<P> The team 's original nickname was a nod to Chicago 's meatpacking industry ; their home arena , the International Amphitheater , was next door to the Union Stock Yards . However , it was extremely unpopular since it was the same nickname used by the NFL 's Green Bay Packers , bitter rivals of the Chicago Bears . After only one year , the organization changed its name to the Chicago Zephyrs and played its home games at the Chicago Coliseum ( Saperstein 's ABL Majors prevented the team from playing in the larger Chicago Stadium ) . Their only season as the Zephyrs boasted former Purdue star Terry Dischinger , who went on to win Rookie of the Year honors . In 1963 the franchise moved to Baltimore , Maryland , and became the Baltimore Bullets , taking their name from a 1940s -- ' 50s Baltimore Bullets BAA / NBA franchise and playing home games at the Baltimore Civic Center ( the NBA would return to Chicago in 1966 when the Chicago Bulls began play ) . In their first year in Baltimore , the Bullets finished fourth in a five -- team Western Division . </P>
<P> The team 's original nickname was a nod to Chicago 's meatpacking industry ; their home arena , the International Amphitheater , was next door to the Union Stock Yards . However , it was extremely unpopular since it was the same nickname used by the NFL 's Green Bay Packers , bitter rivals of the Chicago Bears . After only one year , the organization changed its name to the Chicago Zephyrs and played its home games at the Chicago Coliseum ( Saperstein 's ABL Majors prevented the team from playing in the larger Chicago Stadium ) . Their only season as the Zephyrs boasted former Purdue star Terry Dischinger , who went on to win Rookie of the Year honors . In 1963 the franchise moved to Baltimore , Maryland , and became the Baltimore Bullets , taking their name from a 1940s -- ' 50s Baltimore Bullets BAA / NBA franchise and playing home games at the Baltimore Civic Center ( the NBA would return to Chicago in 1966 when the Chicago Bulls began play ) . In their first year in Baltimore , the Bullets finished fourth in a five -- team Western Division . </P>
how did the baltimore bullets get their name
how did the baltimore bullets get their name
from a 1940s -- ' 50s Baltimore Bullets BAA / NBA franchise
from a 1940s -- ' 50s Baltimore Bullets BAA / NBA franchise