WBWashington Bullets
WBWashington Bullets has reached the nba champions decider 3 times on record, first in 1974-75 and most recently in 1978-79. 1 win against 2 runner-up finishes is recorded below, sourced from our full nba champions list.
Data last verified: 11 August 2026.
WBWashington Bullets — 1 nba champions (1977-78).
Franchise history
After relocating from Baltimore, the franchise played its first season as the Capital Bullets (1973-74) before adopting the Washington Bullets name in 1974. Built around Wes Unseld's rebounding and forward Elvin Hayes (acquired 1972), the Bullets became one of the NBA's dominant teams of the 1970s under coach K.C. Jones and later Dick Motta. Washington reached the Finals three times in four years: swept by Golden State in 1975, beating Seattle in seven games in 1978 to win the franchise's only NBA championship (Unseld named Finals MVP), then losing a Finals rematch to Seattle in 1979.
The team declined through the 1980s and 1990s, making the playoffs only sporadically despite talents like Moses Malone and, later, Chris Webber. Owner Abe Pollin renamed the franchise the Washington Wizards in 1997, citing the word "Bullets" as an uncomfortable association with gun violence in a city with a high homicide rate — closing out the Bullets era after 24 seasons in the Washington area.
Sources
NBA Champions won (1)
Runner-up finishes (2)
See the full nba champions list for the winner each of these years.
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