Washington Wizards’ new uniforms and logo became a reality more quickly than for most NBA teams

Within days of completing his purchase of the Washington Wizards from the Pollin family, Ted Leonsis was in discussions with the NBA and its apparel partner, Adidas, expressing his desire to create a different look for his franchise. Leonsis had made it clear that the Wizards wanted to return to a red, white and blue color scheme more reflective of the nation’s capital, and one that Washington’s basketball team had worn from the time the Bullets moved from Baltimore to Washington in 1973 until the name changed in 1997.
The process for NBA teams to change their logos or uniforms usually takes two years, but Leonsis’s desire to start anew and bring his NBA franchise into the fold with the other properties under Monumental Sports and Entertainment, such as the Capitals, enabled the team to unveil a new look — or rather a modern take on an old look — on Tuesday in about 11 months.
“Sometimes, we have some circumstances where we have new ownership, we have a vision, and we can move these timelines around a little bit,” said Christopher Arena, the NBA’s vice president for apparel, sporting goods and basketball partnerships. “The Wizards were very focused and very clear where they wanted this to go and that really refined the brief and direction we wanted to go, and that creative process was really truncated in a small amount of time.”
The dramatic transition from the bearded magician to a rebrand more reminiscent of the Bullets was a collaborative effort between the Wizards, the NBA and Adidas. Adidas assigned a team of 11 designers to create a look that Leonsis said, “should pay appropriate homage and respect to the past, to the tradition, and what the Pollin family built, but also have that modern twist on what we want to accomplish as a group together.”
Leon Imas, category designer for concept and identity for Adidas, said he has been involved with 71 identity projects for various sports teams but said that the Wizards assignment was especially exciting for him since he grew up in Montgomery County, studied art at Albert Einstein High School and is a long-time fan of the team (Gheorghe Muresan was his favorite player growing up).
“Being from the Washington, D.C., area, this was a point of pride to be a part of this project,” said Imas, adding that when the Wizards presented their proposal to Adidas, they asked the company to “celebrate the city, celebrate the heritage and give us something fun, young and modern.”