The Washington Capitols were one of the original professional basketball teams in the league that became the NBA. Based in Washington, D.C., they competed from 1946 to 1951 and were coached by the legendary Red Auerbach. The history of the Washington Capitols NBA highlights their strong performances and early influence on professional basketball.
Established
1946
City
Washington D.C.
League History
1949 - 1951 / National Basketball Association
1946 - 1949 / Basketball Association of America
Team History
1946 - 1951 / Washington Capitols
Nickname
Capitols - The Washington Capitols, a professional basketball team based in the nation’s capital, has been around since 1946. Although they are now known as the Wizards, a different source inspired their original nickname.
Washington Capitols Origin
In 1946 when they were first established and joined the National Basketball Association (NBA), it was decided that their name should be derived from an iconic figure of American history - George Washington. The “Capitols” part of their name is taken from his title as Commander-in-Chief of all armies during the Revolutionary War – General George Washington and his Continental Army were often referred to as “the Capitols” then.
This nickname lasted until 1951, when ownership changed hands and made some alterations to its branding strategy, including changing its mascot to one more fitting with modern times - thus giving birth to what we know today: The Washington Wizards! This new moniker has become synonymous with success for this franchise over recent years, making three trips to NBA finals between 1979 & 1982 before finally winning it all in 1978! For any sports fan who loves history or wants something unique on their jersey – you can never go wrong with sporting your favorite team's original namesake: The Washington Capitols!
Championship
NBA Championships 0
BAA Championship 0
Arena
1947 - 1951 / Uline Arena
Owner
1946 – 1951 / Unknown
Retired Number
*Blue is this team’s history
- 1946
- 1946 - 1949
Capitols Team Formation
The Capitols’ 81.7 win percentage in the BAA’s inaugural season was the highest in the NBA until surpassed by the Philadelphia 76ers in 1966 – 1967. The Washington Capitols are also noteworthy for two long win streaks during their short history. In 1946, the Capitols won 17 straight games — a single-season streak that remained the NBA’s longest until 1969. ...
Coach Red Auerbach
Red caught the eye of Washington millionaire Mike Uline, who hired him to coach the Washington Capitols in the newly founded Basketball Association of America (BAA), a predecessor of the NBA. In the 1946 – 1947 BAA season, Auerbach led a fast break-oriented team built around early BAA star Bones McKinney and various ex-Navy players to a 49–11 win-loss record, ...
Washington Capitols History
The Washington Capitols are one of the original teams in the National Basketball Association, joining in 1946. During their five-year span from 1946 to 1951, they had some impressive successes and a few struggles.
In their first season with the NBA, they finished second place overall behind only George Mikan's Minneapolis Lakers team that went on to win four consecutive championships. The Capitols were led by Hall of Famer Bones McKinney, named Coach of the Year for his efforts that season. They also made it to Game 7 of the semi-finals before being eliminated by those same Lakers team 4 games to 3.
The following year, they improved even more, winning 49 out of 65 regular season games and advancing into finals against Philadelphia Warriors. Unfortunately, they fell short, losing 4–2 series despite having a 2–1 lead at one point during this best-of-seven series match-up. Despite not winning the championship, this was still considered a massive success for such a young franchise.
Capitols Achievements
In the 1948 - 1949 campaign, Washington Capitols finished third place overall but failed to make playoffs due to a lack of depth on the roster, which ultimately cost them a spot among the top 8 teams during the final stretch. However, although they didn’t qualify for postseason play, there were still plenty of positives to take away from these two seasons, including the fact that center Bob Feerick earned an All-Star selection both years while forward Don Otten set a single-game scoring record ( 39 points ), which stood until 1956 when Elgin Baylor broke it with 55 points performance against Detroit Pistons.
Unfortunately, things started going downhill after the 1950 - 1951 campaign when most players left to join the newly formed Baltimore Bullets squad leaving Capitols without enough talent to compete with upper-echelon teams NBA led the disbandment franchise shortly after that. Nonetheless, Washington Capitals will always be remembered fondly amongst basketball fans worldwide who witnessed greatness between the years 1946 through 1951.
