How The Wizards Got Erased From NBA History 

Crazy to think that as of January 7th, the Wizards are 6-29 but are being overshadowed by the Pistons being 3-32.

As a wizards fan of 23 years, I can tell you my basketball fan life has been atrocious 💔

As a Washington DC area native, my mind was blown when you stated the fact that the Wizards haven’t won more than 50 games since 1979. And now that I think about it, I can’t think of the Wizards ever once cracking 50 wins since I started following the NBA in the mid 2000’s. For reference, I was born in 1989 so at the time I was born it had already been a decade… Jesus Christ that hurts to hear 😅

Two of the most forgotten teams in NBA history have to be the Wizards and Hawks, both ironically in majority black cities that historically produced NBA talent throughout the decades.

in terms of remembering the Wizards for one player, I can list either John Wall or Arenas. They were spectacular players and gave everything they had to D.C. People forget how good John Wall was.

No 50 win season in over 40+ years is actually insane.

The reason unseld and the wizards are forgotten is because their best years were during the 70s which is the most forgotten era

I love the long-form video, Andy. It would be just as interesting to see you cover the history of other 'forgotten' teams like Charlotte or even the Hawks up until now

They refuse to acknowledge Wes Unseld the way they should as well as elvin Hayes. Wes won an mvp as a rookie, led them to 4 finals and won a chip and not a peep is mentioned on him when talking about all time great center, all because he wasn’t a big time scorer.

"you may recognize the name but not the game" that line was hard😭

Damn, a 20 minute video to find out their real name is the midzards

I remember Bullets team in 1997. They had a really good roster back then and advanced to the playoffs (lost to CHI in 3 games). Strickland, Cheaney, Howard, Webber, Muresan, T. Murray. They were fun to watch and impressive.

I've been casually following the Wizards on and off for close to 20 years. Like Andy said, I've always been waiting for them to make SOME kind of splash to get attention from the NBA, either with a big star player, or a deep playoff run, or something. They're a blank slate, but they always seem to be rebuilding, and it makes me wonder if management and ownership cares about this team at all.

That mid 90s team was all the right players at the wrong time. Webber was battling his shoulder injury, and both Rasheed and Ben Wallace where just too young. Howard actually peaked early. Also, having 4 power forwards and no real outside threat doesn't help.

A franchise thats got John Wall, Agent Zero, and for a flash of time C Webb and MJ. I don't recall anything about their teams in the 2 plus decades I watched the NBA outside of knowing about those aforementioned players being once part of the Wiz/Bullets teams. And yet when you think about it, their history from the past was honestly as solid and even great at times as the Raiders in the NFL and like the Raiders they were relatively irrelevant after the 1980s outside of flirting with potential, but unlike the Raiders this Wiz franchise is largely forgotten. Really sad.

Bernard King was actually very memorable for his Bullets tenure. He made that amazing comeback from serious career threating injuries, and each year he was a Bullet, he improved. Finally, he made it back into the All-NBA discussion and was threatening to win a scoring title deep into the season. Unfortunately, that's when another serious injury struck. It's a story of redemption, then another final fall, but definitely a memorable one. He was the only really memorable part of the post-Unseld playing career, though Webber, Arenas, and Wall did make some impact as well. And of course, there was Jordan.

Jordan Poole played so bad against the Cavs that Andy made a video of the Wizard's entire history 🤣

This is really the longest video I've seen from Andy. Very well done.

A prime example of their struggles; they had chris Webber coming off of his ROY season who they picked up in a trade involving PF Tom Gugliotta. They already drafted Juwan Howard, and had Jim Mcllvaine and Gheorghe Muresan, then added Rasheed Wallace the next year

It must be suck really for the Wizards to be forgotten. I truly appreciate it even if this is the longest video you had so far. I really enjoyed it.

Seeing someone gush over Wes Unseld gives me such glee. He's so underrated because he wasn't a big scorer.

I feel for the Wizards fans. 35-44 or so wins is definitely a rough spot to be in. Sacramento Kings languished for the ENTIRE mid 2ks and 2010s in that zone. Not good enough for the West playoffs, but were better than several 6-8 seeds in the East. Being mid definitely sucks 😢

A freshly crowned NBA Champion led by Wes Unseld once visited our country and had an exhibition game with our local players. I was 4 years old then and my mom brought me to Araneta Colesium to watch. I became an NBA fan but later I became a Celtics fan because of Rookie Larry Bird.

The only reason I remember Bernard king playing on the bullets was because he “came back” from his career being over for em. But I had no idea Moses played for em

Talking about DC being transient I feel like if Vegas gets a team same thing will happen, that’s already happening with the Raiders sometimes there’s more fans from the opposing team …

Jeff Malone was a PG who was honestly no better than a 87 Overall. In 2K he kills me in 2K Eras 💀

It's sad that Jordan and everyone else either forgets or simply pretends that his time with the Wizards happened because up until his miniscus injury, Jordan was getting slowly back to his Bulls numbers. He didn't have the insane athleticism we were accustomed to seeing from him, but also remember, he was playing at 38-40. In professional basketball, that's about 70 years old, especially for the era he played in. But despite all of that, his time in Washington was remarkable as hell! He was keeping up with the 20-somethings and he still had all-time performances. I wonder what would've happened had his injury not happened.

Washington is the only team I can think of that never had a good stretch of basketball in my lifetime. Magic had the Dwight Howard era, Pistons had the Rip, Sheed era, Hornets had the Cp3 era, but of all the worst teams the Wizards have always stood out

As a t-wolves fan, this video makes me feel better

The Wizards need to build a sustainable culture like Unseld did. This takes a good coach and organization. Up to the owner ultimately but that never ends well.

I started watching the NBA when I was young. Stayed in tune from 05 to 07 (aka the Gilbert Arenas show) and then stopped carring about it. When I came back I was like "who tf are these Kings and Warriors?" Didn't remember them by any means. One is now quite historic for obvious reason, the other... Still the Kings. They're the most forgettable to me

It doesn't helped that the most point scored in their home arena isn't by any of their players. It's Alexander Ovechkin of Washington Capitals

Looks like you got a new editor or something, I see you Andy. Congratulations on 500k, we miss the trumpet intro already.

Wes Unseld was the best NBA player in Wizards history. The duo of Unseld and Elvin Hayes is underrated.

As ten year old chicagoan, I had never even heard of the wizards until MJ came back for them

This a cool video Andy, would love to see more videos in this style.

having not a single 50-win season in half a century's wild holy

Even the now non-existent Seattle SuperSonics have an NBA Championship. I remember watching them win while I was on vacation.

Wow Andy really upped the quality on this for his first video of the year. New year of higher quality videos? 👀 I see you Andy Hoops.

Very accurate. Home crowds can hesitant to get into games a lot of the time too. I always thought it was fear of commitment from being punched in the gut so many times. Wizards fans are afraid to hope because they’ve always been disappointed. Even in their best moments, the Wizards are overshadowed. Hopefully this will all change someday. Having that moment of finally being recognized as the best team in the NBA is what I lean on as a fan

I chose Nuggets as my fave team back in 2016 when I got into basketball watched them grit and grind and slowly and slowly grow their team to be better and better. I would always tell my friends “next year they got it” it was so rewarding to watch them win it all last year. I hope Wizards fans one day get to experience that feeling too.

Two of the most forgotten teams in NBA history have to be the Wizards and Hawks and both franchises that haven't seen a lot of success in a very long time but man i feel so bad for those Washington Wizards fans, haven't even made a conference final since the late 70s, the John Wall and Bradley Beal era, and the post era with both of them , man what could've been

To see you go from like 80,000 subscribers to half a million is crazy. Mad props dude. I know I didn't jump on in the very beginning but still love what you're doing!

Please do more videos in this format man it was great!

I almost feel like a casual for thinking of Micheal Jordan first when trying to think of the most popular Wizards player…😭

Really like the longer video format!

I was randomly thinking about prime John Wall yesterday and now you post this

Great video! One of your best! Congrats👍👍👍

i love the Wizards. whenever i get depressed with my team's performance, i just watch Wizard games and leave with a little smile on my face, realizing that things are bad but at least not as bad as the Wizards 🙂

I love this video. I live in the DC area and this is spot on. You missed Mark Price another good player past his peak and the 2004 Detroit pistons had at least 3 former Bullets/ Wizards players on it. I followed them from Webber/Howard days to about the John Wall time. I don't really know the current team

One of Your best videos I really enjoyed this one bro keep it up

As a person who has followed this franchise for the last 2 decades - not a single lie was told. Andy Hoops is spitting straight facts. I enjoyed this video but it also made me sad 😔 😂

This was my favorite content you’ve ever uploaded ❤

"You might recognize his name, but maybe not his game" is such a bar

If I had to name all 30 teams, I think I would probably forget the hornets. Like the wizards at least won some playoff rounds since I started watching the nba, MJ played there, Gilbert Arenas was really fun to watch and Wall and Beal were a pretty iconic duo for the 2010s. Hornets only had one decent year in the Kemba era.

Andy Hoops videos really calm my OCD since they are edited and sound identical the only thing that changes is the topic

Oh btw still waiting for you to make a video about NBA players that once dated a celebrity (ex. Andre Drummond and Jennette McCurdy). Oh I also recognize Jeff Malone for that game winner against Detroit when I first watch the video from the NBA about all-time buzzer beaters and then NBA Furious Finishes.

I’ll never forget Gilbert’s 3 year run in DC. That was special

20 min video by Andy Hoops, niiiiice for a Saturday night.

This the longest Andy Hoop video I've ever seen so you know its about to go down.

Some non basketball factors as a DC born native who’s been going to wizards/nats/caps games since being a kid. 1. DC/the greater DMV area is very expensive, especially in the years since the 1990s. Contributing to the lower attendance and therefore less invested fan culture due to how difficult it is for lower income permanent residents (especially El Salvadorans/Hondurans/African Americans living in SE DC) to A. thrive in the area and B. have expendable income to be able to partake in the pricey fan culture of DC teams 2. The joint ownership of the Wizards/Caps has allowed a monopoly on pro sports in DC which has incentivized the owners to not make any drastic moves to make the wizards/caps championship contenders and instead yearly mediocre/2nd round exit teams. The owners can rely on the constant stream of profit from both teams and the ease of using the Capital One arena for both teams games and not really worry abt their overall success as much. Just some thoughts, really loved the video even though I’m a Bay Area sports fan (from my dad)!

What hurts even more for this team is that they’re not even the best supported team in their own building. The local hockey team, the Washington Capitals, had a lengthy sellout streak going. They have a legitimate fanbase that brings the noise every night. They have a generational talent in Alexander Ovechkin. They have a recent-ish Stanley Cup to look back on with pride. But the Wizards… they have nothing. And that’s truly unfortunate.

Jeff Malone was my JV basketball coach. Fun guy and criminally underrated former NBA basketball player

I grew up in West Baltimore. A few City blocks from were Wes Unseld would open up a school. The structure still stands and the now faded Orange and Black sign, still reads “The Unseld School “ I was alive during a few seasons in Baltimore, but I knew them as the Washington Bullets. I do remember the Bullets would play a half dozen of so games a year at the old Baltimore arena. I remember all those old Bullets teams, when they played the Sonics in back to back Finals. Baltimore still had a rich basketball tradition. Many great players still come from here. Although a much smaller population. Great video!

Jordan's years in Washington were underrated, as a 39 year old with bad knees still averaged 20 ppg 6 boards and played in all 82 games in his final year.

I’m a lifelong fan of this team going back to them being the Baltimore Bullets. It hasn’t been easy, trust me. The ‘78 championship team was incredible. I have fond memories of those days. Like Andy Hoops said; the Jordan years were a blur. It’s like he was never here. They’re so bad now that I don’t watch the games anymore, no matter who they’re playing. I don’t even remember the last time I went to a game. I can’t see them being relevant anytime soon.

Wes Unseld… man won rookie of the year and MVP in the same year!… can’t be a die hard fan and not know that

I legit thought the Knicks were playing the Magic tonight until I heard them mention Poole

Andy snapped with this video , missing the jazzy background music tho

“DC is a transient city.” Yup! Been working here in DC for… Well I just hit 7 years in 2024 and everybody I meet in DC are not actually from DC… Shit, I’m actually from Boston (yes I’m a Celtics fan) but when I say… DC has the worst fans in the league… There’s a reason why… Like even when we’re competitive… There’s always more fans of the opposing team then for the Wizards… Yes the Lakers’ and Celtics’ fans show up to games of course and it feels like a home game for the opposition despite playing in DC but even random teams from across the league like the Cavs or Sixers (last two Wizards’ games I went too by the way) there’s a fucking sea of the opposing teams’ jerseys in the crowd. Thanks Andy for making this video! Love that you educated people on this franchise cause now I can just share this video with people versus explaining why our fanbase is the worst in the league. 😂

The Tennessee Titans of the NBA.

Great video!

I thought the Arenas/Antawn Jamison/Caron Butler team got at least _close_ but dang they were barely above 500.

Great analysis

They should go back to being the Bullets.

Love the content

As a Nuggets fan way before Jokic came. I used to think we had it bad, but damn. It must suck being a Wizards fan

Great video. You didn’t mention that the Bullets have the most widely recognized best throwback jerseys of all-time! Also, the unrivaled best jersey of all-time-the throwback red white and blue Michael Jordan Bullets jersey.

Love the longer than normal video.

Why would they mention the Wizards in a documentary about the Bulls? They hold no relevance to the Bulls history.

Wizards had Mugsy Bogues and Manute Bol. The greatest NBA duo till Kobe Shaq came along

Good video but two corrections: 1. Late former owner of the Bullets/Wizards Abe Pollin changed the name from Bullets to Wizards after the assassination of his close friend, the late former Israeli Prime Minister, Yitzhak Rabin; not because of crime 2. Of course The Last Dance wouldn’t mention Jordan’s Wizards years. It focused on the Bulls dynasty, specifically the 1997-1998 season.

There's one simple fix. Bring back the "Bullets" name. The "Wizards" always sounded like a D-League team from Latvia to me.

11:32 Barkley face after Malone hits that shot 😂. Great video

Arenas recently called Manu Ginobili out saying he was better than him. Scoring ain't everything in basketball, the guy mouths a lot for that short living prime he had like 2 1/2 yrs

Peak Andy strikes again

A discussion needs to be made at some point on how the john wall wizards were 1 or two big moves away from being contenders

I mean DC is a transient city (somehow I have remained here for 20 years 😂), but the Capitals and Nationals have rabid fanbases. Winning fixes everything…

The wizards do consistently have good jerseys. Certified hood classic

The Milwaukee Bucks ran the exact same way as Wizards from 2002-2014. They would never Tank. Ownership aka Herb Kohl (RIP) never let his team tank. He was afraid if they tanked they would lose the fans for good and wanted to do his best to put out a competitive team every season. Hate to say it but Herb Kohl was right. If Bucks attempted to tank during this time period the Bucks would have been moved to Seattle most likely. Herb Kohl did everything he had to in order to keep the Bucks in Milwaukee. We need a Herb Kohl statue in front of Fiserv Forum.

Agent Zero is the only guy I’d consider represents the Wizards and he didn’t even really accomplish anything unless it’s for his guns

Growing up in The DMV, I always wondered if people on the outside actual pay attention to the Bullets/Wizards. Thanks for the confirmation😂 Even as a kid, they never felt like a real NBA Franchise to me for some reason. It was always like; we play real franchises, but we’re not one. 😅

Great video: I've only been watching the NBAs and past Unseld, Jordan and Arenas, I knew next to nothing about their history.

That’s not why the name was changed…the owner had somebody close to him get shot and die …that was the main reason. He realized the importance of changing it for the future too

I think the problem with the Wizards, Hornets and even the Hawks was the local fans are mostly transplants who are fans of the 27 other teams, especially the Kings. And both my aunt and my cousin lives in the DMV, neither are sports fans honestly.

Unseld was a 6'7 center with his fro. Probably closer to 6'3 without?

John Wall for sure on that list of like "forgotten great players who were All-Stars, put up great stats, but couldn't elevate to that elite level for whatever reason"

I feel like they messed the wizards up when they changed the jerseys from when Gilbert arenas played for them and the logo from them too cause back then they were a dope team.

How is it that through my 14 years of watching NBA Ball, the player that I associate the most with Washington is Marcin Gortat

Ownership. Say what you will about Abe Pollin, but he won a ring. Ted Leonsis took over and turned this team into a youth hoops day camp.