Magic's "Firstborn" Returns Nick's Magical Moments Game I'll Never Forget Career Statistics

By Scott Wallin Nick Anderson was walking through an Atlanta mall not long ago when he was approached by a man in his mid-20s. The man recognized the former Orlando Magic star but he wasn’t seeking an autograph or photo opportunity. Instead, he extended his hand and said thanks. “He said ‘Nick Anderson, you don’t know me but I just want to thank you for some of the things you did for me back in Orlando,’ ” Anderson said. “It blew my mind. It made me feel good inside that this kid remembers what took place back then.” Anderson scored more than 10,000 points in a Magic uniform but he’ll be remembered just as much for the assists he gave off the court. Some around the Orlando community dubbed him “Saint Nick” for his generosity that earned him the inaugural Rich and Helen DeVos Community Enrichment Award in 1996.

NICK'S NUMBERS

To this day, Nick Anderson still holds a number of records for the Magic. Here's a look at some of Nick's accomplishments for the Magic: Games Played   Nick Anderson 692 Darrell Armstrong 502 Dennis Scott 446 Jeff Turner 411 Horace Grant 411 Pat Garrity 392 Scott Skiles 384 Anfernee Hardaway 369 Anthony Bowie 350 McGrady/O'Neal 295   Minutes   Nick Anderson 22,440 Darrell Armstrong 14,234 Horace Grant 14,233 Anfernee Hardaway 13,721 Dennis Scott 13,692 Scott Skiles 11,940 Tracy McGrady 11,628 Shaquille O'Neal 11,164 Pat Garrity 9,025 Bo Outlaw 8,824   Points   Nick Anderson 10,650 Tracy McGrady 8,298 Shaquille O'Neal 8,019 Anfernee Hardaway 7,018 Dennis Scott 6,603 Darrell Armstrong 5,898 Scott Skiles 4,966 Horace Grant 4,638 Terry Catledge 3,433 Pat Garrity 3,381   Rebounds   Shaquille O'Neal 3,691 Nick Anderson 3,667 Horace Grant 3,353 Tracy McGrady 2,066 Bo Outlaw 1,977 Anfernee Hardaway 1,752 Darrell Armstrong 1,645 Terry Catledge 1,513 Jeff Turner 1,484 Dennis Scott 1,363   Assists   Scott Skiles 2,776 Anfernee Hardaway 2,343 Darrell Armstrong 2,555 Nick Anderson 1,937 Tracy McGrady 1,533 Brian Shaw 1,061 Dennis Scott 1,034 Horace Grant 879 Bo Outlaw 747 Shaquille O'Neal 716   Steals   Nick Anderson 1,004 Darrell Armstrong 830 Anfernee Hardaway 718 Tracy McGrady 452 Dennis Scott 429 Horace Grant 426 Bo Outlaw 374 Scott Skiles 332 Jerry Reynolds 251 Shaquille O'Neal 243

Anderson displayed an especially heartfelt touch around the holidays, planning Thanksgiving dinners for senior citizens and leading Christmas toy drives for kids who otherwise might have been forgotten.

“I’d go to the toy store and buy 80, 90 bikes, dolls, numerous toys with my own money but it didn’t matter,” Anderson said. “The smile I helped put on a young kid’s face who probably wouldn’t have had anything for Christmas, that’s what made me feel good inside. It was doing for those who were really, really in need.

“I know what it’s like to not have a new pair of shoes, or having a pair of shoes that you have to share with your brother. I did it from the heart.”

The expansion Magic felt they received a gift of their own when they selected Anderson with the team’s first draft pick in 1989. The University of Illinois star had the right skills and temperament to mesh with players selected in the expansion draft, all of them ready to build from scratch.

Anderson became an immediate fan favorite as Orlando’s “firstborn,” a term some friends still use today when referring to him. He embraced his place in Magic team history and understood the impact he could have, making himself as approachable as possible to fans of all ages.

“I’m a community man,” he says. “It’s OK if you see Nick Anderson out to come up and say ‘hello, how are you doing?’ When I was growing up, I didn’t have those athletes right there who were visible.”

On the court, he endeared himself to those same fans with a strong work ethic and willingness to meet the nightly challenge that awaited him, especially from a defensive perspective.

“I was the one who took on the responsibility of guarding the superstar, the player who was supposed to be ‘the man’ on the other team,” Anderson said. “I never backed down from that and I think a lot of fans appreciated that.”

After 10 years with Orlando, the team traded him and he spent two years in Sacramento and one with Memphis before retiring after the 2001-02 season. Nothing, though, could ever match the feeling he had at the place where it all started.

“I have to be honest,” Anderson says. “When I got traded, it seemed like part of me was left back in Orlando. It just didn’t feel right and that’s not a knock on any of the other organizations but my home was Orlando.

“The fans really embraced me from Day One. I can’t say enough about that. They’ve been behind me my whole career, even when I got traded. A lot of people stood behind Nick Anderson. That means a lot.”

Anderson will see those familiar faces again when he becomes the first person to be recognized during the Magic’s “Commitment To The Past Nights” program on March 10. The goal is to embrace the team’s history and former players with a video tribute, on-court presentation and by unveiling a permanent banner on the TD Waterhouse Centre concourse.

Anderson cannot wait to step back onto his old turf once again.

“I’ve won a lot of accolades throughout my career but this is certainly one that will stand out the most of all of them,” Anderson said. “It really means a lot. I can’t say enough about it.”

Anderson, who lives in Atlanta, is hoping for a chance to someday join the Magic franchise “in any capacity.”

Otherwise, he hasn’t delved into any business ventures but keeps busy with three children, including a 16-year-old son, Joshua, who’s following nicely in the family business of basketball.

Joshua Anderson plays on the freshman-sophomore team at his father’s alma mater, Simeon Academy in Chicago. It’s the same court where Nick Anderson earned “Mr. Basketball” honors for the state of Illinois, leading Simeon to the city championship and a No. 1 national ranking in USA Today as a senior.

This new Anderson generation is rekindling memories of another era and player. He wears his dad’s old high school number – 44 – and his style of play evokes some natural comparisons, even from the originator.

“The way he plays, he reminds me of myself,” Anderson said. “When he scores, everyone in the crowd is looking at me.” Joshua led Simeon to Chicago’s freshman-sophomore public league championship this year. But before the game, Joshua approached his father over some concerns about the size and skill level of Simeon’s opponent. Dad broke out the pep talk of “putting their shoes on the same as you” and it seemed to work as Joshua had 13 points in the win.

Dad proudly recalls every detail of the game.

“They beat the team that everyone picked before the year started to win it,” Anderson said. “I told my son not to worry about who he’s playing against. I guess I got to him because, oh dear, when I left I was hoarse. I couldn’t speak anymore. I was screaming and yelling.”

---

Scott Wallin, a freelance writer who lives in Oviedo, is a regular contributor to Magic Magazine and orlandomagic.com