An Introduction to the Be There Blog
By Marc D'Amico
Twenty years is a milestone number celebrated in so many different areas of life. Marriage, service, graduation and even turning 20 years old are just a few examples. To reach twenty years in anything, hard work and commitment are necessary from everyone involved.
This year, the Orlando Magic celebrate their 20th year as the heart of Central Florida sports. With 20 years behind the organization, memories are plentiful and thank you's are owed. But while celebrating such a successful past, the Magic organization is proud to display their optimism toward the future.
This year is about all who have come through the doors of Amway arena and all of those who will enter the Orlando Events Center. It is about savoring the 10 playoff appearances in 19 years but salivating over the NBA championship the team aims to soon bring home. It's about the players and coaches, the front office, the entire staff and the fans that have all bled blue since day one in 1989.
All of these things are what make the Magic unique; different from every other NBA franchise or professional sports team. These are the things that make the Magic a success both on and off the court. And these are the things we plan to highlight for you throughout the season.
As the season approaches and then begins, OrlandoMagic.com will be bringing you features and articles about people, moments, comparisons and the Magic’s bright future that you may have never known or thought about. This is our way of celebrating 20 years in Orlando, and this is your way to get even closer to the organization.
Check in right here every week this season for newly updated features.
Celebrate 20 years of history and take a look into the future here with us at OrlandoMagic.com.
By Ali Kicklighter | November 21, 2008
Make All-Star Weekend a Weekend of Magic
The names for the 2008-2009 All-Star Ballot have been announced and four of your Orlando Magic players have made the list. Dwight Howard, Rashard Lewis, Hedo Turkoglu and Jameer Nelson have all made the coveted ballot along with other top players in the NBA.
The ballot is made up of 120 players, including 24 guards, 24 forwards and 12 centers for each conference. You can cast your vote for two guards, two forwards and one center as many times as you would like, and the starters (which are determined by fan voting) will be announced January 21, 2009.
Howard, Lewis, Turkoglu and Nelson are all honored to be on the ballot with fellow superstars around the league. Nelson for one is eager to see how many votes he can acquire.
“I am excited; the opportunity to get votes is really exciting,” said Nelson.
While Nelson remains content with accumulating votes, Lewis is already hoping for the best possible team in the East.
“It’s always good to be on the All-Star ballot because you never know what can happen,” said Lewis. “As long as we have a good team come game time, anything is possible.”
After narrowly missing last year’s All-Star game, Turkoglu has high hopes for this year and continues to work hard to become a member of the Eastern Conference All-Star team. Turkoglu was considered by many around the league to be the one player who deserved to make the 07-08 All-Star team but was left off.
“I think everything is all about what you make it so I will try my best,” said a determined Turkoglu. “As long as I keep playing and producing good numbers the votes will come.”
As many of you are aware, Howard made an even bigger name for himself during the 07-08 All-Star weekend by being named the starting center for the Eastern Conference team and winning the Slam Dunk Championship. His Superman dunk not only went on to earn him the nickname but could be considered the highlight of the entire weekend.
In order to cast your vote for all Magic players (I say all Magic players because you can write in your favorite Orlando player), you have many options. Voting will continue through Jan. 11 for paper balloting and Jan. 19 for internet and wireless balloting. The 2009 NBA All-Star Game, which will air live on TNT and ESPN Radio, will be held on Feb. 15, 2009 in Phoenix, AZ. Fans can vote in a variety of ways, including: on orlandomagic.com, at each NBA arena, in 20 languages on NBA.com and through mobile phones at t-zones on T-Mobile phones or wap.nba.com for any wireless carrier.
To all my fellow fans, I am trusting that you will choose wisely and make this year’s Eastern Conference All-Star team a star-studded lineup of members of the best team in the NBA, the Orlando Magic!
Ali Kicklighter is an intern in the Magic’s communications department.
By Marc D'Amico | November 13, 2008
The Future Is Now
For many teams in the NBA, this season is about building and preparing for the future. Teams like the New York Knicks, New Jersey Nets and Memphis Grizzlies are attempting to stockpile young talent while decreasing their salary cap number in hopes to lure free agents their way in the coming years.
In Orlando, things are a lot different. What you see on the court this year is in many cases the future of the team. Otis Smith has assembled a roster of players that he believes he can build around to bring an NBA championship to Orlando for the very first time. After winning 52 games last season, it’s clear that he isn’t far off.
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Smith’s recipe for winning an NBA championship has four main ingredients, and they are as follows:
Ingredient No. 1- Dwight Howard (Signed through 2012-13)
Since being drafted by the Magic with the first overall pick in 2004, Howard has become one of the top players in the NBA and is widely regarded as the best center in the league. He has dramatically increased his abilities on the offensive end of the floor since his rookie season and has become a potent scoring threat. His commitment to defense has shown so far in the 2008-09 season as he is leading the NBA with 4.38 blocks per game and has 14 more total blocks (35) than Andrew Bynum, who is second in the league with 21.
On November 12, 2008, Howard showed every skill in his repertoire when he notched his first career triple-double against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Wondering what his final stat line was? Take a look:
30 points, 19 rebounds, 10 blocks, three assists, 12-of-21 from the floor and only one turnover.
If that’s not production, I don’t know what is. There aren’t many players in the history of the NBA, let alone current players, who can match a night like that. He is the centerpiece of this organization and is signed through the 2012-13 season. At only 22 years of age, Superman might be calling Orlando his home for a lot longer than that.
Ingredient No. 2- Rashard Lewis (Signed through 2012-13)
Lewis was the biggest acquisition for the Magic franchise since they lured Tracy McGrady and Grant Hill to town in the summer of 2000. He is a team-first player and has shown that since joining Orlando prior to last season. He has shifted his position to the power forward and is continually adjusting to that spot. Still, he is considered to be a great match on the floor with the always-developing Howard.
With Howard’s ability to dominate the paint, he is drawing many double-teams from opponents and that number will only grow in the future. Combine that with the outstanding shooting ability of Lewis and you’ve got a great duo to take the floor with each and every night. Lewis is an All-Star-caliber player and he showed that in 2005 as a member of the Seattle SuperSonics.
He is a player that excels at the offensive end of the floor and has impressed many in the league with his defensive performance at the power forward position last year and into this season. On most teams he would be the go-to guy on offense. In Orlando, he doesn’t have that pressure. He can play his game and allow his other teammates, like Howard, to get involved as well.
Ingredient No. 3- Jameer Nelson (Signed through 2012-13)
Coming out of Saint Joseph’s University as the recipient of the 2004 NCAA men’s basketball Wooden and Naismith awards, Nelson has developed in each season of his NBA career. With so many scoring options on this roster his job is to distribute, and that’s exactly what he’s done so far this season. Last season, Nelson averaged a career-high 5.6 assists per game and is carrying that into the 2008-09 campaign. After a slow start, Nelson has picked up his game and is averaging 5.0 apg. (three games of six or more assists) and also notched his career-high of rebounds with 10 against Oklahoma City on November 12.
His quickness, decision-making and shooting abilities all combine for enough to convince Otis Smith that he is the point guard of the future in Orlando. His statistics have shown improvement this season, specifically in the rebounding department, and he is taking care of the ball. Last year he averaged nearly a 3-to1 assist-to-turnover ratio and is over a 2-to-1 average so far this season.
Ingredient No. 4- Mickael Pietrus (Signed through 2011-12)
This summer, Otis Smith and Stan Van Gundy wanted to bring in a player that they thought was on the verge of taking off in his NBA career. Enter Mickael Pietrus.
After five seasons in Golden State, the Magic lured him away and think that they have found their man. So far, Pietrus has delivered. He is having a career year in almost every major statistical category, including points per game (13.4), apg. (1.0), free throw shooting (89.3 percent), 3-point shooting (40.0 percent) and field goal percentage (50.0 percent). He is also pulling down 3.2 rebounds per game and all of this is happening in an average of only 26.6 minutes of playing time.
It’s certain that he will be more accustomed to Van Gundy’s system as well as his fellow players throughout the season, so look for him to take off as was anticipated by the Orlando front office.
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Any great recipe has more than the main ingredients. There is always a “pinch” of this and a “pinch” that.
One player who hasn’t played like a pinch during his Magic career is Hedo Turkoglu. At the moment, he is a main ingredient on this team. At this point, though, he can become a free agent at the end of this season if he chooses to opt out of his contract. He was the NBA’s Most Improved Player last season and is averaging 17.9 ppg., 5.4 rpg. and 4.3 apg. so far this season. At this point, consider him a pinch ingredient as a result of his contract situation. If the Magic can retain him in a three or four year contract this summer, put him right back up there with the four ingredients listed above. That would mean that the Magic have all five of their starters signed to play together at least through the 2011-12 season. Not many teams in the NBA will be able to say that (and be happy about it) heading into next season.
The last and final long-term ingredient to this roster is rookie Courtney Lee. He was drafted this season with the 22nd overall the NBA draft. Although he has played sparingly so far this season, the Magic believe he can become a strong contributor in the very near future. He is athletic, has great shooting ability and plays beyond his years with the ball. His defensive abilities are a strong asset to have coming off the bench and he will only get better in the coming years. Orlando has him signed through the 2011-2012 season, with 2010-11 and 2011-12 being team option years. If he can develop to the level the front office anticipates, he’ll be a steal by the end of that contract and could be a huge factor in the Magic winning a title.
So, at a quick glance, you can see that Otis Smith has four of his five starters and a talented rookie signed for this season and the following three seasons. He has three of his five starters signed for this season and the following four seasons.
Is this the recipe to win the NBA championship? No one can really say just yet. But if you are a Magic fan you can say one thing: The future is now.
By Dan Dugger | November 6, 2008
Pat Williams: Exceptionally Accomplished but Always Forward Thinking
There are 30 teams in the NBA, just barely enough to cover half of the states in the U.S.
Not to mention that California covets four, Texas hosts three, Florida has a pair and Toronto is home to the Raptors.
So, for a state, let alone a city, to serve as home to an NBA franchise — that’s pretty exclusive company.
The city of Orlando has successfully sat in that company since Orlando Magic Senior Vice President Pat Williams helped orchestrate a franchise move 20 FANtastic seasons ago.
Convincing a Community
When the NBA awarded Orlando a franchise in late April of 1987, Williams not only had to sell 10,000 season tickets, he had to convince a Central Florida community that it could be a major league sports city.
The 68-year-old Williams cited the latter as the most difficult aspect of securing a franchise but the trail-blazing Philadelphia native would combat that difficulty with his extraordinary vision.
“I saw it clearly in my mind, what [the Orlando Magic] was going to look like,” said Williams, the team’s first general manager. “I think the first ingredient of leadership is vision. Vision is the very centerpiece of leadership, to see the future before it gets here.”
The Magic had to until December 31, 1988 to sell its 10,000th season ticket and
a mere nine days before the league’s deadline, Orlando businessman Greg Wallace purchased eight tickets for $5,840, pushing the total to 10,000.
"The good news is that it's done," Williams told the Orlando Sentinel in 1988. "We hit 10,000 this morning and it's history — Orlando is a major league sports market."
Two decades later, Orlando has remained a major league sports market and the Magic a top-tier team, thanks in part to the Orlando Magic’s outstanding ownership and a goal-oriented front office.
“There is no question that everything in sports starts at the ownership level,” said Williams. “I give the DeVos family A-pluses across the board.”
Since the DeVos family purchased the Magic in 1991, the team has won three division championships, one Eastern Conference title and had four 50-win seasons. Even so, the on-the-court accomplishments are philanthropically overshadowed by the millions of dollars the family and the organization has donated to the Central Florida community.
Appetite for a Title
Williams won an NBA Title as a general manager with the Philadelphia 76ers, and now the accomplished author has his sights set on bringing the Larry O’Brien trophy to Orlando.
“I think it’s always our goal, it’s the reason you play,” said Williams, who has written more than 50 books. “You play to get a ring.”
The Magic’s pursuit of a ring obviously centers on Olympic Gold Medalist and fifth-year center Dwight Howard — a player that Williams was keen on since day one.
“I was a Dwight guy,” said Williams, who represented the organization at the draft lottery in 2004. “I thought Dwight had a chance to be extraordinary. Dwight had a chance to be a major star, and he is.”
It is Howard’s stardom, combined with a tremendously talented team supported by a championship-hungering leadership group that has Magic fans believing that an NBA Title in The City Beautiful is quite realistic in its 20th FANtastic season.
By Ali Kicklighter | October 30, 2008
Just call him Rashard "Teamwork" Lewis
If you are picking teams for a game of pick-up basketball, there is no doubt Rashard Lewis is the guy you want to pick first.
Lewis could easily be the poster child, or man, for teamwork in the NBA. There are very few guys in the league who are willing to give up his position simply for the benefit of his team.
“Teamwork is the No. 1 key in NBA basketball because it takes a team to win an NBA Championship,” Lewis said. “It’s not going to be one, two, or three guys, it actually takes more than five guys on the court because there are people coming off the bench and of course the coaches.”
Going into the 2007-2008 season, Lewis was asked to make a change that would define him as the ultimate team player.
Lewis made the jump from small forward to power forward in order to benefit his Orlando Magic team. He was willing to put his own personal success on the back burner and gave up his small forward position to Hedo Turkoglu.
Last season it was speculated if Lewis would have stayed at the small forward position he would have been a member of 2007-2008 All-Star team. He was a member of the 2004-2005 All-Star team and was selected to compete in the 2006-2007 3-point contest.
“I think changing positions did matter a little bit just for the fact I had to adjust playing the four and learn the pick-and-roll defense,” Lewis said of his chances of making last year’s All–Star team. “I think I am a lot better this year than I was last year for the simple fact I played power forward all season long.”
Lewis’s character is simply one-of-a-kind and his positive, optimistic attitude can be humbling to anyone he meets. Lewis is always the one standing behind his teammates supporting and praising them for all their hard work.
Lewis was taught at an early age the proper way to treat and respect everyone who crosses his path. “I feel like I treat everyone with respect: players, coaches and staff. I just think you should treat everyone as you want to be treated because that’s how I was raised.”
With Lewis’s attitude and dedication to the game of basketball, there is no doubt he will only continue to be a positive attribute to the Orlando Magic.
Ali Kicklighter is a communications intern for the Orlando Magic.
By Marc D'Amico | October 24, 2008
Did You Know?
Isn’t it always nice to throw out a “did you know that…” in the middle of a sports conversation that no one had any idea was true? Isn’t it even better to be able to do that in a conversation about the Orlando Magic?
Well OrlandoMagic.com will be giving you some ammo for those situations this year! Every other Wednesday, a new “Did You Know” will pop up on the 20th Anniversary page in the Magic player. That means every other week you’re going to have another fun fact in your holster that you can unload on your friends at a Magic game.
So do you want a taste of things to come? Well look no further, the Be There Blog is here to give you a sneak preview! Listed below are five Did You Knows that didn’t quite make the cut, but they’ll give you an idea of what’s coming your way.
Did you know that… Rashard Lewis is currently the only NBA player listed at NBA.com with the last name Lewis? I bet you wouldn’t have figured that!
Did you know that… on February 20, 2005, following five surgeries to his left ankle, forward Grant Hill returned to All-Star form and was voted a starter for the 2005 NBA All-Star game?
Did you know that… first year Magic player Anthony Johnson was an All-Conference football quarterback and baseball shortstop for Stall High School in Charleston, S.C? No big deal.
Did you know that… Michael Jordan made his first appearance in Orlando on December 20, 1989 and dropped 52 points on the Magic? Well, too bad for him, Otis Smith was on that Magic team and nailed a game-winning shot at the buzzer, leading Orlando over the Chicago Bulls, 110-109. Smith, the current Magic general manager, scored 28 points on the night.
Did you know that… our Orlando Magic broadcast crew employs two former Magic head coaches – Matt Goukas and Richie Adubato?
If you thought these ones were good… wait until we bounce 12 to 15 of them to you throughout the season. Again, every other Wednesday (continuing on November 5th) a new Did You Know will be added to the site, so make sure you come back and store them in your brain! After all, you never know when you might need to pull one out.
Did you know that you can visit the 20th Anniversary Did You Know page by clicking below to read the first entry? Well... now you do!
Did you know that on October 31, 1988, STUFF, the Magic Dragon, the official mascot of the Orlando Magic, was…(
read more)
By Marc D'Amico | October 17, 2008
Rookie Road Trips
If you grew up with an older sibling, you know how it feels to be the one who always takes out the trash, or has to wash the dishes or always gets the blame for doing something wrong. Right now, Courtney Lee is feeling the exact same way as you did back in the day, except he doesn’t have one older sibling this year, he’s got a whole bunch of them – 15 to be exact.
Each and every year, players enter the league from the collegiate and European levels and every single one of them experiences the fun of being an NBA rookie. This year, Lee happens to be the sole rookie on the Orlando Magic roster, so he has to take all of the fun squarely on his shoulders.
It doesn’t matter if you’re the number one pick like Derrick Rose or an undrafted free agent signing, you’re going to hear it day in and day out.
Take Wednesday’s practice, for instance. Stan Van Gundy spoke to his team after their practice concluded around 12:50 p.m. and everyone headed to the locker room with the exception of Dwight Howard, Mickael Pietrus and Courtney Lee. Lee walked up into the top row of the bleachers to sit down and have a chat with Morlon Wiley, director of player development. As they sat and talked in the stands overlooking the court, Pietrus pulled the ball cart over to the very corner of the court. Over the next few minutes, he and Howard had some fun heaving every single ball 94 feet down the court with one hand.
Howard and Pietrus threw some verbal bets out there (of a solid monetary value) on who would hit the rim or make a shot first. Both of them walked off the court even in their bank accounts, as neither of them came within five feet of hitting the rim.
But as they walked off the court their work wasn’t done. The path from the court to the locker room went right by Wiley and Lee, and with that Lee heard the line he’s become all too familiar with: “Get on that, Rook.”
Pietrus headed into the locker room laughing, knowing that he just had his fun at the rookie’s expense. Howard stopped to talk to reporters but couldn’t help from laughing about what he just took part in. As he spoke to reporters, he mentioned what the rook is in for on the road this season.
“This is the rook’s first road trip, so you know, we might give him a little something,” Howard joked. “We might toss him in the pool or something or throw some duct tape on him or do something crazy … He has to make sure all of us are up and give us the wake up call and take all of our dirty clothes and give them to Sid (Powell).”
While Howard may have been joking about some light-hearted hazing, he made sure to say that Lee’s player profile page is going to say “R” under his NBA experience category for a long time.
“He’s a rookie until next season until his first game, so he’s got a while,” he said with a smile.
It seemed still, the day their first road trip began, Lee didn’t understand that he was going to be the target of all practical jokes. When he spoke about his first road trip, all he could talk about was how intrigued he was.
“I’m actually looking forward to it,” he said. “I’ve been around these guys for a while and had a couple of home pre-season games, so I’m just excited to see what life is going to be like on the road.”
Sadly, for Lee, it doesn’t seem like life on the road is going to be the most pleasurable experience in the world. But as Howard had noted before, it’s all in good fun and every rookie has to deal with it. That is, unless they can find an easy way out.
While Howard was deep in conversation with reporters and Pietrus was changing, a basketball operations intern emerged from the locker room. Lee yelled over to the intern that
he had to pick up the balls scattered all over the court. As any intern would do, he hopped right on that task and picked up every single ball.
It’s now Friday, day three of Lee’s first NBA road trip. By now, he’s probably become aware of two things.
First... he probably noticed that life on the road as a rookie is
a lot different than life on the road as a veteran.
Second... interns don’t travel.
Sorry, Courtney.
By Ali Kicklighter | October 2, 2008
Bo Outlaw is the true definition of Community Ambassador
With his trademark smile and one-of-a-kind laugh, Bo Outlaw is simply in a league of his own. While his playing career has come to an end, good character and a generous spirit are still high on his priority list.
Many people who attended games during Outlaw’s playing career remember his pre-game dance moves and enthusiastic personality both on and off the court, but now his role as Orlando Magic Community Ambassador has allowed him to continue impacting the people of Orlando with his glowing personality.
One of Outlaw’s main priorities is giving back to the community where he now calls home. “I’m just here to help out and give back to the community to let them know we are here and appreciate what they are doing,” Outlaw said of he and fellow ambassador Nick Anderson. “We try to give back as much as we can.”
If you get a chance to meet Outlaw, you will quickly realize his motto in life is simply, “enjoy every day.” Every time Outlaw has been spotted in the office or out in the community, he is gleaming from ear to ear and is willing to spend time with each and every individual.
Hard work and dedication has allowed Outlaw to have a successful on and off the court record in the NBA. His simple advice to everyone is “work hard.”
“Be happy and have fun,” Outlaw said. “If you work hard and give your all, then there’s no need to be upset because you tried your best. Just wake up, enjoy life and do what you can that day.”
Outlaw was a seasoned NBA veteran in the league for 14-years, playing stints with the L.A. Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies, Phoenix Suns and the Orlando Magic. While he traveled around to several teams, he always seemed to find his way back to the Magic.
With the team’s 20th Anniversary season quickly approaching, Outlaw has been recognized as the only player to wear all of the Orlando Magic’s covenant jerseys. While he mentions that he has liked them all, the infamous star jersey worn by the team from 1998-2003 was his favorite jersey to proudly wear on game days.
The new uniforms for the 2008-2009 season take it back to the teams first years with pinstripes for both home and away games.
The pinstriped jerseys were worn by the Magic their first 10 years from 1989-1999. While Bo’s favorite jersey was the stars, the pinstriped are listed as a close second.
If you had to pick one guy to wear all of the Magic’s jerseys, Bo Outlaw would be one of the best candidates. There truly is nobody who enjoys life, or who loves the Magic, as much as him.
On behalf of the Orlando Magic community, thank you Bo for everything you have done for the beautiful city of Orlando and for all of Central Florida.
By Marc D'Amico | September 22, 2008
OMYF Golf Tournament is a Big Win
The Orlando Magic team offices at the RDV Sportsplex were empty Friday morning. Only a few roamed the halls that usually host between 100 and 200 staff members Monday through Friday.
It was just another day, and another example of why “basketball” and “Dwight Howard” shouldn’t be the only thoughts that pop into your head when you hear someone talking about the Orlando Magic.
Nearly half of the Orlando Magic staff was out volunteering at the Championship for Charity Golf Tournament, an Orlando Magic Youth Fund (OMYF) fundraiser that is held at this time every year. This year’s event was hosted by the Ginn Reunion Resort, which includes the Arnold Palmer Legacy and Tom Watson Independence golf courses.
With more than 100 Orlando Magic staff members and corporate partner members taking a Friday away from work to benefit a not-for-profit golf tournament, it’s no challenge to find that the Magic are about a lot more than basketball.
Since the team’s inaugural season in 1989, ownership has made it clear that professionalism and making a positive impact would be expected from top to bottom and would become staples of the organization. That fact is boldly placed in the Orlando Magic Mission Statement, which reads: “To be world champions on and off the court, delivering legendary moments every step of the way.”
With the team heading into its first season of play, ownership decided to begin that “off the court” impact with their community relations department, and in 1988 OMYF was born. Since that year, the foundation has grown dramatically and made over $13 million of donations to non-profit organizations.
For this to happen, dedication has to trickle from ownership all the way down to the community relations department, and that is certainly the case here in Orlando.
“I think the great thing and the unique thing about our foundation is that our owners, the DeVos family and the Vander Weide family, they pay all of the operating cost of the foundation,” said Kari Conley, director of community relations and the OMYF.
With commitment like that from the owners, OMYF has the ability to hold top-of-the-line fundraisers like the golf tournament throughout the year. But the golf tournament is one of their most important events, and that’s why volunteers from the prganization are willing to spend a day in the heat each and every year.
This year’s tournament began with shifts at 6 a.m. in preparation of the players’ arrival and registration. The day concluded at 5:30 p.m. after the awards luncheon and silent auction. In those 11 ½ hours of work, OMYF was expected to raise over $200,000. With all expenses paid for, every cent raised will wind up back in the community in some way, shape or form. Not a bad day at the golf course, eh?
It was a day that was fully aimed toward a good cause, but at the same time its participants were able to have a day full of fun.
Throughout the course, separate contests, giveaways and donations were available to the participants. First, players were given the option of purchasing an “Early Birdie Special” for the tournament, which awards players a specific number of mulligans, sandy andy’s and gimmie’s per round, depending on the package purchased.
When each foursome took the course with their purchased helpers in hand (even Tiger Woods can use a mulligan every now and then), they were faced with a hole-in-one contest, an on-the-green contest, a Brown Forman shot-for-shot contest, longest and straightest drive contests and a closest to the pin contest. The winner of each contest was awarded a prize at the luncheon, and a hole-in-one would have won a new car. None of the players were up to par in that contest.
Along with these special contests, players received gifts throughout the day, including red commemorative polos, black pull-over jackets and goodie bags.
Each foursome also got a visit from a special guest at the event. Mingling with the players and taking pictures throughout the course were gold medal-winning swimmer Ryan Lochte and Community Relations Ambassador Bo Outlaw.
“It’s always good to do these events,” Outlaw said. “People would say it’s ‘easy’ but it’s just a fun event. We’re out here playing golf and meeting people, but the bottom line is it’s all for the kids. That’s what it’s all about.”
Lochte felt the same way, citing on numerous occasions that he was “grateful” to be there and that it “really meant a lot” to be asked to the event by the Magic.
It may have meant just as much to the players, one of which was another gold medalist, Dwight Howard. Many of the groups stopped their play for five to 10 minutes to speak with Lochte about his experiences in Beijing and when he would start his training again.
As the 18-hole rounds came to a close, players were greeted inside for a luncheon and silent auction. Head Coach Stan Van Gundy spoke to the group of participants and newly signed shooting guard Mickael Pietrus roamed the crowd introducing himself to many of the golfers.
As the silent auction closed and the Ginn Reunion Resort emptied, a sense of success felt by everyone, especially those from the OMYF.
“We were really pleased with the results today, especially with the economy and just, the state of what we’re all dealing with,” Conley said. “I think that we have some strong supporters of the Magic as well as friends of the Magic that come out every year because they know it’s a good cause and that 100 percent of their donations is going to go to the charities in this community. It’s the greatest need for these charities to receive this money, so it’s fun and not just about golf but giving back.”
It means a lot to raise such a large amount of money for a foundation, but it means even more when everyone involved has fun doing it. Scorecards may have said there were winners and losers on the course that Friday, but each and every person at the resort that day contributed to a huge win.
It wasn’t a game seven clinching playoff win or a buzzer beating layup, but this kind of win has become a regular fixture for the Magic over the past 20 years. And these are the wins that Central Florida children will be appreciating for the rest of their lives.
By Dan Dugger | September 15, 2008
Dwight Displays Acting Potential in Recent adidas Shoot
Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard spent the morning of his first day at voluntary workouts preparing for the season.
He spent the afternoon displaying his acting skills in a ten-hour long commercial shoot for the shoe and apparel company, adidas.
While the NBA’s official apparel sponsor requested that the details be kept mum, there were some highlights of the day that I can share:
* The shoot took place at the Lynx Bus Station downtown and all over the RDV Sportsplex (Magic locker room, weight room, practice court).
* At times, Dwight was trailed by as many as five cameras, but it didn’t faze him as he showed spectacular acting skills.
* During the shoot, Dwight taught the “Soulja Boy” dance and a similar handshake which he shares with Magic teammates
* Members of the Magic staff just
may have participated in the commercial as extras
* For lunch, Howard ate Popeye’s chicken, followed by alfredo pasta with spicy shrimp for dinner
* Aaron Campbell, a 19-year-old actor/model from Orlando, Fla., who stands 6-foot-5, served as Howard’s stand-in.
* Howard’s wardrobe consisted of two racks of clothing, featuring both the new unreleased Orlando Magic jersey and the 2009 All-Star jersey.
* When shooting a scene Howard was riding a stationary bike and when asked what he was doing, he mistakenly said, “I’m just on the treadmill.”
* A plethora of adidas employees stressed that Howard is one of the best athletes to work with because of his easy-going and comedic attitude.
* Howard did give some insight to what his plans would be if he is persuaded to defend his 2008 NBA Slam Dunk Championship in Phoenix, Ariz., at the 2009 contest.
Unfortunately…you will have to wait and see.
By Marc D'Amico | September 4, 2008
Why do you think his nickname is the Magic Man?
In professional sports, all you need is one play to go down as a legend. One moment in time where you make a play that was so unforeseen, game-changing, remarkably difficult and what many would call “impossible” before seeing it happen with their own eyes.
Just ask David Tyree of the New York Giants, who made “The Catch” in the 2008 Super Bowl vs. the undefeated New England Patriots. Or Kirk Gibson of the Los Angeles Dodgers, who hit a walk-off home run in the 1988 World Series on one leg. Or Mike Aruzione of the USA Men’s Hockey Team, who scored the go-ahead goal against the Soviet Union in the 1980 Miracle on Ice.
These are all moments that would go down in history as some of the greatest and most unexpected plays of their respective sports and teams.
Nick Anderson is no unknown when it comes to NBA basketball and the Orlando Magic, but in game one of the 1995 Eastern Conference semi-finals, he made a play that will forever be remembered by the Magic faithful and the NBA – and the greatest player to ever play the game.
Just six years after its inception into the NBA, the Orlando Magic had become a serious threat to win an NBA championship. With the luck of Pat Williams winning two NBA draft lotteries, the team was loaded with a young, yet dominant Shaquille O’Neal in the middle, Penny Hardaway on the wing, newly signed All-Star forward Horace Grant and a host of talented veterans, including Anderson.
“We knew what we had and we knew what we were capable of,” Anderson said of the ’94-95 team. “All we had to do was go out on the court and play our game.”
They did just that, going 57-25 in the regular season, good for the top seed in the Eastern Conference. The Magic also relished in their time at home, winning 39 of the 41 regular season home games. A big part of that, as Anderson noted, was a result of the fans.
“They (the fans) motivated me more so than anybody,” said Anderson.
“I had a ritual that I always did at home. I never not did it. I would go and put the chalk on my hands, and I’d come back from the last player on the bench, I mean even the ball boys. I’m slapping hands all the way down every coach, and then the whole scorers table, they would stand up because they knew I was coming, and they’d have a hand out and I’d slap their hands running down, and I’d give that leap on the floor, and I’d turn around to the fans and motion: I’m ready,” he explained as he opened his arms wide and stuck his chest out, as if he was on the floor in front of the Magic fans once again.
He and his teammates were more than ready to make a run to the finals. In the first round they faced off with the 16-time NBA champion Boston Celtics.
“We came here the first game against Boston and I think we won (by), if I’m not mistaken, somewhere in the vicinity of 42-47 points in the first game,” Anderson said. “In the second game we came out, we knew they were going to make adjustments and everything like that, which they did. They played better basketball as a team, as a unit, and we ended up losing game 2 here on our floor. So the series headed to Boston. We went to Boston and took care of business. We ended up shutting down the Boston Garden. I can say that I played the last basketball game ever played in the old Boston Garden. I’m a part of history!”
Put a check mark next to historic moment number one of the ’95 Magic playoff run.
Historic moment number two would come soon after closing out the Celtics in four games.
In the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs, the Magic were up against the Chicago Bulls, a team that had won three of the previous four NBA championships and was led throughout the season by All-NBA First Teamer Scottie Pippen. But after a late season addition, a new leader had come back on board in Chicago. His name was Michael Jordan.
With Jordan out of retirement and back on the team, the Magic knew that series would be no walk in the park. When each team advanced on to play each other, Anderson realized what he was going to be defending all series long.
“This guy was unbelievable,” Anderson said. “He was unbelievable. He had the mindset that he wasn’t going to be defeated. He’s not going to give up. Forty eight minutes, he’s giving you 48 minutes of hell. That was just Michael Jordan.”
On May 7, 1995, Nick Anderson sat in the last chair of the Orlando Magic bench, telling himself, “Kill my man, kill my man.” He got up, ran the length of the bench and scoring table slapping hands then jumped and turned to the fans and gestured he was ready. He was ready to kill his man, Michael Jordan.
With 1:11 left in the fourth quarter, Jordan scored his 17th, 18th and 19th points on a fast break and-one layup to give the Bulls an 89-88 lead. Soon after, Shaquille O’Neal put the Magic back on top by one when he hit two free throws with 49 seconds remaining in the game. The Bulls then brought the ball up court and ran a set play, which resulted in Toni Kukoc tossing an alley-oop to Scottie Pippen for a dunk and a one point lead.
Instead of calling a timeout, Magic Head Coach Brian Hill elected to let his young team play on in the final 30 seconds of the game. Dennis Scott received a pass from Anderson at the top of the 3-point line and drove into the paint, looking to dish a pass off to the cutting Penny Hardaway. Instead, the errant pass was stolen by Bulls guard B.J Armstrong.
The air seemed to have been sucked out of the arena as the Bulls called time out. They now had a one point lead with 18 seconds left, possession of the ball and the most clutch player in basketball history on their side. Not a bad combination to close out a game.
But the Magic, and specifically Nick Anderson, had different plans. He was up for the challenge and knew his team needed him. O’Neal made that clear to him in the timeout.
“Shaq would say ‘Play good defense on him! Play good defense on him!’ And I would say ‘I got it, I got it,’” Anderson noted. “Those guys had a lot of respect for me as a defender and they looked up to me to take on the task, and I did that.”
Taking on that task was something that would help him add to an already eerie NBA playoff day. Earlier that day, Reggie Miller scored eight points in 8.9 seconds to lead the Pacers over the Knicks in game one of their series, and the Rockets managed a huge comeback win over the Jazz on the road in Salt Lake City.
Obviously, Jordan was the man the Bulls wanted to have the ball, and he wound up taking the inbounds pass. Anderson was the man defending him and he quickly reached in for a steal. He came up empty and that allowed Jordan to spin and get in front of him by a couple of steps. He never gave up, though, and chased behind Jordan as he crossed the half-court line with 13.2 seconds left.
Here is how Anderson himself remembers the play.
“I can remember them inbounding the ball, and he got one step ahead of me, so he went around me and he was looking for me to come up over his left shoulder,” he said, staring at the floor as if he was replaying the images in slow motion. “So he glanced over his left shoulder, but I was coming up the right side… and I got… I got a clean swipe at the ball when the ball was coming up. I was right there with my left hand and I got a clean swipe. It was just like… I could have palmed it actually.”
Anderson sat in his seat, continuing stare deeply into the floor while explaining the play. He extended his right hand out, motioning how the ball came up off of the court, and extended his left hand out to show how he swiped at the ball, and continued on…
“Just got a clean swipe at the ball because he looked over his left shoulder and I was coming up his right side. And I knocked the ball straight to Penny Hardaway. He got it, pushed it and threw it ahead to Horace and Horace got the dunk with Toni Kukoc coming right behind him, two steps behind him. And I can remember, the crowd just, I mean, I thought the arena was going to cave in because there was a roar that you couldn’t imagine. But I never looked at it like that. I just looked at it like I was making a defensive play. But, it happened to be against the best player in basketball,” he finished, with a smile crossing his face.
That defensive play put the Magic up by one point over the Jordan-led Bulls with 6.2 seconds remaining in the game. Jordan and his teammates walked off the court for a timeout dazed and confused, trying to figure out what had just happened.
The most clutch player in the history of the game had just turned the ball over and lost the lead, rather than icing the game as everyone unattached to the Magic thought he would do.
Still, with 6.2 seconds remaining on the clock, it was Jordan with one more opportunity to win the game.
The Bulls inbounded the ball to Jordan near the half court line and he drove to the paint, beating his defender, Donald Royal. He was met there by Anderson, who sagged off of Scottie Pippen, who stood in the corner at the 3-point line. Pippen, who also thought Jordan was going to shoot, ran to the basket hoping for an offensive rebound. In mid-air, Jordan attempted a pass to Pippen and threw the ball out of bounds. That was his eighth turnover of the game, which was a career high.
The Magic finished out the remaining seconds of the game and took game one at home in Orlando, mostly due to Anderson’s steal.
After the game, Anderson was asked by reporters what he thought of “The Steal” and he replied that it “didn't look like the old Michael Jordan.”
“I didn’t mean any disrespect in answering that question, but that’s how they put it,” said Anderson. “The media can take things and just blow it up out of perspective and make it more than what it really is. And I think MJ, you know obviously it was said to him in the other locker room or on TV ‘Nick Anderson said number 45 isn’t like number 23’ and I be darned, game two, here’s number 23.”
Jordan took offense to the statement and came out in game two with his old number and his mind set on winning. But the momentum from Anderson’s steal and Horace Grant’s dunk carried throughout the series, propelling the Magic past the Bulls in six games and into the East finals.
“Chicago was a dominant basketball team,” Anderson says. “They were well coached, you had Toni Kukoc, Pippen, Jordan. You had the other host of supporting cast. We knew it was a good challenge for us and when we defeated the Bulls in that playoff series it gave us even more confidence. Our confidence was really, really high. That was a good opportunity for us to take the next step.”
The Indiana Pacers were Orlando’s next roadblock to the finals. The Magic used their confidence to knock the Pacers out in seven games, advancing them to their first finals appearance in franchise history.
Unfortunately, waiting in the finals were the defending champion Houston Rockets, who swept the Magic in the finals 4-0.
Still, 13 years later, the moment that the Magic fans and organization remember is that steal of Michael Jordan.
Is it legendary players make legendary plays? Or legendary plays make legendary players?
Either way, Nick Anderson will always be considered an all-time Magic great.
Why do you think his nickname is the Magic Man?
By Dan Dugger | August 26, 2008
Family Vacation Spawns Career Longevity
When vacationing in Orlando after his graduation from Marshall University in 1988, Rodney “Sid” Powell was certainly cognizant that a new NBA franchise would soon be starting in the city and he thought it would be advantageous to send his resume the Magic’s corporate office.
“My girlfriend at the time (now wife), her mother lived here in Orlando and we were visiting,” explained Powell, who is one of four front-office employees that have been with the organization since its inaugural season. “I saw that the Magic were starting up, and I had read the articles on Pat Williams and what he was doing and I decided to send a resume to him.”
Sending his resume to Williams was one of the best (and perhaps only) career moves Powell has had to make.
The 44-year-old father of three spent his first three seasons working in the Magic’s box office as a season ticket sales representative. In 1992, Powell happily transitioned into the basketball operations department, where he has worked for the last 17 seasons.
As team operations manager, Powell has dual roles as both equipment manager and travel coordinator. In addition to planning all team flights and hotel stays, he is responsible for the ordering, daily maintenance and supervision of all player practice equipment, game uniforms and player shoes.
As a veteran of his profession, Powell has developed certain locker room rules and if a player breaks one, he has to pay, or smell, the price.
“I give the players the three-strike rule,” explained Powell, a Vienna, W.Va. native. “Like Marcin Gortat, he would leave clothes lying around the locker room and wouldn’t put them in the dirty clothes pile. I told him on the third strike he’d pay the piper. Then one day he got his stuff back and it hadn’t been washed.”
Pranks aside, Powell is as serious about getting an NBA Championship as anyone in the organization. He was on the brink of being a part of a championship Magic squad in 1995 and wants nothing more than to hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
“Getting a ring, that’s what we all shoot for, that’s the ultimate,” said Powell. “To have the team we have now, which I think is very good, that get’s you thinking and motivated to get a ring. I think that’s the goal of anyone working for a professional sports team. That’s my goal and that’s what I think we are all shooting for. It’d be nice to get it on our 20th year.”
Being at all practices and games, ‘Sid” has a unique, inside look at the team. So, take a look at
“Sid’s Short List.”
1.
Best Dressed: “Has to be Dwight Howard, when he gets dressed up, he looks pretty good. But a close second is Tony Battie.”
2.
Worst Dressed: “Hands down Hedo Turkoglu.”
3.
Magic player he would trust to baby-sit his three kids: “Jameer Nelson, he’s just like them height-wise.”
4.
Best Singer: “Certainly not Turk [Hedo Turkoglu], you couldn’t understand him. It’s got to be Dwight Howard.
5.
Essential at practice: “Gum, and lots of it, and bottled Gatorade.”
6.
Nickname: “Back when I was a little heavier, Jameer used to call me STUFF (The Magic’s Mascot) and when little STUFF (miniature version) would run on the court I would say to him in the huddle, ‘Hey Jameer, look, it’s you!’”
7.
If Sid was locker room disc jockey: “I’d play country, but they won’t listen to that, so I get updated every year on new R & B and hip-hop. Every now and then I’ll pick up on a song and start singing it and the players will get a kick out of that.”
8.
Magic player with the greatest desire to win: “It’s got to be Rashard Lewis. His whole routine before every game is the same, the number of shots he takes, what he does in the locker room. His routine is a sign of his commitment to win.”
By Marc D'Amico | August 20, 2008
Experience Center Is The Real Deal
A few weeks ago the Orlando Magic held a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Orlando Events Center being built in downtown Orlando, bounded by Church Street, Hughey Avenue, South Street and Division Avenue
I attended the event to celebrate the huge step forward that the Magic organization and the city of Orlando were taking together. This is a building that will change the Magic organization for the next 20 years and change the dynamic of downtown Orlando as a whole. It truly was an important day in Orlando history, and it was a great day for everyone who could be a part of it.
Still, realize where the hundreds of other attendees and me were standing. We celebrated that morning on a block full of dirt. This is expected at a groundbreaking ceremony, as it is just that – groundbreaking. But with all of the celebration that morning, I couldn’t help myself from imagining what will one day be standing on that block of dirt; an incredible, state-of-the-art, 20,000 seat stadium that will bring the premiere sporting and entertainment events in the world to Orlando. I just wished I had a visual to go by, rather than picturing this building through my imagination.
Then came last Friday, the day those wishes were answered. I took a tour of the Orlando Magic’s Experience Center and it was quite the experience, answering every question possible. Want to know updates on the construction? Check. Want to walk through the bar and suites of the future Events Center? Check. Want to actually sit in your seat and see the view you’ll have for any given event? Check.
That’s right, you can literally sit in a suite seat and experience the view and surroundings you would have at an event in the Events Center. It is absolutely incredible. The only things that were missing were 3D glasses and a virtual basketball game playing in front of me.
The tour is a three-step process, beginning with a description of the building while standing next to the to-scale model. This model allows tourists to take a look at what the arena will look like when completed, along with a laser pointer to show what is located where both inside and outside the stadium.
Next, a fly-through tour is shown on a flat-screen television. This tour gives a look at the view for every type of event, from basketball games to concerts to hockey games. The fly-through also takes the viewer through each level of the stadium, giving an up-close look at all of its bars and walkways.
Finally, that fly-through tour comes to life as the tourists are taken through three fully built rooms that mimic their exact layouts in the Orlando Events Center. First comes the regular Suite, which has a fully stocked bar, two flat-screen TV’s hanging on the wall to the right as one enters, leather couches and seats centered in the room, the left wall lined by flat table-top burners, a sink, an ice chest, and a refrigerator, and beyond it all is a floating island to rest your drinks and food on. On the other side of the island comes the seats, which sit two rows deep and give you a view of the court via projector. The walls to each side are covered by the view of the arena one would have from these seats, with fellow suites to the left and right and the court out in front of you.
After leaving the seats of the Suite, the tour continues into the Loge Boxes. These boxes are full of leather, desk-like roller-chairs lined along a granite table-top running the length of the box, about 15 feet. The boxes are a comfortable size and are planned to be served by waiters and waitresses.
Next to the Loge Boxes, tourists are brought into the Super Suite. This is the kind of suite that I’m pretty sure I will never, ever be in, aside from that moment in time, if you know what I mean. This is the luxury of luxury boxes. The Super Suite room is probably triple the size of the regular Suite room. Once again, TV’s and couches are available for lounging, and martini tables surround the room for the more personal conversationalists. These suites are planned to be butlered and will most likely host parties and other large groups. Club seats are located at the front of the Super Suite to show their view of Events Center entertainment.
After touring the suites, the next stop is the bar, the spot we all know we’re interested in. This bar isn’t built to actual size (it’s about one fifth of what will be at the Events Center), but still gives a great idea of what it will look like and the feel it will have. The bar is well decorated by lights, martini glasses and tables of Magic decor, comfortable booths and pillows and lastly the fully stocked bar, which is centered in the room. It is about one third the length of the room, with open space to its left and right to allow guests in the booths to continue enjoying their event while grabbing a drink away from their seats.
When my tour group exited the mock-rooms, it was odd to realize I was still in a regular building. Walking through the Experience Center made me feel like I was already in the arena built on that dirt I stood on just weeks before at the groundbreaking ceremony. Sadly, I wasn’t. But gladly, it will soon be here.
If this experience tour proves anything, it’s that the Orlando Events Center will be the cream of the crop. With state-of-the-art construction, incredible views and a comfortable atmosphere, it will be sure to make limitless memories in Central Florida for years to come. If you want a real taste of what is being built in downtown Orlando before it’s even here, the Experience Center is definitely where it’s at.
Tours are given to perspective Suite, Loge Box and Club owners. If you are interested in purchasing any of these items and scheduling an Experience Center tour, please call 407-86-MAGIC to get more information.
By Dan Dugger | August 11, 2008
Twenty Years Later: From Backcourt to Front Office
In the midst of family photographs and surrounded by basketball literature, he sits at is his desk, carefully examining his recently written to-do list. On the wall to his left hangs a dry erase board, with the “ideas of the day” inscribed upon it.
But most symbolically, seated above his desk in an enclosed glass case is a purposely deflated basketball. A reminder that one day, the air will run out.
One day, a player’s career will be over.
Morlon Wiley, the Orlando Magic’s Director of Player Development, uses the ball to emphasize the brevity of professional athletic careers to his players.
“When your playing days are over, when the phone doesn’t ring anymore, you need to have an exit plan,” said Wiley, who was the first player to sign with the Orlando franchise in 1989. “The bottom line is that this is about character building, helping these young men become pillars of their communities and examples for their families and for our society.”
The New Orleans, La. native possesses a passion for helping people in all walks of life. He recently spoke to a group of African-American teenagers who were visiting the Orlando Magic’s corporate office on a behind-the-scenes tour in conjunction with the National Urban League Youth Leadership Summit, encouraging them to attend college and pursue a career in professional athletics.
Upon exiting, Wiley handed each of the teens his business card and encouraged them to keep in contact. Briefly fascinated by his openness and generosity, most students probably weren’t aware of the wealth of wisdom contained on the 2-by-3 ½-inch business card.
Wiley is all about abetting all people he comes in contact with and perhaps that is why his front-office role is so fitting. He is constantly contemplating how he can further aid and develop his players.
Not just developing the left-handed hook or the baseline jumper, but developing them as individuals.
“My main thing is trying to develop young men,” stressed Wiley, who has even taken young front office professionals and interns under his wing. “You want to always give them some words of encouragement and a pat on the back. People did it for me, and I always want to give back.”
Wiley is also disarmingly self aware of the financial foolishness that seems so ubiquitous in professional sports.
“I think from a minority perspective, it would be a shame for them to be granted a lottery ticket so to speak, and when it’s all said and done, when their playing days are over, they have nothing,” Wiley said.
He works feverishly to make sure his players aren’t the subject of a financial tragedy and are prepared to embrace life upon retirement.
“Make as much as you can, save as much as you can and give away as much as you can,” is the gospel Wiley preaches to his players. “Delayed gratification is the number one thing in this professional life. You don't need 10 cars and five houses unless you’re a car dealer or a landlord.”
Wiley placed a recent ESPN.com article - about professional athletes squandering their millions - in the lockers of each of the Magic’s summer league players, along with his business card and cell phone number.
“Sometimes players just need a little reminder,” Wiley said.
More than two decades removed from his college days at Long Beach State, where he was a four-year starter on the 49ers basketball team, Wiley stresses that he is still a student.
“I’m constantly learning and growing,” said Wiley. “I ask a lot of former and current players how they handled situations and I pass that along to my players.”
One of his current players, Dwight Howard, personifies a unique opportunity for Wiley to mentor one of the league’s most popular and dominant players.
“I think the main thing for Dwight is balance,” said Wiley of the two-time NBA All-Star and Olympic center. “Just to make sure he leaves some things on the table, because he doesn’t need to do everything. He’s got a good support group along with a general manager in Otis Smith and Joel Glass, the vice president of communications, that are understanding.”
Wiley’s office sits within a bounce pass from Smith’s, and each time he passes by his former back-court mate’s door, he is reminded of the accolade that escaped him as a player, but that which he longs for as an administrator: an NBA championship.
Gracing the front of Smith’s entryway is a poster of the Larry O’Brien Trophy, one of the most sought after prizes in all of professional sports.
But it is an accomplishment Wiley believes is within the Magic’s grasp.
“I think that in our current time, we have just as good of a chance to win a championship as anybody,” said Wiley. “The mission of our team is to get there.”
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