1997–98 Washington Wizards season

The 1997–98 Washington Wizards season was the 37th season for the Washington Wizards in the National Basketball Association, and their 25th season in Washington, D.C.. There was a new beginning for basketball in Washington, D.C. as the team changed its name to the "Wizards", fearing "Bullets" endorsed gun violence. The team revealed a new primary logo of a wizard conjuring a basketball in front of a quarter moon, and added new uniforms with blue, black and bronze colors.

During the off-season, the team signed free agent Terry Davis to join their frontcourt, as the team's starting center, Gheorghe Mureșan missed the entire regular season due to a stretched right ankle tendon, and a right foot injury; the team also re-signed former Bullets guard Ledell Eackles for the third time after a one-year absence from the NBA. In their NBA regular season debut as the "Wizards", the team lost to the Detroit Pistons on the road, 92–79 at The Palace of Auburn Hills on October 31, 1997. The Wizards got off to a slow 5–11 start to the season, which included a six-game losing streak in November. The team lost their first five home games at US Airways Arena, only winning games on the road such as defeating the Utah Jazz, 90–86 at the Delta Center on November 3, and the 2-time defending NBA champion Chicago Bulls, 90–83 at the United Center on November 12.

The Wizards played their final home game at US Airways Arena on November 29, losing to the Bulls by a score of 88–83. In December, the team moved into their new arena, the MCI Center, where they won their first home game of the season defeating the Seattle SuperSonics, 95–78 on December 2. The team posted a six-game winning streak in December, and later on held a 25–24 record at the All-Star break. The Wizards won their final four games of the season, and finished in fourth place in the Atlantic Division with a 42–40 record, but failed to qualify for the NBA playoffs, finishing just one game behind the 8th-seeded New Jersey Nets.

Chris Webber averaged 21.9 points, 9.5 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 1.7 blocks per game, while Juwan Howard averaged 18.5 points and 7.0 rebounds per game, and Rod Strickland provided the team with 17.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, 10.5 assists, and 1.7 steals per game, and was named to the All-NBA Second Team. In addition, sixth man Tracy Murray provided scoring off the bench, averaging 15.1 points per game and leading the Wizards with 158 three-point field goals, while Calbert Cheaney contributed 12.8 points per game, and Davis provided with 4.4 points and 6.5 rebounds per game.

During the NBA All-Star weekend at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York, Murray participated in the NBA Three-Point Shootout. Despite stellar seasons, neither Webber or Strickland were selected for the 1998 NBA All-Star Game. Strickland finished tied in 18th place in Most Valuable Player voting, and also finished tied in 13th place in Most Improved Player voting, while Murray finished tied in sixth place in Sixth Man of the Year voting. The Wizards finished sixth in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 801,240 at the MCI Center during the regular season.

Following the season, Webber was traded to the Sacramento Kings, while Harvey Grant signed as a free agent with the Philadelphia 76ers, and Mureșan and Eackles were both released to free agency. The team's new primary logo, and new uniforms would both remain in use until 2007, where they switched to a lighter bronze color in the logo.