The Orlando Magic were founded in 1989 as part of the NBA’s expansion.1)
The name “Magic” was inspired by Orlando’s tourism slogan, “The Magic of Orlando.”2)
Pat Williams, a former Philadelphia 76ers executive, spearheaded the campaign to bring an NBA team to Orlando.3)
The team name was chosen through a fan contest, receiving over 4,000 submissions.4)
Other finalist names included Heat, Tropics, and Juice, but “Magic” was selected.5)
The Magic were part of the NBA’s late-'80s expansion along with Minnesota Timberwolves, Miami Heat, and Charlotte Hornets.6)
The Magic played their first 21 seasons at the Orlando Arena, later renamed the TD Waterhouse Centre.7)
Since 2010, the team plays at the Amway Center in downtown Orlando.8)
The Amway Center is recognized for its modern design and eco-friendly features.9)
The Magic sold out all 41 home games in their inaugural season.10)
Orlando played its first game on November 4, 1989, against the New Jersey Nets.11)
Reggie Theus scored the first points in franchise history.12)
Their first-ever victory came in their second game, against the New York Knicks.13)
The Magic finished their first season with a 18–64 record.14)
In 1992, the Magic drafted Shaquille O’Neal with the No. 1 pick.15)
In 1993, they traded Chris Webber for Penny Hardaway and three future first-round picks.16)
Orlando reached the NBA Finals in 1995, just six years after their founding.17)
O’Neal departed for the Lakers in 1996, shocking the franchise.18)
In 2004, the Magic selected Dwight Howard as the No. 1 overall pick.19)
Behind Howard, the Magic returned to the NBA Finals in 2009.20)
The Magic became the fastest expansion team to reach the NBA Finals (in 1995).21)
The Magic won a franchise-best 60 games in the 1995–96 season.22)
The team has made the NBA playoffs over 16 times.23)
Stan Van Gundy holds the best regular-season win percentage in team history.24)
The Magic have no retired player numbers, but they retired the No. 6 for the fans.25)
Shaquille O’Neal, Grant Hill, and Tracy McGrady are Magic alumni inducted into the Hall of Fame.26)
The Hardaway-O’Neal combo was one of the NBA’s most popular duos in the mid-'90s.27)
Dwight Howard leads the franchise in total points, rebounds, and blocks.28)
The first Magic player to record a triple-double was Scott Skiles.29)
Skiles also holds the NBA record for most assists in a game with 30, set in 1990.30)
The Magic won the NBA Draft Lottery in both 1992 (Shaq) and 1993 (Webber).31)
They also won the No. 1 pick in 2004 (Howard) and 2022 (Paolo Banchero).32)
Their worst full-season record was 15–67 in 2003–04.33)
In 2012, Dwight Howard was traded to the Lakers in a four-team blockbuster deal.34)
The Miami Heat vs. Orlando Magic rivalry is known as the “Sunshine State Showdown.”35)
In 2009, the Magic stunned the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals.36)
The Magic faced the Boston Celtics in back-to-back playoff years (2009, 2010), splitting series.37)
The team is owned by the DeVos family, founders of Amway.38)
John Gabriel served as the team’s GM during their late-'90s rebuilding era.39)
The Magic are known for their strong presence in Central Florida charities.40)
The team’s mascot, Stuff the Magic Dragon, is one of the NBA’s most beloved.41)
The team has featured several notable international players, like Hedo Türkoğlu and Nikola Vučević.42)
The Magic’s pinstriped jerseys are considered iconic among NBA uniforms.43)
The franchise has an official NBA 2K League team, Magic Gaming.44)
The No. 6 jersey was retired to represent the fans as the team’s “sixth man.”45)