Team:
Orlando Magic
Sport: NBA Basketball
Background: The Orlando Magic are
a National Basketball Association team based in Orlando,
Florida.
Founded: 1989
Owner: Rich DeVos
Home Arena: TD Waterhouse Centre
(Formally Known as The Orlando Arena or O-Rena for
short)
Uniform colors: Blue, White, Silver,
and Black
Logo design: Capital letters with
blue-lettered ORLANDO enshrined on the home jersey.
Franchise history:
The Orlando Magic joined the NBA for the 1989-90 season.
The franchise had only a brief period of adjustment
before establishing itself as a contender. With the
drafting of center Shaquille O'Neal in 1992, the Magic
became instantly competitive and one of the league's
most popular teams.
Nearly four years before the team sank its first basket,
local developer and banker Jim Hewitt began promoting
the idea of an NBA franchise in Orlando. He lured
then Philadelphia 76ers General Manager Pat Williams
to Florida. Williams went to work selling Orlando
Magic T-shirts, caps, and other merchandise and persuaded
locals to make $100 deposits on season-ticket reservations.
All of this was done to impress the NBA with a show
of support from central Florida hoops fans. On July
2, 1986, Hewitt's group was one of five that each
put up $100,000 to be considered for a potential NBA
expansion team. The payoff came nearly a year later,
on April 22, 1987, when the NBA Board of Governors
voted to add four new franchises: Charlotte and Miami
for the 1988-89 season, and Orlando and Minnesota
for 1989-90. The price of admission was $32.5 million
per team.
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The Magic had several reasons to be optimistic about
their 15th Anniversary season. After taking the top-seeded
Detroit Pistons to seven games in the playoffs last
year the consensus was that Orlando was on the verge
of a special season. With the addition of veteran
forward Juwan Howard and point guard Tyronn Lue to
help superstar Tracy McGrady, expectations were high.
Unfortunately things just never came together for
the Magic in the 2003-2004 season. After winning the
season opener in New York, Orlando lost a franchise
record 19 straight games. Injuries once again plagued
the Magic, and they were never able to recover from
their brutal start. Grant Hill was unavailable all
season, and Pat Garrity saw action in only one game
as he spent the year recovering from knee surgery.
Not to be forgotten:
• Darrell Armstrong
• Horace Grant
• Anfernee
Hardaway
• Shaquille
O'Neal
• Dennis Scott
Retired numbers:
• 6 Fans(6th Man)
Current stars:
• Kelvin
Cato
• Steve Francis
• Gordan Giricek
• Drew Gooden
• Dwight Howard
• Cuttino
Mobley
• Tracy McGrady
External links:
Orlando Magic official web site (http://www.nba.com/magic/)
Official Summer Pro League web site for the Orlando
Magic (http://www.summerproleague.com/)
