The Washington Wizards secured the top pick in the 2026 NBA Draft after winning Sunday’s lottery, sparking celebrations among team officials and former No. 1 overall selection John Wall.
CHICAGO — While the most iconic moment in Washington sports history may be the Redskins’ upset of the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field in January 1988, Sunday’s lottery win could mark a new chapter for the long-suffering Wizards franchise. The football team’s Super Bowl XXII triumph was a high point, but it didn’t alter the franchise’s trajectory the way this draft pick might for Washington’s basketball team.
“It’s our fans who have endured the most,” said Michael Winger, Monumental Basketball president, who represented the Wizards at the lottery drawing. “This No. 1 pick is for them. It’s a reward for sticking with us through tough times and supporting a multiyear rebuild. This moment is about celebrating them.”
Winger, a key architect of the team’s teardown and rebuild, admitted feeling both joy and relief. Yet even he may not fully grasp the decades of disappointment Washington basketball fans have faced. The franchise hasn’t won 50 games in a season since 1978–79 (as the Bullets) and has not reached the Eastern Conference finals since 1979. False starts—from trades for Gus Williams and Moses Malone in the ’80s, to the breakup of the Chris Webber–Juwan Howard core, to Michael Jordan’s comeback and the injuries that derailed Gilbert Arenas and John Wall—have tested fan loyalty.
Winger and general manager Will Dawkins dismantled the roster with a clear plan: to build a champion, you need an elite player. The last NBA title winner without an All-NBA selection that season was the 1988–89 Pistons, who were led by Isiah Thomas and Joe Dumars. Over the past three years, Washington has added promising talents like Alex Sarr, Kyshawn George, and Tre Johnson, but none project as future All-NBA stars yet.
Given the depth of this draft class, the Wizards are positioned to select a potential franchise cornerstone. For fans who have waited decades, Sunday’s lottery win feels like the ultimate reward—a turning point that could finally change the team’s fortunes.