While the Wizards’ Big Three of Gilbert Arenas, Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler didn’t win a playoff series together, they are still a major part of franchise history.
As many of you are aware, the Washington Wizards are celebrating their 25th anniversary season as the Wizards. One of the highlights will be on Nov. 18 when Washington hosts the Miami Heat, and when the trio of Antawn Jamison, Caron Butler and Gilbert Arenas are reunited.
And let’s say that that celebration has attracted outside attention in a somewhat critical way. Stephen Knox of Deadspin wrote a column last Thursday about Washington’s 25th anniversary season. At first glance, Knox is stating things in a not-so-complimentary way because the Wizards are accurately trying to relive the mid 2000s when they were mediocre at best.
That said, Knox acknowledged that the Wizards of the mid 2000s were relevant, even if they lacked postseason success. They were the first Eastern Conference rival of LeBron James’ Cleveland Cavaliers teams. And the Wizards were referred to in rap disses during the 2008 playoff series with Cleveland. And I think that was his main point. The Wizards, like most professional sports teams, don’t win championships very often. So sometimes, it’s the periods of relevance that resonate the most with fans.
The Wizards certainly didn’t have their best years during the mid-2000s. But for millennials like me, it was one of the first times in my adult life when Washington was relevant. Furthermore, this very site was found during that era.