Abe Pollin, Owner of the Washington Wizards, Dies at 85

Abe Pollin, the man behind the Washington Wizards, Mystics and formerly Capitals, died at the age of 85. He succumbed to corticobasal degeneration, a rare neurological disease.

Pollin graduated from George Washington University in 1945 and didn't waste time establishing himself in the world of business.

He began his rise in business as a construction contractor. He was head of the investment group that bought the Baltimore Bullets in 1964. Nine years later he moved the team to Washington, D.C., where he built the Capital Centre.

In 1996, the Bullets changed their name to the Wizards after a "name-the-team" contest was held to replace the negative connotations that came with the Bullets moniker.

Pollin's ownership of the Washington Wizards spanned four and a half decades, which saw just one championship won in 1978. But beyond sports, Pollin was a great humanitarian.

He was the co-sponsor for the I Have a Dream Foundation, Chairman of the National Advisory Council, Honorable Chairman of the Salvation Army’s Leadership Committee for Centers of Hope, and Co-Chair of the Community Capital Campaign for N Street Village in the District.

He teamed with Wizards' point guard Gilbert Arenas in a promotion that donated $100 for every point Arenas scores to local area schools.

Pollin once said, “My philosophy is that those of us who are on the giving end rather than the receiving end are very lucky.”

Pollin was on the giving end of a lot of generous donations to schools and foundations whose goals are the betterment of human life. He has received numerous awards in praise of his philanthropic acts.

Pollin was awarded the Duke Ziebert Capital Achievement Award for his efforts in revitalizing downtown Washington, DC. He has also been the recipient of the Distinguished Civilian Service Award, presented by the US Army, the 1996 Robert F. Kennedy-Martin Luther King, Jr. Award, presented by Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, the 1996 United Cerebral Palsy Achievement Award, and the 1997 Jewish Leadership Award.

There is no shortage of words that can describe Pollin as a businessman or a human being. Even so, very few words do him justice. He will be missed greatly by the Washington Wizards, the NBA, family, friends, and fans alike.