WASHINGTON – The NBA's Washington Wizards will honor late owner Abe Pollin by wearing a patch on their jerseys for the remainder of the season.

The black patch just under the jersey's right shoulder features the name "Abe."

Two identical logos will be displayed on the Wizards' home court at the Washington arena built mostly with Pollin's money.

The team planned to wear the patch for the first time on Thursday, when they hosted the Boston Celtics.

Washington coach Flip Saunders said he thought it was a fitting tribute to Pollin.

"I wish we didn't have to wear it. I wish he was still here to watch us play," Saunders said. "We know he's always going to be watching us."

Pollin died November 24 at the age of 85. He bought the Wizards in 1964 and was the NBA's longest-tenured owner.

Pollin suffered from progressive supranuclear palsy, a rare brain disorder that affected his balance and movement.

Pollin bought the NBA's Baltimore Bullets in 1964 and moved them to suburban Washington in 1973, renaming the team the Capital Bullets for one season and then the Washington Bullets.

The Bullets won the 1978 NBA crown, the only league title Pollin's squad ever captured. The next year, Pollin took the club to China, making the team the first NBA squad to play in the Asian nation.

In 1997, Pollin renamed the Bullets as the Wizards, in part because of the huge number of gun slayings in the US capital, and moved the team from a suburban arena into a 20,000-seat downtown coliseum he built, sparking a redevelopment that continues to this day.