1980–81 Washington Bullets season

NBA professional basketball team season March 2026 August 2023 July 2025 Washington Bullets Washington Wizards 1981 39 43 Atlantic 4 7 Gene Shue Capital Centre WDCA WTOP Did not qualify WSB The 1980–81 Washington Bullets season was the Bullets 20th season in the NBA and their 8th season in the city of Washington, D.C.1980-81 Washington Bullets Following the season, Wes Unseld retired, Elvin Hayes was traded to the Houston Rockets, and Mitch Kupchak signed with the Los Angeles Lakers. Draft picks 1980 NBA draft Round Pick Player Position Nationality School/Club team 1 14 Wes Matthews G Wisconsin 2 35 Rick Mahorn C/PF Hampton 4 81 Francois Wise California State-Long Beach 5 105 Daryl Strickland Rutgers 6 127 Ken Dancy Chicago State 7 151 Karl Godine Stephen F. Austin State 8 170 Rich Valavicius Auburn 9 191 Clinton Wyatt Alcorn State 10 207 Don Youman Oklahoma State Roster Washington Bullets 1980–81 42 Greg Ballard basketball F 6 7 215 Oregon 34 Austin Carr SG 6 4 200 Notre Dame 22 Don Collins F/G 6 6 190 Washington State 10 Bob Dandridge SF 6 6 195 Norfolk State 35 Kevin Grevey F 6 5 210 Kentucky 11 Elvin Hayes C 6 9 235 Houston 25 Mitch Kupchak PF 6 9 230 North Carolina 44 Rick Mahorn PF 6 10 240 Hampton 33 Andre McCarter G 6 3 190 UCLA 1 Kevin Porter basketball, born 1950 PG 6 0 170 St. Francis (PA) 20 Anthony Roberts basketball F 6 5 185 Oral Roberts 12 Carlos Terry G 6 5 210 Winston-Salem State 41 Wes Unseld F 6 7 245 Louisville Gene Shue Bernie Bickerstaff Regular season Season standings WSB WSB Notes z, y – division champions x – clinched playoff spot Game log Regular season Washington Bullets 1981 Total: 39–43 (Home: 26–15; Road: 13–28) Washington Bullets October yes 1 3 1 5 |- | 1 | October 10 | @ Detroit | W 95–85 | | | | Pontiac Silverdome | 1–0 |- | 2 | October 11 | Philadelphia | L 120–126 (2OT) | | | | Capital Centre | 1–1 |- | 3 | October 16 | @ Cleveland | L 88–90 | | | | Richfield Coliseum | 1–2 |- | 4 | October 17 | New Jersey | L 112–114 | | | | Capital Centre | 1–3 |- | 5 | October 18 | @ Philadelphia | L 101–117 | | | | The Spectrum | 1–4 |- | 6 | October 22 | Cleveland | W 109–96 | | | | Capital Centre | 2–4 |- | 7 | October 24 | @ Chicago | L 96–104 | | | | Chicago Stadium | 2–5 |- | 8 | October 25 | Boston | L 87–103 | | | | Capital Centre | 2–6 |- | 9 | October 26 | @ Milwaukee | L 88–111 | | | | MECCA Arena | 2–7 |- | 10 | January 25 | @ New Jersey | L 98–100 | | | | Rutgers Athletic Center | 2–8 Washington Bullets November 7 1 1 5 |- | 11 | November 1 | @ New York | L 93–111 | | | | Madison Square Garden | 2–9 |- | 12 | November 4 | Atlanta | W 122–98 | | | | Capital Centre | 3–9 |- | 13 | November 6 | Dallas | W 116–95 | | | | Capital Centre | 4–9 |- | 14 | November 7 | Detroit | W 114–88 | | | | Capital Centre | 5–9 |- | 15 | November 11 | Denver | W 107–92 | | | | Capital Centre | 6–9 |- | 16 | November 12 | @ Boston | L 86–93 | | | | Boston Garden | 6–10 |- | 17 | November 14 | @ Indiana | L 108–118 | | | | Market Square Arena | 6–11 |- | 18 | November 15 | @ Atlanta | W 100–88 | | | | The Omni | 7–11 |- | 19 | November 18 | Golden State | L 97–103 | | | | Capital Centre | 7–12 |- | 20 | November 21 | San Diego | W 102–90 | | | | Capital Centre | 8–12 |- | 21 | November 22 | @ Chicago | L 101–114 | | | | Chicago Stadium | 8–13 |- | 22 | November 27 | Indiana | W 123–108 | | | | Capital Centre | 9–13 |- | 24 | November 28 | @ Cleveland | L 105–126 | | | | Richfield Coliseum | 9–14 |- | 24 | November 29 | Milwaukee | W 98–89 | | | | Capital Centre | 10–14 Washington Bullets December 5 4 1 4 |- | 25 | December 2 | Kansas City | W 107–103 | | | | Capital Centre | 11–14 |- | 26 | December 3 | @ Indiana | L 115–128 | | | | Market Square Arena | 11–15 |- | 27 | December 5 | Detroit | W 103–92 | | | | Capital Centre | 12–15 |- | 28 | December 7 | @ Boston(at Hartford, Connecticut) | W 113–103 | | | | Hartford Civic Center | 13–15 |- | 29 | December 9 | @ New York | L 104–107 | | | | Madison Square Garden | 13–16 |- | 30 | December 10 | Boston | L 99–101 | | | | Capital Centre | 13–17 |- | 31 | December 12 | @ Philadelphia | L 79–95 | | | | The Spectrum | 13–18 |- | 32 | December 13 | Indiana | W 114–105 | | | | Capital Centre | 14–18 |- | 33 | December 16 | Chicago | L 94–96 | | | | Capital Centre | 14–19 |- | 34 | December 19 | New York | L 96–102 | | | | Capital Centre | 14–20 |- | 35 | December 23 | @ Atlanta | L 83–100 | | | | The Omni | 14–21 |- | 36 | December 25 | New Jersey | W 109–94 | | | | Capital Centre | 15–21 |- | 37 | December 27 | Houston | W 115–97 | | | | Capital Centre | 16–21 |- | 38 | December 30 | Milwaukee | L 94–115 | | | | Capital Centre | 16–22 Washington Bullets January 6 2 4 4 |- | 39 | January 2 | Chicago | L 82–92 | | | | Capital Centre | 16–23 |- | 40 | January 3 | @ Cleveland | L 112–132 | | | | Richfield Coliseum | 16–24 |- | 41 | January 6 | @ Los Angeles | L 98–107 | | | | The Forum | 16–25 |- | 42 | January 8 | @ Kansas City | L 118–136 | | | | Kemper Arena | 16–26 |- | 43 | January 10 | @ Dallas | W 106–94 | | | | Reunion Arena | 17–26 |- | 44 | January 11 | @ San Antonio | L 106–137 | | | | HemisFair Arena | 17–27 |- | 45 | January 14 | Los Angeles | W 114–104 | | | | Capital Centre | 18–27 |- | 46 | January 15 | @ Detroit | W 106–89 | | | | Pontiac Silverdome | 19–27 |- | 47 | January 17 | San Antonio | W 103–93 | | | | Capital Centre | 20–27 |- | 48 | January 18 | New Jersey | W 110–99 | | | | Capital Centre | 21–27 |- | 49 | January 20 | Utah | W 121–113 | | | | Capital Centre | 22–27 |- | 50 | January 22 | Philadelphia | L 116–128 | | | | Capital Centre | 22–28 |- | 51 | January 23 | Seattle | W 103–91 | | | | Capital Centre | 23–28 |- | 54 | January 25 | @ New Jersey | W 118–100 | | | | Rutgers Athletic Center | 24–28 |- | 53 | January 27 | @ Atlanta | W 105–104 | | | | The Omni | 25–28 |- | 54 | January 28 | Phoenix | W 108–98 | | | | Capital Centre | 26–28 Washington Bullets February 2 2 3 6 |- | 55 | February 3 | @ Portland | L 104–111 (OT) | | | | Memorial Coliseum | 26–29 |- | 56 | February 4 | @ Seattle | L 99–108 | | | | Kingdome | 26–30 |- | 57 | February 6 | @ Golden State | W 116–110 | | | | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Arena | 27–30 |- | 58 | February 8 | @ Phoenix | L 107–113 (OT) | | | | Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum | 27–31 |- | 59 | February 10 | @ Denver | W 115–110 | | | | McNichols Sports Arena | 28–31 |- | 60 | February 13 | @ Philadelphia | W 104–102 | | | | The Spectrum | 29–31 |- | 61 | February 14 | @ Detroit | L 103–105 | | | | Pontiac Silverdome | 29–32 |- | 62 | February 17 | Portland | L 104–124 | | | | Capital Centre | 29–33 |- | 63 | February 19 | Philadelphia | W 129–108 | | | | Capital Centre | 30–33 |- | 64 | February 20 | @ New York | L 112–124 | | | | Madison Square Garden | 30–34 |- | 65 | February 22 | Milwaukee | L 93–102 | | | | Capital Centre | 30–35 |- | 66 | February 25 | New York | W 120–105 | | | | Capital Centre | 31–35 |- | 67 | February 27 | @ Chicago | L 100–112 | | | | Chicago Stadium | 31–36 Washington Bullets March 5 3 3 4 |- | 68 | March 1 | @ Milwaukee | L 107–137 | | | | MECCA Arena | 31–37 |- | 69 | March 3 | @ Utah | W 121–113 | | | | Salt Palace Acord Arena | 32–37 |- | 70 | March 4 | @ San Diego | W 115–103 | | | | San Diego Sports Arena | 33–37 |- | 71 | March 6 | @ Houston | W 105–104 | | | | The Summit | 34–37 |- | 72 | March 8 | Chicago | W 103–99 | | | | Capital Centre | 35–37 |- | 73 | March 11 | @ New Jersey | L 104–109 | | | | Rutgers Athletic Center | 35–38 |- | 74 | March 12 | Indiana | L 107–114 | | | | Capital Centre | 35–39 |- | 75 | March 15 | Cleveland | L 100–101 | | | | Capital Centre | 35–40 |- | 76 | March 17 | Boston | L 91–112 | | | | Capital Centre | 35–41 |- | 77 | March 20 | @ Boston | L 116–128 | | | | Boston Garden | 35–42 |- | 78 | March 22 | Atlanta | W 121–101 | | | | Capital Centre | 36–42 |- | 79 | March 25 | New York | W 120–105 | | | | Capital Centre | 37–42 |- | 80 | March 27 | @ Indiana | L 107–122 | | | | Market Square Arena | 37–43 |- | 81 | March 28 | Detroit | W 108–103 | | | | Capital Centre | 38–43 |- | 82 | March 29 | Cleveland | W 138–103 | | | | Capital Centre | 39–43 WSB 1981 References Category:Washington Wizards seasons Wash Washing Washing