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orlando_magic

Orlando Magic

Team Birth Year

The Orlando Magic were founded in 1989 as part of the NBA’s expansion.1)

Name Inspiration

The name “Magic” was inspired by Orlando’s tourism slogan, “The Magic of Orlando.”2)

Founding Father

Pat Williams, a former Philadelphia 76ers executive, spearheaded the campaign to bring an NBA team to Orlando.3)

Naming Contest

The team name was chosen through a fan contest, receiving over 4,000 submissions.4)

Rejected Names

Other finalist names included Heat, Tropics, and Juice, but “Magic” was selected.5)

Expansion Peers

The Magic were part of the NBA’s late-'80s expansion along with Minnesota Timberwolves, Miami Heat, and Charlotte Hornets.6)

Original Arena

The Magic played their first 21 seasons at the Orlando Arena, later renamed the TD Waterhouse Centre.7)

Modern Home

Since 2010, the team plays at the Amway Center in downtown Orlando.8)

State-of-the-Art Facility

The Amway Center is recognized for its modern design and eco-friendly features.9)

Attendance Milestone

The Magic sold out all 41 home games in their inaugural season.10)

First Game

Orlando played its first game on November 4, 1989, against the New Jersey Nets.11)

First Points Scorer

Reggie Theus scored the first points in franchise history.12)

First Win

Their first-ever victory came in their second game, against the New York Knicks.13)

First Season Record

The Magic finished their first season with a 18–64 record.14)

Shaq Era Begins

In 1992, the Magic drafted Shaquille O’Neal with the No. 1 pick.15)

Penny Magic

In 1993, they traded Chris Webber for Penny Hardaway and three future first-round picks.16)

First Finals Appearance

Orlando reached the NBA Finals in 1995, just six years after their founding.17)

Shaq Leaves

O’Neal departed for the Lakers in 1996, shocking the franchise.18)

Dwight Howard Drafted

In 2004, the Magic selected Dwight Howard as the No. 1 overall pick.19)

2009 Finals Run

Behind Howard, the Magic returned to the NBA Finals in 2009.20)

Fastest Finals Team

The Magic became the fastest expansion team to reach the NBA Finals (in 1995).21)

Most Wins in a Season

The Magic won a franchise-best 60 games in the 1995–96 season.22)

Most Playoff Appearances

The team has made the NBA playoffs over 16 times.23)

Best Regular Season Coach

Stan Van Gundy holds the best regular-season win percentage in team history.24)

Jersey Retirements

The Magic have no retired player numbers, but they retired the No. 6 for the fans.25)

Hall of Famers

Shaquille O’Neal, Grant Hill, and Tracy McGrady are Magic alumni inducted into the Hall of Fame.26)

Penny & Shaq Duo

The Hardaway-O’Neal combo was one of the NBA’s most popular duos in the mid-'90s.27)

Scoring Leader

Dwight Howard leads the franchise in total points, rebounds, and blocks.28)

Triple-Double First

The first Magic player to record a triple-double was Scott Skiles.29)

Assist Record

Skiles also holds the NBA record for most assists in a game with 30, set in 1990.30)

Back-to-Back No. 1 Picks

The Magic won the NBA Draft Lottery in both 1992 (Shaq) and 1993 (Webber).31)

Lottery Luck Again

They also won the No. 1 pick in 2004 (Howard) and 2022 (Paolo Banchero).32)

Worst Season Record

Their worst full-season record was 15–67 in 2003–04.33)

Dwight Trade

In 2012, Dwight Howard was traded to the Lakers in a four-team blockbuster deal.34)

Heated Rivalry

The Miami Heat vs. Orlando Magic rivalry is known as the “Sunshine State Showdown.”35)

Classic Upset

In 2009, the Magic stunned the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals.36)

Boston Duel

The Magic faced the Boston Celtics in back-to-back playoff years (2009, 2010), splitting series.37)

Ownership Group

The team is owned by the DeVos family, founders of Amway.38)

First GM

John Gabriel served as the team’s GM during their late-'90s rebuilding era.39)

Magic Community Outreach

The Magic are known for their strong presence in Central Florida charities.40)

Mascot Fame

The team’s mascot, Stuff the Magic Dragon, is one of the NBA’s most beloved.41)

International Talent

The team has featured several notable international players, like Hedo Türkoğlu and Nikola Vučević.42)

Uniform Evolution

The Magic’s pinstriped jerseys are considered iconic among NBA uniforms.43)

Magic Gaming

The franchise has an official NBA 2K League team, Magic Gaming.44)

Sixth Man Honor

The No. 6 jersey was retired to represent the fans as the team’s “sixth man.”45)

orlando_magic.txt · Last modified: 2025/05/12 02:03 by eziothekilla34