The Washington Wizards franchise has gone through plenty of iterations throughout its 63 seasons of existence to this point. Beginning their stint in the NBA in Chicago as the Packers and then the Zephyrs, the franchise moved to Baltimore for the 1963-64 season — changing their name to what remains the most iconic moniker for the franchise, the Bullets. It wasn't until 1973 that the team moved to Washington, D.C. under the name: “Capital Bullets”, which sounds like a name for a fantasy team more than a professional basketball franchise.
24 years later, the franchise rebranded to the identity we know them as today: the Wizards. But through thick and thin, there have been plenty of talented individuals that have called the Wizards/Bullets franchise home. It'll be interesting to assess which players within the franchise's extensive history have done enough to warrant a placement in its top 10 greatest players list.
Without further ado, here is the (highly subjective) ranking of the best players in Wizards franchise history — taking into account their statistical achievements, accolades won, and how well those translated to winning. Moreover, plus points are given for those who leave an indelible mark on the franchise by virtue of their overall contributions.
Honorable Mentions: Bernard King, Jack Marin, Greg Ballard, Jeff Malone, Jeff Ruland
10. Chris Webber
It seems like Chris Webber's Bullets stint has become a footnote in the Hall of Fame forward‘s career. But it's important to note that Webber was still a monster in Washington, even though he played in just four seasons (212 games) for the franchise.
Webber averaged 20.9 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 4.4 assists in his four years playing at the nation's capital, and his arrival helped the struggling Bullets regain a bit of relevancy.
Like another player on this list, Chris Webber cemented his status as a legend after his move from the franchise in 1998, when he moved to the Sacramento Kings. But don't discount Webber's Bullets tenure — at all.
9. Phil Chenier
Phil Chenier may not be a household name, but throughout his 8.5-season stay with the franchise, he helped the team achieve great heights — functioning as one of the team's deadliest scorers from the perimeter.
Chenier played 546 games for the team wherein he averaged 17.9 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 3.1 assists. But most importantly, Chenier was an indispensable part of the team's stellar seven-year run from 1972-1979, which culminated in a championship in 1978.
All in all, Chenier ranks eighth in points for the franchise and fifth in steals, owing to his strong work as a two-way guard during the franchise's heyday.
8. Earl Monroe
It wasn't until Earl “The Pearl” Monroe played for the New York Knicks that he truly hit his stride as a winner, as the Bullets didn't exactly win too much with Monroe in town. But Monroe's stint in Baltimore isn't too shabby, and has mostly gone under the radar.
In five seasons as a Bullet, Monroe averaged 23.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 4.6 assists, teaming up with the likes of Gus Johnson and Wes Unseld to form one of the most formidable teams in the Eastern Conference in the late 1960s. He made the All-Star team twice as a Bullet and the All-NBA First Team once as well, adding further to his successful stint with the franchise.
7. Walt Bellamy
Rarely do expansion teams find it easy to achieve immediate success in the league they enter. But at the very least, Walt Bellamy gave the Wizards franchise — then known as the Chicago Packers — a foundational star upon which to build the team around.
Bellamy peaked in his rookie season with the Packers, averaging 31.6 points and 19 rebounds. The problem was that it didn't exactly translate to winning basketball, as Bellamy's big man contemporaries, such as Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, and Nate Thurmond (among others) overshadowed him.
Be that as it may, Walt Bellamy remains one of the best players in franchise history, although by sheer statistics alone, he would certainly rank higher on this list. Despite playing just four and a half seasons for the franchise, he still ranks ninth all-time in points and fourth all-time in rebounds. He also made the All-Star team four times while with the team.
6. Gilbert Arenas
Ah yes, Hibachi. By sheer talent alone, it was difficult to keep Gilbert Arenas out of the top five. His prime was enthralling; in a three-season stretch from 2004 to 2007, Arenas averaged 27.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 5.7 assists, making the All-Star team for all of those years. He also made the All-NBA Second Team in 2007, and the All-NBA Third Team in both 2005 and 2006. That is not too shabby for someone the Wizards picked up off restricted free agency due to some tricky cap maneuvering.
And it was in the way Arenas got his points that was so fun to watch. He was one of the most explosive scorers of his time, raining fire from the perimeter before it was cool. He also had a deep bag of dribbling tricks, allowing him to get to his spots at will. During his best years with the team, the Wizards made the playoffs — and Arenas helped carry them out of the NBA's basement.
However, Gilbert Arenas' prime did not last long, and soon enough, he found himself involved in a gnarly locker room incident that will not cause any league officials to rush into changing the Wizards' name back to the Bullets anytime soon. But Arenas epitomized the ethos of “we're here for a good time, not a long time” — and the mid-2000s Wizards were certainly a joy to watch even if they burned out quickly.
5. Gus Johnson
Gus Johnson may have come into the league 10 years early, as he just missed the start of the Wizards franchise's ascent in the 1970s. But much like Walt Bellamy, Johnson helped stabilize the team while it was in transition, sticking with the team through thick and thin in the 1960s.
Johnson played nine seasons for the franchise (560 games), averaging 17.5 points and 12.9 rebounds during that stretch. He ranks third all-time in rebounds for the franchise and seventh all-time in points, while he also made the All-Star team five times, the All-NBA Second Team four times, and the All-Defensive First Team twice.
4. Bradley Beal
It might be trendy to rag on Bradley Beal now given his disproportionate production relative to his contract (thereby leading to his trade to the Phoenix Suns this offseason), but Beal was a good servant for the Wizards in his 11-year stint with the team. He was also part of the team's rise to playoff contention status in the mid-2010s, teaming up with John Wall to form one exciting backcourt.
Beal ranks second in all-time points for the Wizards, and had he played 10 or so more games for the team, he would have surpassed Elvin Hayes. He also ranks second in steals, third in assists, and first in three-pointers made. Beal may not be the caliber of player who can lift the team to great heights on his own, as evidenced by all the losing the Wizards have experienced over the past five seasons. But he remains a star in his own right — an incredible second option and an overqualified third.
3. John Wall
It may be confounding for some to see John Wall still ranked above Bradley Beal in a Wizards all-time ranking even though Beal has played four more seasons for the team than Wall did. But Wall was the Wizards' best player during their “glory” years in the mid-2010s, and since the injury bug caught to him, the Wizards franchise hasn't been the same.
Wall, in nine seasons as a Wizard, averaged 19.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, 9.2 assists, and 1.7 steals, making the All-Star team five seasons in a row and the All-NBA Third Team once (2017). He was also at the heart of the Wizards' playoff efforts in 2014, 2015, 2017, and 2018, as they came within one win away from a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals.
John Wall is the franchise's all-time leader in assists and steals, and he also ranks fourth all-time in points. It's quite a shame that Wall's prime was cut short by a heel injury that turned into a torn Achilles, and he was never the same player after that.
2. Elvin Hayes
The Wizards franchise's all-time leading scorer, Elvin Hayes' arrival in 1972 helped the Bullets sustain their standing as one of the most serious title contenders in the NBA. Hayes was a godsend for the team, as they had a hole to fill at the power forward position following Gus Johnson's retirement.
What happened next was a thing of beauty. Hayes combined masterfully with Wes Unseld to form a deadly interior duo, and during his tenure with the team, they won around 58 percent of their games, even winning a championship in 1978. For reference, the franchise has a 45 percent win rate overall in its 63 years of existence.
Just to add greater perspective into Elvin Hayes' greatness, he ranks second all-time in rebounds (only trailing Unseld) and first all-time in blocks. Moreover, he made the All-Star team seven times as a Bullet, the All-NBA First Team and the All-NBA Second Team three times each.
1. Wes Unseld
When discussing the greatest players in Wizards franchise history, no one still has Wes Unseld beat. Unseld is a one-team player in the mold of Bill Russell, Tim Duncan, and Kobe Bryant, having played the entirety of his 13-year career for the Bullets and achieving great team success during this period.
The Bullets made the playoffs in 12 of Unseld's 13 seasons, finally getting over the championship hump in 1978. It was Unseld's arrival that transformed the Bullets' fortunes for good. In Unseld's rookie year, the Bullets won 21 more games than the previous season, and it's Unseld's strong presence on the glass and unselfishness (his outlet passes remain the greatest in NBA history) helped elevate his teammates, bringing forth glory to the franchise in a manner that hasn't been matched since.
Wes Unseld made the All-Star team five times, and he even won the MVP in his rookie season, which is incredible to say the least. He also ranks second in all-time assists, and fifth in all-time points while being the franchise's all-time leader in rebounds.
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