Washington will re-don their illest colors ever (on a permanent basis) during the 2012 season — assuming we have a season, of course. From the WaPo: “The Wizards plan to change their team colors to red, white and blue before the 2011-12 season. Ernie Grunfeld had answered a question about the slight tweaks to the Wizards’ uniform for the upcoming season — the ones brought about with the re-design by NBA shoe partner adidas. When asked if the team had changed the colors from the current slate blue, black, gold and white, Grunfeld said, ‘No. The colors are the same, but as you know, [new owner Ted Leonsis] plans on changing the colors to red, white and blue the next season.’ It was possibly a slip by Grunfeld, certainly not the bombastic formal announcement one might expect for a move so anticipated by fans. But it’s out there now. No need to look back in the past. After taking over the franchise in June, Leonsis hinted that he would like to change the colors back to the patriotic looks of both the Capitals and the Nationals and he recently painted red the steps inside Verizon Center. Leonsis wrote on his blog, Ted’s Take, last June that he can’t change the Wizards’ name but ‘We can change the colors more easily….That could happen as soon as the following season.’ But Leonsis hadn’t made any official comments about changing the team colors. The Wizards changed from red, white and blue in 1997, when the late Abe Pollin changed the name of the team from Bullets.”