Abe Pollin owner of Washington Wizards Dies At 85

In their 46th season of ownership of the franchise, Irene and Abe Pollin hold the distinction of being the longest-tenured owners in the National Basketball Association. Since becoming owners in 1964, the Pollins have watched the NBA become the standard by which all other professional sports leagues are measured, as it exploded in growth from a small, regional league to a worldwide presence.

Irene and Abe Pollin have been at the center of some of the NBA’s most historic events during their distinguished time at the helm of the Washington Bullets/Wizards. In 1978, they reached the pinnacle of the NBA when their Bullets, behind the play of Wes Unseld, Elvin Hayes and Bob Dandridge, defeated Seattle and brought a World Championship to Washington. In the summer of 1979, Pollin took his Bullets to Asia to lead the NBA’s first ever venture into China, forging the way for the NBA to become a global entity, and watched as members of his organization made a return trip to China in September of 2009 to commemorate the 30-year anniversary of the historic first trip.

“With Abe Pollin’s passing, the NBA family has lost its most revered member, whose stewardship of the Wizards franchise, together with his wife Irene, has been a study in unparalleled dedication to the city of Washington,” NBA commissioner David Stern said. “During his illness he fought with a determination and valor that will remain an inspiration to all.”

Abe Pollin owner of Washington Wizards Dies At 85

Pollin was the NBA’s longest-tenured owner. With his death, a group led by longtime AOL executive Ted Leonsis is poised to take ownership of a Washington-area sports empire that began when Pollin purchased the Baltimore Bullets in 1964.

Leonsis previously bought two of Pollin’s teams – the NHL’s Capitals in 1999 and the WNBA’s Mystics in 2005 – and secured the right of first refusal to buy the rest of Pollin’s Washington Sports and Entertainment holdings – including the Wizards, Verizon Center and Washington-Baltimore TicketMaster – when Pollin retired or died.

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