Editing Washington Wizards (section)

===Team creation===
[[File:1961 Chicago Packers vs. Boston Celtics.jpeg|thumb|left|150px|Bellamy (No. 8) averaged 31.6 points per game and 19.0 rebounds per game during his rookie season]]
The Wizards began playing as the ''Chicago Packers'' in 1961, as the NBA's first [[expansion team]], an expansion prompted by [[Abe Saperstein]]'s [[American Basketball League (1961–63)|American Basketball League]]. Rookie [[Walt Bellamy]] was the team's star, averaging 31.6 points per game, 19.0 rebounds per game, and leading the NBA in field goal percentage. During the All-Star Game, Bellamy represented the team while scoring 23 points and grabbing 17 rebounds. Bellamy was named the league Rookie of the Year,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/nba/history/awards/_/year/1962|title=NBA History - 1962 Awards|work=ESPN|access-date=December 6, 2022|archive-date=December 6, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221206134619/http://www.espn.com/nba/history/awards/_/year/1962|url-status=live}}</ref> but the team finished with the NBA's worst record at 18–62.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/leagues/NBA_1962_standings.html|title=1961-62 NBA Standings|work=Basketball Reference|access-date=December 6, 2022|archive-date=December 6, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221206134618/https://www.basketball-reference.com/leagues/NBA_1962_standings.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

The team's original name was a reference to Chicago's meatpacking industry; their home arena, the [[International Amphitheater]], was next door to the [[Union Stock Yards]]. However, it was extremely unpopular since it was the same name used by the NFL's [[Green Bay Packers]], [[Bears–Packers rivalry|bitter rivals]] of the [[Chicago Bears]]. After only one year, the organization changed its name to the ''Chicago Zephyrs'' and played its home games at the [[Chicago Coliseum]] (Saperstein's ABL [[Chicago Majors|Majors]] prevented the team from playing in the larger [[Chicago Stadium]]). In their only season as the Zephyrs, former [[Purdue Boilermakers men's basketball|Purdue]] star [[Terry Dischinger]] was on the roster, and went on to win Rookie of the Year honors.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/leagues/NBA_1963_rookies.html|title=1962-63 NBA Rookies|work=Basketball Reference|access-date=December 7, 2022|archive-date=December 7, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221207035640/https://www.basketball-reference.com/leagues/NBA_1963_rookies.html|url-status=live}}</ref> In 1963 the franchise moved to [[Baltimore]], Maryland, and became the ''Baltimore Bullets'', taking their name from a 1940s–1950s [[Baltimore Bullets (1944–54)|Baltimore Bullets]] BAA/NBA franchise and playing their home games at the [[Baltimore Civic Center]]. The NBA returned to Chicago in 1966 when the [[1966–67 Chicago Bulls season|Chicago Bulls]] began play. In their first year in Baltimore, the Bullets finished fourth in a five–team Western Division.<ref>{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20121012081621/http://www.databasebasketball.com/teams/teampage.htm?tm=bal Baltimore Bullets (1963–1972)]}}, databasebasketball.com, accessed June 23, 2011.</ref>

Prior to the [[1964–65 NBA season|1964–65 season]] the Bullets pulled off a blockbuster trade, sending Dischinger, [[Rod Thorn]] and [[Don Kojis]] to the [[1964–65 Detroit Pistons season|Detroit Pistons]] for [[Bailey Howell]], [[Don Ohl]], [[Bob Ferry]] and [[Wali Jones]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1964/06/10/archives/howell-of-pistons-traded-to-bullets-in-8player-deal.html|title=Howell of Pistons Traded To Bullets in 8-Player Deal|agency=The Associated Press|location=Baltimore|work=The New York Times|date=June 10, 1964|access-date=December 7, 2022|archive-date=December 7, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221207035640/https://www.nytimes.com/1964/06/10/archives/howell-of-pistons-traded-to-bullets-in-8player-deal.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The trade worked out well; Howell proved to be a hustler and a fundamentally sound player. He helped the Bullets reach the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. In the [[1965 NBA playoffs]], the Bullets stunned the [[1964–65 St. Louis Hawks season|St. Louis Hawks]] 3–1, and advanced to the Western Conference finals.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/1965-nba-western-division-semifinals-bullets-vs-hawks.html|title=1965 NBA Western Division Semifinals Bullets vs. Hawks|work=Basketball Reference|access-date=December 7, 2022|archive-date=December 7, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221207035640/https://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/1965-nba-western-division-semifinals-bullets-vs-hawks.html|url-status=live}}</ref> In the finals, Baltimore managed to split the first four games with the [[1964–65 Los Angeles Lakers season|Los Angeles Lakers]] before losing the series 4–2.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/1965-nba-western-division-finals-bullets-vs-lakers.html|title=1965 NBA Western Division Finals Bullets vs. Lakers|work=Basketball Reference|access-date=December 7, 2022|archive-date=December 7, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221207035643/https://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/1965-nba-western-division-finals-bullets-vs-lakers.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

Within the first two months of that season, the Bullets were purchased from original franchise managing partner Dave Trager by [[Abe Pollin]], [[Earl Foreman]] and real estate investor and former NBA referee Arnold Heft for $1.1 million, on November 23, 1964.<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=OCEiAAAAIBAJ&sjid=BnQFAAAAIBAJ&pg=926%2C3632741 ''The Associated Press'' (AP) Wirephoto of Earl Foreman, Arnold Heft and Abe Pollin after their $1.1 million purchase of the Baltimore Bullets on Monday, November 23, 1964.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230306002631/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=OCEiAAAAIBAJ&sjid=BnQFAAAAIBAJ&pg=926,3632741 |date=March 6, 2023 }} Retrieved March 5, 2023.</ref><ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/magazine/1991/02/17/holding-back-the-shadows/ec266007-c31f-46d0-959c-f330ede47f5f/ Williams, Juan. "Holding Back the Shadows," ''The Washington Post'', Sunday, February 17, 1991.] Retrieved March 5, 2023.</ref>