Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena
The Washington Wizards are back for another season at Capital One Arena, located in the heart of the city's vibrant Chinatown neighborhood. Home to the Wizards and NHL’s Washington Capitals, the recently renovated arena features new-age seating, sound systems, interactive fan experiences and more – not to mention the ever-growing list of innovative food and beverage options throughout the venue.
The arena opened in 1997 as the MCI Center and became home to the first indoor high-definition LED scoreboard a decade later. After a decade as the Verizon Center, the venue became Capital One Arena in 2017.
Washington Wizards 2022–23 Season
Conference: Eastern
Division: Southeast
Year Founded: 1961
Team Colors: Navy Blue, Red, White
Washington Wizards History
Founded in 1961, the franchise has called Chicago, Baltimore, Landover, Md. and Washington, D.C. home. Known earlier as the Packers, Zephyrs and Bullets, the franchise changed its name to the Wizards 25 years ago in 1997. After earning two Playoff appearances in their first five seasons in Baltimore, the team started a formidable run of postseason success starting in the 1968–69 season. Led by Hall of Famers Earl Monroe and Wes Unseld (and later Elvin Hayes), the Bullets went to the playoffs 12 seasons in a row, including four trips to the Finals and a championship in 1978. Behind an MVP performance from Unseld, Washington defeated Seattle in a decisive Game 7 to clinch the title. Five-consecutive postseason appearances highlighted the Bullets’ 80s. The franchise bounced back in the early 2000s, built around the core of Gilbert Arenas, Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler. That trio led Washington to four-straight playoff appearances from 2005-2008. Since then, the Wizards have qualified for the postseason five times, most recently in 2021 behind a standout season-long performance from Bradley Beal, who became one of six players in NBA history to average 30-plus points per game in back-to-back seasons.
