Bradley Beal calls out Wizards owner over team’s proposed move
Nov 8, 2023; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Bradley Beal (3) controls the ball against the Chicago Bulls at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Sabau-USA TODAY Sports
Bradley Beal may have left the Washington Wizards, but he still has one eye on his former team, and is not happy with a significant development this week.
The Phoenix Suns guard wrote in his Andscape diary about Wizards owner Ted Leonsis, who this week announced plans to move both the Wizards and Washington Capitals to a new arena in Northern Virginia, thus leaving the District of Columbia itself. The plan has been criticized by those with ties to Washington, and Beal was among them.
“D.C., I’m here with you. I’m with you all. There is no moving to Virginia. What is that, [Wizards owner] Ted [Leonsis]?” Beal wrote. “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. As a league, we need it. It has to stay in D.C. now. The money? Listen, it’s out of my hands and out of my control. I ain’t got nothing to do with that. Hopefully [Washington] mayor [Muriel] Bowser can work something out with you.”
Beal compared the proposed move to the Washington Commanders moving to Maryland, and called on Leonsis to rebuild Capital One Arena downtown.
Beal was intensely loyal to the Wizards, and he was only traded last offseason after both sides agreed to move on. His opinion will not carry any real weight in Washington anymore, but Wizards fans might be heartened by it.
The Wizards are just 5-23 on the season after trading away most of their talent during the offseason. They do not exactly have a lot of fan goodwill going for them right now.
