Wizards announce they are “DC Above All,” will focus more on the color blue, and will wear No. 41 bands for Wes Unseld

Earlier this week, I said that Brussels, Belgium, the de-facto capital of the European Union and home of the NATO military alliance, was arguably the most powerful city in the world.

After all, the EU has become a more active and assertive global player while the United States has become isolationist since 2017 — all despite dealing with the same issues we do with increased far-right wing populism. Just saying.

Anyway, I think Monumental Sports & Entertainment heard me, so they made a last minute change to take issue with that comment. Or are the changes a convenient coincidence?

Okay, it’s probably just the latter. But anyway....

The Wizards’ new slogan is “DC Above All”

On Thursday, they announced in a press release that the Wizards’ slogan is “DC Above All” which was part of a broader brand identity campaign.

In the release, Wizards Vice President of Marketing Rebecca Winn said, “There is so much pride in this city. DC Above All celebrates our community but also prompts inspiration and evokes a bold confidence. It’s a declaration that our franchise is committed to performing above all other competition and in unity with our fans.”

I agree with Winn’s quote. D.C. area residents do take pride in saying that “Washington is the most powerful city in the world,” not just in the United States. And though she didn’t mention it, the next presidential administration coming in January will promote international cooperation and will be at the table on global initiatives (like tackling the coronavirus pandemic). So I think D.C. can be that “most powerful city in the world” once again. But it’s gonna take some time to get back there. Just saying.

Navy Blue will be the Wizards’ primary color, not red. Don’t worry, the colors still haven’t changed overall.

The Wizards, like the Washington Capitals NHL team and Washington Mystics WNBA team have the same team colors of red, white and navy blue. All three teams also have red jerseys that are prominently emphasized by the organizations. But now, the Wizards also announced that the navy blue color will be behind the branding more than the red.

This appears to be stating what the Wizards at least have been doing for some time now. I think the shift to red, white and blue and the emphasis on the color red in particular was due to the fact that Ted Leonsis became the Wizards’ principal owner and wanted to spread the Capitals’ elements on the team. It has worked to a very good degree.

But we have seen the Wizards pull back on emphasizing the color red over the last several years. They have played on a basketball court with a navy blue baseline since the 2014-15 season instead of a red one. The Wizards have added navy blue jerseys which will have the Jordan logo on them this year, fitting into the bolder DC Above All image they are trying to portray. Their website has been with more navy blue elements than red for quite some time as well.

The Wizards are still wearing Wes Unseld’s number on their jerseys this season

And finally, if you noticed from the media photos this week, the Wizards will continue to remember the late Wes Unseld’s legacy this season. Unlike the 2019-20 season restart where they wore No. 41 patches, they will wear black No. 41 bands on their left shoulders. The Wizards’ wore patches last summer because they already wore a black band on their left shoulder to remember former the late former NBA Commissioner David Stern’s legacy.

The new Unseld bands are basically the same ones the Washington Mystics wore in the 2020 WNBA season, also to commemorate No. 41. Below is a picture of Bradley Beal and Mystics forward Emma Meesseman in media photos wearing jerseys with the Unseld No. 41 band.

Ned Dishman. NBA/Getty Images for both photos

How do you feel about the tweaks? Let us know in the comments below.