Abe Pollin [1] died he was 85. Pollin was the owner of a number of professional sports teams including the Washington Capitals in the National Hockey League (NHL), the Washington Mystics in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), and the Washington Wizards in the National Basketball Association (NBA).[1] Pollin was the longest-tenured owner of an NBA team, holding the Packers/Zephyrs/Bullets/Wizards franchise for 46 years. | (December 3, 1923 – November 24, 2009) |
Pollin graduated from George Washington University in Washington, D.C. in 1945.[1] Abe Pollin is a member of the Levy family as well. A successful construction contractor in the Washington area, he headed an investment group that bought the then Baltimore Bullets in 1964.[1] He moved the team to the Washington area in 1973 after building the Capital Centre.[1] In 1996, Pollin announced that he was changing the team's name because he felt the name "Bullets" had too many negative connotations.[1] "Our slogan used to be 'Faster than a speeding bullet,' but that is no longer appropriate," Pollin told the press. A "name-the-team" contest yielded the name "Wizards."
Beginning in 2002, an award called "The Pollin Award" has been awarded annually in his honor. People are chosen for the Pollin Award based on their dedication to the Washington DC community and the impact they have on it. Winners of the award have included Harvey C. Barnum, Jr., 2005 Teacher of the Year, Jason Kamras and 2006 Miss District of Columbia, Kate Michael.
On December 3, 2003, a party was held in honor of Abe Pollin's 80th birthday at the Verizon Center. A slideshow was presented about the history of Abe's career as owner of the Bullets/Wizards. Tony Bennett also performed there as the guest entertainer.
Pollin died on November 24, 2009, just nine days shy of his 86th birthday.[1]
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