2005 Washington Wizards

The terrible lean years are over for the Washington Wizards, as their 2004-05 playoff run shows. Though the superb Miami Heat swept the Wizards in the playoffs, the Wizards beat the Chicago Bulls 4-2 in the first round, giving them their first second-round appearance since 1982. Led by point guard Gilbert Arenas and coached by Eddie Jordan, the Wizards are looking to assert themselves in 2005-06, so get your tickets before they are all gone.

The city of Washington D.C. and its surrounding areas has had a franchise in the National Basketball Association since 1974. The Washington Wizards began as the Chicago Packers in 1961, spent several seasons in Baltimore, and finally landed in Washington, as the Washington Bullets, in 1974.

After achieving only moderate success for a decade, the Bullets developed into a solid unit in the 1970s, built around rugged center Wes Unseld and talented scorer and rebounder from the University of Houston, Elvin Hayes. Washington made it to the NBA Finals four times during the 1970s and defeated the Seattle SuperSonics for the NBA championship in 1977-78. The Bullets were a model of consistency through the '80s, establishing an NBA record by winning at least 35 games in each of 22 consecutive years, from 1967-68 through 1988-89. The team, though, fell on hard times through the 1990s and the early 21st century. In 1997 the team changed its name from the Bullets to the Wizards as part of its anti-violence campaign. The team plays in the Eastern Conference's Atlantic Division against such rivals as the New Jersey Nets, New York Knicks, and the Miami Heat.

The Wizards current head coach is second time NBA head coach Eddie Jordan. Prior to being hired by the Wizards, Jordan was the lead assistant for the New Jersey Nets. He helped take the Nets to back to back Eastern Conference Championships. He hopes to bring this winning attitude to the Wizards. The current Wizards team is led by two prolific young scorers, Larry Hughes and Gilbert Arenas. Arenas was a recent acquisition from the Golden State Warriors, and is known for his ability to score from anywhere on the court. Hughes is known for his unbelievable raw athletic ability, and hopes to improve into as great a basketball player as he is an athlete. Hughes and Arenas also have help in the form of two local products from the University of Maryland, Juan Dixon and Steve Blake. Blake and Dixon were backcourt mates in college and led the University of Maryland to a national championship.

The team had been playing its games outside of D.C., in Landover Maryland, until 1997 when they moved into the MCI center located in downtown Washington D.C. This move coincided with the team's name change from the Bullets to the Wizards. Located at 7th and F Streets NW, the MCI Center is the state-of-the-art home of the not just the Wizards, but also the NHL's Capitals, WNBA's Mystics, Georgetown Hoyas plus big-time concerts, family shows and sporting events. Along with the aforementioned teams, D.C. ticket holders also attend NFL football games. The Washington Redskins of the NFL play their home games at FedEx Field. The Redskins are probably the most storied franchise on the Washington teams. They won two world championships under former and current head coach Joe Gibbs. The Washington D.C. area does not currently have a baseball team although they used to be the home to the Washington Senators. Many local businessmen have been trying to push for a new baseball team in the D.C. area.

The Washington Wizards are a young team that can be a competitive force in the Eastern Conference as long as their young players continue to develop. The young players of the Wizards, along with the great atmosphere of the MCI Center, should continue to provide ticket holders with a great experience.