: Almost identically to the previous logo, this logo just serves as a very minor update to the gold color.
2012–2015: Here is a large shift in the colors used, reverting back to the red, white, and blue, but keeping the wizard. The team also changes the font used.
2016–2017: The team’s most recent logo shifts to a circular badge and dispels the wizard. The team keeps the red, white, and blue scheme. In the center circle, staged to look like a basketball, there is the Washington Monument with a silver star above it. As the words “Washington” and “Wizards” sit in the outer circle, the progression from red to white and finally to blue helps create the feeling of the country’s flag.
Spellbinding
While their colors, or logos, may have changed over time, those Wizards fans haven’t – they’re expecting great things from an established franchise. With a superior core of players led by veteran John Wall and head coach Scott Brooks, Washington Wizards supporters should be excited for what’s to come. For the team’s best officially licensed NBA merchandise and apparel, head to Fanatics.com.
Sources
- http://www.nba.com/wizards/wizards-history/
- http://voices.washingtonpost.com/dcsportsbog/2010/02/why_abe_pollin_went_from_bulle.html
- http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/u/unselwe01.html
- http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/j/jordami01.html
- www.sportslogos.net/logos/list_by_team/219/Washington_Wizards/
