Abe Pollin, the man behind the Washington Wizards, Mystics and formerly Capitals, died at the age of 85. He succumbed to corticobasal degeneration, a rare neurological disease.
Pollin graduated from George Washington University in 1945 and didn't waste time establishing himself in the world of business.
He began his rise in business as a construction contractor. He was head of the investment group that bought the Baltimore Bullets in 1964. Nine years later he moved the team to Washington, D.C., where he built the Capital Centre.
In 1996, the Bullets changed their name to the Wizards after a "name-the-team" contest was held to replace the negative connotations that came with the Bullets moniker.
Pollin's ownership of the Washington Wizards spanned four and a half decades, which saw just one championship won in 1978. But beyond sports, Pollin was a great humanitarian.
He was the co-sponsor for the I Have a Dream Foundation, Chairman of the National Advisory Council, Honorable Chairman of the Salvation Army’s Leadership Committee for Centers of Hope, and Co-Chair of the Community Capital Campaign for N Street Village in th ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NBA
Article written by Matthew Brown
Abe Pollin, Owner of the Washington Wizards, Dies at 85
November 24th, 2009 by Matthew Brown Leave a reply »
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