WASHINGTON, DC – The Washington Wizards and the Bullets & Wizards Alumni Association will celebrate the 35th anniversary of the 1978 Washington Bullets championship when the Wizards host the Indiana Pacers on April 6 at 7 p.m. at Verizon Center. Legends Wes Unseld and Elvin Hayes as well as numerous members of the team will be honored in a halftime ceremony that will feature the unveiling of a new championship banner.
“We are thrilled that we can commemorate the proudest moment in our franchise’s history by reuniting the members of the championship team and re-living those memories with our fans,” said Monumental Sports & Entertainment Founder Ted Leonsis.
All fans in attendance will receive a replica 1978 NBA Championship ring (see attached photo). The team will also participate in a special question-and-answer and autograph session for Wizards season ticketholders prior to the game.
The 1977-78 Bullets team defeated the Seattle SuperSonics in the seventh game of the NBA Finals on June 6, 1978, bringing a championship to the metropolitan area for the first time in 35 years.
Mrs. Irene Pollin and the following members of the 1978 team are scheduled to be in attendance: Greg Ballard, Phil Chenier, Bob Dandridge, Kevin Grevey, Elvin Hayes, Tom Henderson, Joe Pace, Wes Unseld, Phil Walker, Larry Wright, vice president Jerry Sachs, general manager Bob Ferry, head coach Dick Motta, athletic trainer John Lally and radio analyst Frank Herzog.
Mitch Kupchak and Bernie Bickerstaff, who served as an assistant coach for the 1978 team, are tentative due to their commitments with the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Washington Bullets/Wizards Alumni Association was formed to honor the proud past of the organization. The goal of the association is to reconnect former players with one another while honoring them for their contribution.
The NBA’s Washington Wizards are owned and operated by Monumental Sports & Entertainment, which is one of the largest integrated sports and entertainment companies in the country with one of the most diverse partnership groups in all of sports. The company also owns and operates the NHL’s Washington Capitals, the WNBA’s Washington Mystics and Verizon Center, the premier sports and entertainment venue in Washington, D.C. Monumental Sports & Entertainment also oversees the management of Kettler Capitals Iceplex, the training facility for the Washington Capitals, and the Patriot Center arena at George Mason University.