Washington Wizards superstar Anthony Davis is calling on the fans to show up in numbers. Though it was a fairly polarizing approach on his part, the future Hall of Famer has given Wizards supporters an instant reason to want to show up to games again.
As a true two-way player who can take over games on either end of the floor, Davis is bringing the entertainment and reminding skeptics of how powerfully he can impact winning.
Davis, 33, was nothing short of dominant in his first regular season game with the Wizards. He torched the Milwaukee Bucks to the tune of 34 points, 12 rebounds, four assists, two steals, and a block while making highlight-reel plays all over the court.
Fresh off of leading Washington to a 128-116 win, Davis took the polarizing approach of calling on fans to show up in stronger numbers and avoid what he described as, "Dress like a seat," nights.
Anthony Davis with an unreal quote about the Wizards crowd.
— Bijan Todd (@bijan_todd) October 22, 2026
“I’d like it to be a little more packed in there, but the crowd was great, they were into it, got us over the hump…Even when I was here last year, very first home game. It was like ‘Dress Like a Seat Night’ in here.” pic.twitter.com/pGQnXJ9O0s
Though there are myriad factors that played into the Wizards' attendance declining, Davis is at least giving fans a basketball reason to show up again.
Anthony Davis calls on fans to show up, gives them good reason to
Washington ranked No. 29 in the NBA in attendance with an average of 16,106 fans showing up for home games. Only the Memphis Grizzlies had a lower attendance figure at 15,414. The Wizards also ranked dead last in 2024-25 and No. 27 in 2023-24.
A fairly obvious explanation for why fans weren't as willing to pay expensive ticket prices during those seasons: Washington went 15-67, 18-64, and 17-65.
In fact, Washington's opening-night win marked the first time it had been above .500 since Nov. 28, 2022. Thankfully, a healthy version of Davis and Trae Young should be able to make the Wizards a postseason factor—and an improving supporting cast should help, as well.
Davis, of course, is a former NBA champion and two-time Conference Finalist who has five All-NBA nods on his résumé and a history of playing at a superstar-caliber level on both ends of the floor.
Even beyond the stars, the Wizards offer ample reason for excitement
Even if one were to put Davis and Young aside, however, the youth movement is finally taking shape. AJ Dybantsa was the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, Alex Sarr plays with all-out intensity, and Kyshawn George has already begun building upon his breakout 2025-26 campaign with 18 points in the opener.
Throw in promising up-and-comers such as Bub Carrington, Bilal Coulibaly, and Tre Johnson, and the Wizards have exciting talent all around.
If nothing else, Washington should give fans far more reason for excitement and suspense in 2026-27 than they managed to in 2025-26. They have two All-Stars, a No. 1 pick entering a promising rookie season, and an improving cast of up-and-comers with veteran leadership behind them.
Davis may not have chosen the most appealing tactic to call on fans to show up for games, but he's certainly giving supporters a reason to enjoy watching the Wizards play again.
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