The Washington Wizards have announced the name of their upcoming NBA Gatorade League club, which will be know as the Capital City Go-Go. The Go-Go’s debut in the G League will come in the circuit’s 2018-19 season.
“We are thrilled to announce the addition of the Capital City Go-Go to the Monumental Sports & Entertainment family,” said MSE Founder, Chairman, Majority Owner and CEO Ted Leonsis. “The Go-Go music scene has been ingrained in the fiber of our vibrant community for decades and we are proud to help continue that legacy.”
The primary logo is highlighted by the Conga drum, a unique aspect of Go-Go music. The stripes in the drum create a hyphen for Go-Go and also represent the District of Columbia flag. A classic Wizards basketball can be found at the top of the drum while the typeface of Capital City (a popular nickname for the District as well as a reference to the Capital City Bullets, as the team was known in their first season after relocating from Baltimore in 1973) is additionally taken from historic logos. Stars and stripes adorn the secondary logo while a pair of music notes symbolize ‘Go-Go.’
A pillar of D.C.’s music scene, the Go-Go subgenre was invented in the nation’s capital in the late 70’s by Chuck Brown & The Soul Searchers. The Young Senators, Black Heat, Trouble Funk, Rare Essence, Experience Unlimited and other impactful acts have helped make Go-Go a prevalent part of the region’s unique identity through multiple generations and an influential style that can be heard throughout several musical styles to this day. The team’s identity was conceptualized following a highly-successful Go-Go Night during the Wizards’ post-game concert series last season and in conjunction with local members of the Go-Go community earlier this year.
The Go-Go, like the Wizards, will be owned and operated by Monumental Sports & Entertainment. They will play their 24 home games at a new, state-of-the-art venue on the campus of the former St. Elizabeths Hospital in Southeast Washington, D.C. set to open in 2018. Mayor Muriel Bowser, Events DC, and Monumental Sports & Entertainment have partnered to promote transformative community development in Ward 8 with the construction of the new arena, which will also serve as the practice facility for the Wizards and the home of the WNBA’s Washington Mystics.
“By securing an NBA G League franchise, we will have the ability to develop young prospects by implementing our system through an extension of the Wizards’ front office and coaching staff,” said Leonsis. “Proximity is also a key component to our growth and we are excited that, due in part to our partnership with the District of Columbia and Events DC, the Go-Go, along with the Washington Mystics, will have a home just a few short miles away from Capital One Arena in the brand-new facility at St. Elizabeths in Ward 8 of Southeast D.C.”
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