Washington Capitols facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Washington Capitols
Division	Eastern
Founded	1946
Folded	1951
History	Washington Capitols 1946–1951
Arena	Uline Arena
Location	Washington, D.C.
Team colors	Green, white
Division titles	2 (1947, 1949)

The Washington Capitols was a basketball team from Washington, D.C.. They played from 1946 to 1951. The team was part of the Basketball Association of America (BAA). This league later became the National Basketball Association (NBA). A famous coach, Red Auerbach, led the team from 1946 to 1949. He is now in the NBA Hall of Fame.

Team History

The Washington Capitols started in 1946. They were one of the first teams in the BAA. In 1949, the BAA changed its name to the NBA. So, the Capitols became one of the first NBA teams.

Sadly, the team stopped playing on January 9, 1951. They had a record of 10 wins and 25 losses that season. The Capitols were one of several teams that left the NBA around that time. The league went from 17 teams down to 10.

A very important moment happened on October 31, 1950. Earl Lloyd played his first game for the Capitols. He was the first African American player in the NBA. This was a big step for basketball history.

After leaving the NBA, the team tried playing in another league. This was the American Basketball League. But they folded again in January 1952.

The Capitols wore green and white uniforms. Years later, in 1973, NBA basketball returned to Washington, D.C. The team that came was the Baltimore Bullets. They later changed their name to the Capital Bullets. Today, they are known as the Washington Wizards.

The Capitols had a great start in their first BAA season. They won 81.7% of their games. This was the highest win percentage in the NBA for many years. The team also won two division championships. These were in the 1946–47 and 1948–49 seasons. They also made it to the playoffs several times.

Winning Streaks

The Washington Capitols are remembered for two impressive winning streaks. In 1946, they won 17 games in a row. This was the longest winning streak in the NBA for a single season until 1969.

In the 1948–49 season, the Capitols started with 15 wins and no losses. This was the best start in NBA history for a long time. The Houston Rockets tied this record in 1993–94. Then, the Golden State Warriors broke it in 2015–16. They started their season with 24 wins in a row.

Home Arena

The Capitols played their home games at Uline Arena. This historic building is in Washington, D.C. It could hold 7,500 fans. The building is still there today. It has been changed into shops and offices.

Famous Players and Coaches

Many talented people played for or coached the Washington Capitols. Some even made it into the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Basketball Hall of Fame Members

Notes:

• ¹ Earl Lloyd was honored for being the first African American player and coach in the NBA.

Other Notable Players

• Gene Gallette (1946–1947)
• Jack Nichols (1949–1950)
• Don Otten (1949–1951)
• Fred Scolari (1946–1951)

Leading Scorers Each Season

Here are the players who scored the most points per game for the Capitols each season:

• 1947 – Bob Feerick – 16.8 points per game
• 1948 – Bob Feerick – 16.1 points per game
• 1949 – Bob Feerick – 13.0 points per game
• 1950 – Don Otten – 14.9 points per game (in 18 games). Fred Scolari scored the most total points that season.
• 1951 – Bill Sharman – 12.2 points per game

Coaches of the Team

• 1947–1949 – Red Auerbach
• 1950 – Bob Feerick – He was a player and a coach at the same time.
• 1951 – Bones McKinney – He was also a player and a coach.
• 1950 – Earl Lloyd – He was the first African American player in the NBA.

Season Records

This table shows how the Washington Capitols did each season:

Season	League	Division	Finish	Wins	Losses	Win%	Games Behind	Playoffs
1946–47	BAA	Eastern	1st	49	11	.817	—	Lost BAA Semifinals (Stags) 2–4
1947–48	BAA	Western	4th	28	20	.583	1	Lost Division Tiebreaker (Stags)
1948–49	BAA	Eastern	1st	38	22	.633	—	Won Division Semifinals (Warriors) 2–0 Won Division Finals (Knicks) 2–1 Lost BAA Finals (Lakers) 2–4
1949–50	NBA	Eastern	3rd	32	36	.471	21	Lost Division Semifinals (Knicks) 0–2
1950–51	NBA	Eastern	6th	10	25	.286	30
Total Regular Season Record				157	114	.579	1946–1951
Total Playoff Record				8	12	.400	Playoff Series Record: 2–4

In the first BAA Playoffs in 1947, the Washington Capitols won their division. They played against the Chicago Stags in the semifinals. The Capitols lost this series 4 games to 2. The Capitols stopped playing in the middle of the 1950–51 season, on January 9, 1951.

See also

In Spanish: Washington Capitols para niños