58 Fun Facts About Orlando Magic

In which year did the Orlando Magic begin play as an NBA expansion team?

The Orlando Magic tipped off in 1989, joining the NBA for the 1989–90 season together with Minnesota, one year after Charlotte and Miami.

Which two NBA Finals did the Magic reach, losing both?

The Magic reached the Finals in 1995 and 2009, swept 4–0 the first time and beaten in five games the second.

Which former 76ers general manager fronted the investment group that brought the NBA to Orlando?

Pat Williams, then general manager of the Philadelphia 76ers, was recruited by Orlando businessman Jim Hewitt in 1985 to front the bid and became the Magic's first general manager.

Which of these was NOT one of the four finalists in the 1986 name-the-team contest that produced 'Magic'?

Sharks was never in the running: the four finalists in the 1986 newspaper contest were Heat, Tropics, Juice and Magic, and 'Heat' went to Miami instead.

The 'Magic' name is a nod to which local institution?

The name nods to Walt Disney World and its Magic Kingdom, the resort that made Orlando a tourist capital; the GM's seven-year-old daughter Karyn helped tip the choice.

Roughly how many million dollars was the expansion fee Orlando reportedly paid to join the NBA?

Orlando paid a $32.5 million expansion fee, the same price charged to Charlotte, Miami and Minnesota in the NBA's late-1980s expansion round.

Who was the Magic's first head coach?

Matt Guokas coached the Magic through their first four seasons, stepping down in 1993 and handing the job to his assistant Brian Hill.

Which Illinois guard was the Magic's first-ever draft pick?

Nick Anderson, taken 11th overall in the Magic's first draft, played ten seasons in Orlando and is remembered for missing four straight free throws late in Game 1 of the team's first NBA Finals.

Which Magic point guard set the NBA single-game record with 30 assists against Denver in December 1990?

Scott Skiles handed out 30 assists against Denver on 30 December 1990, breaking Kevin Porter's record of 29; he won Most Improved Player that season and returned as head coach in 2015.

The family that founded which company bought the Magic in 1991 for $85 million?

Amway co-founder Rich DeVos bought the Magic in 1991 for $85 million and owned the team until his death in 2018 at age 92.

Whom did the Magic select first overall after winning the 1992 draft lottery?

Shaquille O'Neal was the first rookie voted an All-Star starter since Michael Jordan and lifted the Magic from 21 wins to 41 in his debut season.

The Magic won the 1993 lottery again despite having how many balls in the drum?

One ball out of 66, a 1.5 percent chance, was all Orlando had, yet the Magic won the 1993 lottery a year after landing the top pick in 1992.

Whom did the Magic draft first overall in 1993, then trade to Golden State that night?

Chris Webber was swapped to Golden State on draft night for the third overall pick plus three future Warriors first-round selections.

Which All-Star forward left the Chicago Bulls to sign with the Magic before the 1994–95 season?

Horace Grant, a three-time champion with Chicago, signed in 1994; Orlando went 57–25 and beat his old Bulls in the East semifinals on its run to the Finals.

Which team swept the Magic in their first NBA Finals appearance?

The Houston Rockets, led by Hakeem Olajuwon, completed back-to-back titles with the sweep; Orlando had reached the Finals in only its sixth season.

How many regular-season games did the Magic win in 1995–96?

The Magic won 60 games in 1995–96, a franchise record at the time, yet were only the East's second seed behind the 72–10 Bulls, who swept them in the conference finals.

The Magic's superstar centre left as a free agent in 1996 to join which team?

He won three straight titles there from 2000 to 2002.

Which two-time NBA champion coach with the Pistons was hired by the Magic for the 1997–98 season?

Chuck Daly, winner of back-to-back titles with Detroit, took over in 1997 as Julius Erving joined the front office, but injuries to the star point guard wrecked his first season.

Which rookie head coach won Coach of the Year for the 1999–2000 'Heart and Hustle' Magic team?

Doc Rivers, in his first season as a head coach, steered a roster of virtual unknowns including a young Ben Wallace to 41–41 and was named Coach of the Year.

Which two star free agents did the Magic land in the summer of 2000 after also chasing Tim Duncan?

Grant Hill and Tracy McGrady both signed in August 2000; Hill's ankle limited him to four games in his first season, while McGrady became a two-time scoring champion.

How many points per game did the Magic's scoring champion average in 2002–03 to lead the NBA?

The 32.1 points per game in 2002–03 won the scoring title; he led the league again the next season at 28.0 even as the Magic went 21–61.

How many consecutive games did the Magic lose in 2003–04 to set a franchise record?

The 19 straight defeats ran from November into December 2003; the head coach was fired after a 1–10 start and the team finished a league-worst 21–61.

Which guard headlined the package the Magic received from Houston for their disgruntled superstar in 2004?

Steve Francis arrived with Cuttino Mobley and Kelvin Cato in the June 2004 trade and lasted less than two seasons in Orlando before being dealt to the Knicks in February 2006.

Which high-school phenom did the Magic take first overall in the 2004 draft?

Dwight Howard started all 82 games as a rookie and left after eight seasons as the franchise leader in points, rebounds and blocks.

Which 2005 first-round pick stunned the Magic by staying in Spain, reportedly at his girlfriend's urging?

Fran Vázquez, taken 11th overall in 2005, chose to keep playing in Spain's ACB league and never played an NBA game.

Which college coach signed a five-year Magic deal in June 2007, then asked out the very next day?

Billy Donovan was released from the contract and returned to the University of Florida, and the Magic hired Stan Van Gundy within the week.

Which forward did the Magic sign from Seattle in 2007 to a six-year maximum deal worth over $110 million?

Rashard Lewis arrived from Seattle in a 2007 sign-and-trade and later served a 10-game suspension after an elevated testosterone level from an over-the-counter supplement.

Which Magic assistant coach guaranteed a Game 7 win over the champion Celtics in the 2009 East semifinals?

Patrick Ewing, then a Magic assistant, made the guarantee and Orlando delivered, winning Game 7 on Boston's floor to advance.

Whom did the Magic beat in the Eastern Conference finals to reach their second NBA Finals?

The Cleveland Cavaliers, led by that season's MVP LeBron James, fell in six games; Orlando then lost the Finals in five.

Which eight-time All-Star did the Magic acquire from New Jersey in the 2009 off-season?

Vince Carter came from the Nets in June 2009 and was shipped to Phoenix in the December 2010 trade that brought Hedo Türkoğlu back to Orlando.

Which nickname was given to the 2011–12 saga surrounding the Magic centre's trade demands?

The 'Dwightmare' saw him request a trade, opt back in, reportedly push for the coach to be replaced, then undergo back surgery, all within the lockout-shortened 2011–12 season.

Which guard did the Magic get from Denver in the four-team deal that moved their centre?

Arron Afflalo came to Orlando from Denver together with Al Harrington, while the Nuggets took Andre Iguodala from Philadelphia in the same four-team deal.

What was Stan Van Gundy's regular-season record in five seasons as Magic head coach?

Stan Van Gundy went 259–135 over five seasons, made the playoffs in every one and reached one NBA Finals before the Magic let him go after the 2011–12 season.

Which Indiana guard did the Magic draft second overall in 2013?

Victor Oladipo, the Indiana guard taken second in 2013, was traded with Domantas Sabonis to Oklahoma City for Serge Ibaka in June 2016.

Which centre from the 2012 four-team blockbuster set the Magic single-game record with 29 rebounds?

Nikola Vučević pulled down 29 rebounds against Miami in his first season in Orlando, became the team's first All-Star in seven years in 2019, and was traded to Chicago in March 2021.

Which Magic guard won both Most Improved Player and Sixth Man of the Year in 1999?

Darrell Armstrong took both awards in the lockout-shortened 1998–99 season, coming off the bench for a Magic team that went 33–17.

Whom did the Magic select first overall in the 2022 draft?

Paolo Banchero averaged 20 points a game as a rookie, won Rookie of the Year and helped lift the Magic from 22 wins to 34.

Which coach, hired in 2021 from the Mavericks' staff, led the Magic back to the playoffs in 2024?

Jamahl Mosley, a former Mavericks assistant, took over in 2021 and in 2024 guided the Magic to the East's fifth seed and a seven-game first-round series.

Which German forward did the Magic select eighth overall in 2021 with a pick acquired from Chicago?

Franz Wagner, a Berlin-born forward out of Michigan, went eighth in 2021 with a Chicago pick acquired that March, and his older brother Moritz later joined him in Orlando.

What name did the Magic's home arena, opened in 2010, take in December 2023?

Kia Center became the arena's name in December 2023 under a naming-rights deal with the South Korean carmaker; the building had opened in 2010 under a different sponsor's name.

The Magic hosted the NBA All-Star Game in which year?

Orlando hosted the 2012 All-Star Game in its new downtown arena, with the West winning 152–149 and Kevin Durant named MVP.

Why were the Magic's original uniforms made of durene rather than the league's usual material?

The electric blue itself was specially made for the team by MacGregor.

The Magic's first GM suggested black and gold, the colours of which alma mater?

Wake Forest, where the GM had been a catcher on the baseball team, wears black and gold; the Magic instead chose electric blue, black and silver.

In the Magic's original wordmark, a star replaced which letter?

The 2025–26 rebrand brought the silver star back as a substitute for that letter.

Which fashion designer created the Magic's 1998 'sublimated stars' uniforms?

Jhane Barnes, a menswear designer, created the 1998 look, with faint stars sublimated into the fabric of the jerseys and shorts.

The colour of the Magic's 2019–22 'City' uniforms paid homage to which Florida industry?

Orange growing gave Orange County its name, and the orange base of the 2019–20 City jersey honoured that citrus heritage.

What is the name of the Magic's dragon mascot?

Stuff the Magic Dragon, the green mascot introduced for the team's first season, takes his name from a pun on 'Puff the Magic Dragon' and on stuffing a dunk.

How many points did the Magic's star score against Washington in March 2004, a franchise record?

The 62 points came on 10 March 2004 against Washington, in the middle of a 21–61 season, and the Magic won that game.

In a 2012 game against Golden State, a Magic centre set an NBA record by attempting how many free throws?

The 39 attempts, in a January game the Warriors tried to win by fouling him on purpose, broke Wilt Chamberlain's record of 34; he made 21 of them.

What name is given to the Magic's Florida feud with the Miami Heat?

The teams' only playoff meeting came in 1997, when Miami won 3–2 despite Penny Hardaway's back-to-back 40-point games.

The Magic donated $50,000 in 2023 to a super PAC supporting which politician's presidential campaign?

Ron DeSantis was the beneficiary: the $50,000 went to Never Back Down, a super PAC backing the Florida governor, and the team said the gift predated his formal candidacy.

Which Saint Joseph's point guard ran the Magic offense for ten seasons from 2004?

Jameer Nelson, drafted 20th overall in 2004 and traded to Orlando on draft night, played ten seasons for the Magic and made the All-Star team in the franchise's second Finals season.

Which Magic guard answered an 0–2 deficit against Miami in 1997 with consecutive 40-point playoff games?

Anfernee Hardaway scored 42 and 41 points in Games 3 and 4 to level the series, but Orlando lost the deciding Game 5 in Miami.

Which Michigan player did the Magic take 32nd overall in the 2022 draft?

Caleb Houstan, a Canadian wing who spent one season at Michigan, went 32nd to Orlando in 2022, the second pick of the second round.

Which health system sponsors the Magic's practice facility unveiled in August 2022?

AdventHealth holds the naming rights to the AdventHealth Training Center, the Magic's practice facility that opened in downtown Orlando in August 2022.

Who was promoted to general manager of the Magic in July 2023?

Anthony Parker, a former NBA player who had been assistant general manager, was promoted on the same day Jeff Weltman moved up to president of basketball operations.

What record did the Magic post in 2023-24, earning the East's fifth seed?

The 47-35 finish was Orlando's first winning season in five years, and the Magic then took their first-round series to seven games before falling.

Which injury sidelined the Magic's two leading scorers for weeks apiece in the 2024–25 season?

Torn oblique muscles, both on the right side, felled the two stars within weeks of each other in the autumn of 2024, each sidelining its victim for more than a month.