History of the Washington Caps

From ABA Champions to Washington

The Washington Caps were a short-lived American Basketball Association franchise that played one season in Washington, D.C., during the 1969-70 campaign. Although their stay in the capital lasted only a year, the Caps represented an important chapter in the history of a franchise that began as the Oakland Oaks and later became the Virginia Squires.

The franchise was one of the ABA's original teams when the league began play in 1967. Based in Oakland, California, the club was initially known as the Oakland Oaks and counted entertainer Pat Boone among its principal owners. The Oaks became one of the league's most ambitious organizations by signing former NBA star Rick Barry.

After struggling during their inaugural season, the Oaks emerged as the ABA's dominant team in 1968-69. Coached by Alex Hannum, Oakland finished with a league-best 60-18 record and defeated the Indiana Pacers in five games to win the 1969 ABA championship.

Despite their success on the court, the Oaks encountered serious financial problems. Attendance in Oakland failed to match the team's championship performance, and its ownership group accumulated significant debt. Washington attorney Earl Foreman led a group that purchased the franchise and moved it across the country before the 1969-70 season.

A New Identity in Washington

The relocated team became known as the Washington Caps. Some historical records and statistical databases refer to the club as the Washington Capitols, but the franchise was commonly marketed as the Caps.

The team adopted green and gold as its colors and played its home games at the Washington Coliseum. The arena, previously known as Uline Arena, had also hosted the NBA's Washington Capitols during the 1940s and early 1950s.

Al Bianchi replaced Alex Hannum as head coach. Bianchi had previously played in the NBA and served as an assistant coach with the Chicago Bulls before taking charge of the defending ABA champions.

Although the Caps were now located on the East Coast, the ABA kept them in the Western Division for the 1969-70 season. The unusual alignment created an exhausting travel schedule, as Washington regularly played divisional opponents located in cities such as Denver, Dallas, Los Angeles and New Orleans.

The Loss of a Championship Roster

The Caps retained several important players from Oakland's championship team, but the roster was not as deep or stable as it had been the previous season.

Rick Barry remained the franchise's biggest star. One of professional basketball's premier scorers, Barry possessed a versatile offensive game, excellent passing ability and his famous underhand free-throw technique. He had played a major role in Oakland's championship season before a knee injury caused him to miss much of the postseason.

Warren Jabali, who had been known as Warren Armstrong during his rookie year, also followed the franchise to Washington. Jabali had won the 1969 ABA Playoffs Most Valuable Player award after leading the injury-depleted Oaks through the championship series.

Other notable Caps included Doug Moe, Larry Brown, Ira Harge, Mike Barrett, Henry Logan and Ron Franz. Several members of the team would later play or coach for other prominent ABA organizations.

Rick Barry Leads the Caps

Barry remained an elite scorer during Washington's only season. He averaged 27.7 points per game in 54 appearances and provided the Caps with one of the ABA's most recognizable attractions.

However, injuries once again prevented Barry from playing a complete season. Without him in the lineup, Washington lacked the consistency necessary to compete with the strongest teams in the division.

Jabali supplied scoring, rebounding and physical play from the backcourt. Doug Moe contributed as an experienced forward, while Larry Brown directed the offense and remained one of the ABA's best passers.

The Caps played at the rapid tempo associated with the early ABA. Washington averaged 118.2 points per game, the second-highest scoring average in the league. The team also played at the ABA's fastest estimated pace.

Defense proved to be a persistent problem. Washington allowed 118.8 points per game, the highest figure among the ABA's 11 teams. The Caps frequently became involved in high-scoring contests in which their offensive talent was offset by their inability to stop opponents.

The 1969-70 Regular Season

Washington finished the regular season with a 44-40 record. The Caps placed third in the Western Division behind the Denver Rockets and Dallas Chaparrals.

The winning record was respectable considering the franchise's relocation, demanding travel schedule and injuries to Barry. However, it represented a substantial decline from the 60 victories the Oaks had recorded during their championship season.

The Caps remained entertaining and competitive, but they never developed a strong following in Washington. The ABA was still attempting to establish itself against the older NBA, and the club faced difficulty attracting attention in a market already familiar with professional and college sports.

1970 ABA Playoffs

The Caps faced the Denver Rockets in the Western Division Semifinals. Denver had finished the regular season with a 51-33 record and owned home-court advantage.

The series became one of the most competitive matchups of the opening round. Washington and Denver exchanged victories through the first six games, forcing a decisive Game 7.

The final contest was played in Denver on April 28, 1970. The Rockets overwhelmed the Caps, winning 143-119 and eliminating Washington from the playoffs four games to three.

The loss ended the Caps' only postseason appearance. Denver advanced to the Western Division Finals, where it lost to the Los Angeles Stars.

Season Summary

Notable Washington Caps Players

• Rick Barry
• Warren Jabali
• Doug Moe
• Larry Brown
• Ira Harge
• Mike Barrett
• Henry Logan
• Ron Franz
• Steve Jones
• George Carter
• John Arthurs

Rick Barry's Final Season with the Franchise

Washington's playoff loss also marked the end of Rick Barry's association with the franchise. Barry had been instrumental in bringing attention to the Oakland Oaks and had remained the team's leading scorer after its move east.

Barry did not want to move with the organization again when it prepared to relocate to Virginia. His contract rights became the subject of another dispute, and he eventually returned to the NBA with the Golden State Warriors for the 1972-73 season after playing for the ABA's New York Nets.

Barry later led Golden State to the 1975 NBA championship and was named the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player. His brief season in Washington remains one of the lesser-known chapters of his Hall of Fame career.

Larry Brown and Doug Moe

The Caps also featured two men who became influential coaches. Larry Brown had been an outstanding ABA point guard and led the league in assists during multiple seasons. He later became the only head coach to win both an NCAA championship and an NBA championship.

Brown won the 1988 NCAA title with the Kansas Jayhawks and the 2004 NBA championship with the Detroit Pistons. His lengthy coaching career also included stops with the Denver Nuggets, New Jersey Nets, San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Clippers, Indiana Pacers, Philadelphia 76ers, New York Knicks and Charlotte Bobcats.

Doug Moe later became one of the most successful coaches in Denver Nuggets history. His fast-paced offensive system reflected the aggressive style of basketball he had experienced as an ABA player.

Moe and Brown were teammates with the Caps before later working together as coaches with the Carolina Cougars and Denver Nuggets.

Pressure to Leave Washington

The Caps' future in Washington became uncertain before their first season had concluded. The ABA and NBA were discussing a possible merger, and the presence of an ABA team in the capital complicated those negotiations.

Abe Pollin, the owner of the NBA's Baltimore Bullets, intended to move his franchise into the Washington market. Pollin did not want to compete directly with the Caps and opposed including the ABA franchise in any arrangement that would prevent the Bullets from relocating.

Other ABA owners encouraged Earl Foreman to move his team out of Washington. The Caps also lacked the attendance and financial strength necessary to establish permanent control of the market.

Foreman began considering a regional operation in Virginia, where the franchise could play games in several cities rather than depending on one arena and one local audience.

The Move to Virginia

Following the 1969-70 season, the Caps relocated again and became the Virginia Squires. The new franchise represented the entire state and divided its home schedule among arenas in Norfolk, Hampton, Richmond and, at times, Roanoke.

Al Bianchi remained as head coach, while many members of the Washington roster continued with the team. Without Barry, the Squires built around Charlie Scott and other emerging players.

Virginia immediately improved to 55-29 during the 1970-71 season and won the ABA's Eastern Division. The franchise later introduced professional basketball fans to Julius Erving, George Gervin and Moses Malone.

Despite possessing extraordinary talent, the Squires suffered from continual financial instability. They eventually folded in May 1976, shortly before the ABA-NBA merger.

Franchise Timeline

Washington Coliseum

The Washington Caps played at the Washington Coliseum, a historic arena located near Union Station. The building had opened in 1941 as Uline Arena and had hosted basketball, hockey, boxing, concerts and other events.

The NBA's Washington Capitols had used the arena during the league's earliest years. That team, coached for three seasons by Red Auerbach, was unrelated to the ABA's Washington Caps despite the similarity between their names.

The Coliseum gave the Caps a centrally located home, but the aging building did not provide the franchise with the revenue or modern amenities necessary to compete successfully in the rapidly changing professional sports market.

The Caps and Washington Basketball History

The Caps were not the first major professional basketball team to represent Washington and would not be the last. The original Washington Capitols played in the Basketball Association of America and NBA from 1946 until folding during the 1950-51 season.

After the Caps left for Virginia, the NBA's Baltimore Bullets eventually moved to the Washington area. The team played as the Capital Bullets in 1973-74, became the Washington Bullets in 1974 and adopted the Washington Wizards name in 1997.

Because the Caps existed for only one season and were quickly followed by another franchise, they have sometimes been overlooked in accounts of Washington's basketball history.

Legacy of the Washington Caps

The Washington Caps never won a championship and did not remain in the capital long enough to develop a lasting local following. Nevertheless, their lone season featured several important figures in professional basketball history.

Rick Barry was already one of the sport's greatest scorers. Warren Jabali was one of the ABA's most powerful and dynamic guards. Larry Brown and Doug Moe later became prominent coaches, while Al Bianchi guided the franchise through its transition into the Virginia Squires.

The Caps also demonstrated both the excitement and instability of the early ABA. The team played at a fast pace, scored nearly 120 points per game, traveled extraordinary distances because of its divisional placement and participated in a dramatic seven-game playoff series.

Their brief existence connected two far more recognizable identities. They arrived in Washington as the defending champion Oakland Oaks and left one year later to become the Virginia Squires, a franchise remembered for developing several future Hall of Famers.

Although the Washington Caps lasted only for the 1969-70 season, they remain an important part of ABA history and a distinctive chapter in the long history of professional basketball in Washington, D.C.