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The Bullets Forever Top 20: Narrowing it Down

Editor's Note: Anyone who's here from SLAM Online, here's where you really want to go.

While we continue to wait for an impending JCN trade and Blatche re-signing (this news should probably take Dallas out of the running, leaving nobody to take him away), let's narrow down the Bullets Forever Top 20 brainstorming list we came up with here.

Nobody objected to my definites, so we can assume that the following 10 people are going to be there somewhere.


  1. Walt Bellamy
  2. Gus Johnson
  3. Earl Monroe
  4. Wes Unseld
  5. Elvin Hayes
  6. Phil Chenier
  7. Bobby Dandridge
  8. Jeff Malone
  9. Chris Webber
  10. Gilbert Arenas

That leaves 10 spots to fill, and since this is a group effort, I'm asking you guys to decide which of the following deserve to fill those slots.  Here's everyone remaining, and if you feel there's someone that hasn't been mentioned that deserves to make the top 20, say so in the comments.  Notice that I eliminated some of the suggestions just so there's less clutter.


  1. Moses Malone
  2. Gus Williams
  3. Bernard King
  4. Michael Adams
  5. Pervis Ellison
  6. Tom Gugliotta
  7. Rod Strickland
  8. Michael Jordan
  9. Antawn Jamison
  10. Caron Butler
  11. Kevin Loughery
  12. Jack Marin
  13. Mitch Kupchek
  14. Kevin Grevey
  15. Jeff Ruland
  16. Juwan Howard
  17. Gheorghe Muresan
  18. John "Hot Rod" Williams

Ten of those guys should make the list.  If it's easier, feel free to eliminate names that shouldn't make it rather than name people that should make it.

The comments section is your forum.  

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Nobody yet?
In that case, I'll say who I think should remain on the list.

I'd retain King, Jordan, Loughtery, Marin, Kupchek, Rutland, Howard, Muresan, Strickland, and either Jamison or Adams.

You know you'll get devoured by Cheaney, Wallace, and Juwan Howard.

by Mike Prada on Jul 26, 2007 6:13 PM EDT reply actions  

A couple corrections
Its Jeff Ruland, not Rutland. He just got fired this year as coach of his alma mater Iona. Glad you included him.

John "Hot Rod" Williams played his college ball at Tulane while the other John Williams led LSU to the final 4 in 1986. He was involved in a point shaving scandal at Tulane. He played many years for Cleveland and Arizona.
The other John Williams had a couple of very promising years for the Bullets, but tore his ACL early in the '89-90 season. While he was out, he gained so much weight that the press (in a reference to John "Hot Rod" Williams) began referring to him as John "Hotplate" Williams. Unfortunately, he never could get back into shape. Larry Brown loved his game though and traded Don Mclean and William Bedford for him while he was coaching the Clippers. He then also played for Brown in Indiana.

by hotplate on Jul 26, 2007 8:31 PM EDT reply actions  

Good calls
Thanks for the corrections...total oversights on my part.
You know you'll get devoured by Cheaney, Wallace, and Juwan Howard.

by Mike Prada on Jul 26, 2007 10:59 PM EDT up reply actions  

My list
I agree with 9 of your top 10 but I think I might replace Webber with Antawn. My second 10 would be:

Webber
Howard
Ruland
Bernard King
Loughery
Marin
Adams
Kevin Porter

last 3 are tough but I'll go with
Strickland (all star level point guard for about 2 above .500 years)
Gugliotta (best player on team for 2 and a half years)
and very reluctantly
Jordan (because I never liked him and felt like he hijacked the team for his ego driven comeback). But he did take a 20 win team and led them to consecutive 37 win seasons. I will put Caron on here after 2 more solid playoff seasons.

by hotplate on Jul 26, 2007 8:50 PM EDT reply actions  

Kevin Porter
His best years weren't here, and his numbers weren't spectacular.  Did he have a greater impact on fans back then?  If not, I think Kupcheck is more significant, because he was there for the title run.  

Just my 2 cents.

You know you'll get devoured by Cheaney, Wallace, and Juwan Howard.

by Mike Prada on Jul 26, 2007 11:03 PM EDT up reply actions  

top 20
Archie Clark deserves a place in top 20.

by swish on Jul 26, 2007 10:15 PM EDT reply actions  

Possibly
He played three years here.  One was spectacular, one was very good, one wasn't so good.

We should put him under consideration.

You know you'll get devoured by Cheaney, Wallace, and Juwan Howard.

by Mike Prada on Jul 26, 2007 11:01 PM EDT up reply actions  

My Ten
1.    Moses Malone - was on downside of career but still effective
2.    Bernard King - Solid Bullet career
3.    Michael Jordan - Just because he is Jordan and he help clear Bullets cap situation with Howard trade.
4.    Kevin Loughery - Solid Bullet career
5.    Jack Marin - Solid Bullet career
6.    Kevin Grevey - Solid Bullet career
7.    Jeff Ruland - Solid Bullet career
8.    Mike Riordan - Solid Bullet
9.    Kevin Porter - Solid Bullet
10.    Greg Ballard -Solid Bullet

by LoneWiz54 on Jul 27, 2007 7:44 AM EDT reply actions  

See, I didn't have Malone on there
Because he didn't really make much of a dent here.  He was good, but when you think Moses Malone, do you think "Washington Bullets?"  At least with King, he had that one comeback year where he made the all-star team and was a really nice story.

Jordan's sort of the same way, but he did make a significant dent here in helping to revitalize interest in Wizards basketball, no matter how badly it ended.  

Mike Riordan is a good call...forgot about him.

No Juwan Howard or Antawn?  

You know you'll get devoured by Cheaney, Wallace, and Juwan Howard.

by Mike Prada on Jul 27, 2007 1:42 PM EDT up reply actions  

Gotta have Rex Chapman on the list
He was here for a long time and was arguably the best player on the team for some of those seasons.  I remember being so excited to see his combination of great 3 point shooting and excellent hops.  People forget he was in the slam dunk contest his rookie year with the Hornets.  I also have vivid memories of Rex hitting a game winner on opening night against the Shaq-led Magic and people going crazy at Landover arena.  He even earned a nickname from Tony Kornheiser: "the Incandescent Rex Chapman.  

by LoDawg31 on Jul 29, 2007 5:00 PM EDT reply actions  

Welcome to the site!
But I have to say, I'm not feeling Rex Chapman on this list.  He was decent for a few years, but there were far too many similar players from the more successful 70s-era teams that deserve spots on this list.

I loved Chapman too, he was a favorite of mine, but I don't see how he's one of the top 20 Bullets/Wizards of all time.

You know you'll get devoured by Cheaney, Wallace, and Juwan Howard.

by Mike Prada on Jul 29, 2007 11:46 PM EDT up reply actions  

11-20
In no particular order:

Bernard King
Caron Butler
Rod Strickland
Michael Jordan
Kevin Grevey
Kevin Loughery
Moses Malone
Juwan Howard
Jack Marin
Antawn Jamison

If Abe Pollin had wanted the Washington Bullets to sound less dangerous, he should've just called them "The Bullets".

by Jake Whitacre on Jul 29, 2007 10:29 PM EDT reply actions  

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