The cause of death was not given, but Pollin suffered from progressive supranuclear palsy, a rare brain disorder that impairs movement and balance.

Pollin was born in Philadelphia in 1923; he moved to the D.C. area with his family 8 years later.

He was instrumental in getting the Verizon Center built in a downtown Washington neighborhood in 1997, when he moved the team from the Capital Centre, in Landover, Md. Pollin also had built the Capital Centre, the first major venue in the nation equipped with luxury boxes and a large replay screen.

Pollin bought the NBA team then known as the Bullets in 1964 with two partners for $1.1 million. Four years later he bought out the partners, moved the Bullets to Landover and also acquired the NHL expansion Washington Capitals.

He changed the name of the NBA franchise to Wizards in 1997, parting with the original name due to its connection to violence.

The high point in Pollin's ownership came in 1978 when his Bullets won the NBA championship behind Elvin Hayes and Wes Unseld. The low point, perhaps, came in May 2003. That was when Pollin had to tell megastar Michael Jordan, who had come out of retirement to play two seasons for the Wizards, that he was no longer to be a part of the Wizards, as either a player or a part-owner.

"He meant a lot to me," said Sixers coach Eddie Jordan, a Washington native who coached the Wizards for five-plus seasons before coming to Philadelphia. "He hired me to come back to coach a team that I'm a big fan of, my hometown team. A big friend, a huge supporter who did wonders for the city of Washington, D.C.

"He was understanding and passionate about his team and his players. He wanted to win and he understood the game. He was the main cog in the revitalization of Washington, D.C., this whole downtown area. He was a catalyst and this building was part of it. His vision and the work that he put in and his contribution to charity meant a whole lot to this city."

In a statement, NBA commissioner David Stern said: "With Abe Pollin's passing, the NBA family has lost its most revered member, whose stewardship of the Wizards franchise, together with his wife Irene, has been a study in unparalleled dedication to the city of Washington. During his illness he fought with a determination and valor that will remain an inspiration to all. We extend our deepest sympathies to Irene and his two sons, to whom he was so very devoted, and to the entire Pollin family."

Said Hall of Famer Unseld: "He wanted to win, but for different reasons. He wanted to win because he was a competitor but he also wanted to win for other people, so that they could swell their chest and take pride in it."

Kapono update

"When I got into the game in the fourth, I stepped on some big guy's foot and rolled it over," he said. "I stayed in the game, because the adrenaline was pumping and everything, but when I came out and calmed down, it really started hurting.

"The outside [of the ankle] swelled up pretty good, but it wasn't a really bad sprain. Plus, we have a great training staff. It's sore, but I'm ready to go."

Homecoming downplayed

"I'm locked in to prepare our team to play a very good game," he said in his pregame talk with the media. "We've been around the league long enough to focus in on what I have to do as a job."

For more Sixers coverage, read the Daily News' Sixers blog, Sixerville, at

http://go.philly.com/sixerville.