However, financial issues led the team to relocate to Baltimore in 1963 and rename themselves as the Baltimore Bullets (the name was to honor a prior NBA franchise in the city which had previously folded, which itself was taken from the name of a local landmark that had produced small lead balls commonly used in shotguns, but used for non-lethal purposes as well). A decade later they decided to move to the suburban DC area, and renamed themselves as the Capital Bullets for one season before changing their name to the Washington Bullets later that season. | However, financial issues led the team to relocate to Baltimore in 1963 and rename themselves as the Baltimore Bullets (the name was to honor a prior NBA franchise in the city which had previously folded, which itself was taken from the name of a local landmark that had produced small lead balls commonly used in shotguns, but used for non-lethal purposes as well). A decade later they decided to move to the suburban DC area, and renamed themselves as the Capital Bullets for one season before changing their name to the Washington Bullets later that season. |