Washington Wizards: 30 greatest players in franchise history

Back during the 1960s, the NBA was just an eight-team league. With the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers dominating the thing, expansion was needed. The Chicago Packers were admitted for a fee of $500,000, becoming the ninth franchise in NBA history.

6-foot-11 center Walt Bellamy was the first pick by the Chicago Packers in the 1961 expansion draft out of Indiana University. Wins were hard to come by for the Packers in the early days, but it didn’t stop Bellamy from producing.

He put up 31.6 points and 19.0 rebounds per game as a rookie, while leading the league in field goal percentage (51.9 percent). Both averages remain at the top spot for points per game and rebounds per game in franchise history.

For his efforts, he took home the 1961-92 NBA Rookie of the Year award, while making his first All-Star appearance. He finished second in the NBA in scoring behind Wilt Chamberlain (50.4 points per game).

Bellamy was a four-time All-Star in his time with the franchise, racking up 9,020 points and 5,438 rebounds from 1961-1965. He currently ranks eighth all-time in scoring in franchise history and still holds the record for most points scored in a single-season (2,495). For reference, Bellamy also holds the third spot, fourth spot and ninth spot on the single-season scoring list.

Bellamy was ultimately traded to the New York Knicks for bigger assets on Nov. 2, 1965. In four seasons with the club, he generated 57.0 win shares for a team that averaged 27.8 wins with him in the rotation.

He holds a number of franchise records despite playing in the 1960s, showing just how dominant he was on the hardwood. He was inducted in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993 for his contributions after it was all said and done.