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Washington Wizards: 25 Best Players To Play For The Wizards

By Phil Watson

Jan 28, 2016; Washington, DC, USA; A general view of the scoreboard at Verizon Center, as the Washington Wizards changed their name to the Baltimore Bullets for one game as part of throwback night against the Denver Nuggets. The Nuggets won 117-113. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 28, 2016; Washington, DC, USA; A general view of the scoreboard at Verizon Center, as the Washington Wizards changed their name to the Baltimore Bullets for one game as part of throwback night against the Denver Nuggets. The Nuggets won 117-113. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /
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30 Dec 1996: Center Gheorghe Mursean of the Washington Bullets tries to guard center Vlade Divac of the Charlotte Hornets at the US Air Arena in Landover, Maryland. The Hornets won the game 101-92. Mandatory Credit: Doug Pensinger /Allsport
30 Dec 1996: Center Gheorghe Mursean of the Washington Bullets tries to guard center Vlade Divac of the Charlotte Hornets at the US Air Arena in Landover, Maryland. The Hornets won the game 101-92. Mandatory Credit: Doug Pensinger /Allsport /

player. 142. <strong>How acquired:</strong> Second-round pick (30th overall) from Pau-Orthez (France), 1993 NBA Draft.. C. 1993-97. Gheorghe Muresan. 21

Gheorghe Muresan was technically the second Romanian-born player in the NBA, but he was the first who was born and raised there.

A gigantic center who had played in his native Romania as well as in France, Muresan attracted the curiosity of the Washington Bullets in the second-round of the 1993 NBA Draft.

WAS_21_MURESAN
WAS_21_MURESAN /

The 7-foot-7 behemoth played sparingly as a rookie, but earned a starting job in his second season and in his third, 1995-96, was named the NBA’s Most Improved Player after leading the league in field-goal percentage.

He led the NBA in the category again in 1996-97, but missed the entire 1997-98 season due to a back injury that eventually ended his career. He was released by the then-Wizards after the end of the lockout in January 1999.

In four seasons in Washington, Muresan averaged 10.6 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.6 blocks in 23.4 minutes per game, shooting .579/0-for-1/.646.

In May 1999, Muresan signed a contract with the New Jersey Nets and remained with them the following season but, limited to just 30 games, he walked away from the NBA, playing another season in France before retiring.

He came back briefly in the American Basketball Association in 2005-06.

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