The Washington Wizards and Capitals are planning to move out of D.C. and across the Potomac River to Alexandria, Virginia and into a 70-acre “entertainment district” set to be completed by 2028.
And former Wizard Bradley Beal, like many D.C. sports fans, would prefer his old team stay in the city it represents, which is extremely reasonable and fair. Should the Wizards and Capitals leave Washington, they’d join the Commanders as D.C. teams not actually based in D.C.
In a video diary entry for ESPN’s Andscape, Beal basically begged Ted Leonsis — whose Monumental Sports owns both Washington franchises — to keep the teams in D.C.
Former #Washington #Wizards star @RealDealBeal23 makes plea in his latest @andscape diary to Wizards owner Ted Leonsis to not the #NBA franchise to Virginia. More video diary from the #Phoenix #Suns guard here: https://t.co/4zYDUEABw3 pic.twitter.com/AT3lRNYaQe
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) December 23, 2023
RELATED: Everything we know about the Wizards and Capitals proposed move from Washington to Virginia
As we previously explained, money is playing a large role in this expected move. Both teams currently play at Capital One Arena, and Leonsis wants a renovation, asking the city to pay for $600 million of the $800 million project, The Washington Post noted. Not making progress with D.C., Leonsis, it seems, went to the adjacent state.
Beal acknowledged the financial situation, but he made his case to the Wizards and Capitals owner.
To Andscape, Beal said:
“D.C., there is no moving to Virginia. What is that? Ted, we love you to death. We understand what you want to do and [are] trying to do. But you can’t take the team out of D.C. It’s Chocolate City. We need, as a league, we gotta keep that. D.C. — it has to stay in D.C.
“Now, the money? Listen, that’s out of my hands, that’s out of my controls. I ain’t got nothing to do with that. Hopefully [Washington D.C.] mayor [Muriel] Bowser can work something out with you. I don’t know. I don’t know. I hope the team stays. I think it’s good for the city. Think it creates a little bit of a problem, just my personal opinion, if it moves to Virginia.
“It’s probably similar to how people felt when [the Washington Commanders] moved to Maryland. It is a tough thing. I think we just got to get everybody back to D.C. Just rebuild RFK Stadium, rebuild Cap One [Arena]. Just keep it in the city. We can make it happen. They can make it happen. They can make it happen.”
