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