lakeland

Josh Cohen

LAKELAND – Michael Eaton, a longtime Orlando Magic fan who has lived in Lakeland the last several years, was ecstatic when he first learned the Magic’s G League team would be relocating to Polk County. Though he still will occasionally make the drive to Amway Center to watch his favorite team, Eaton plans to regularly come to the RP Funding Center to watch the club’s young talent in his backyard.

Alyssia Totten, similarly, who still vividly remembers when Orlando officially became an NBA city in 1989, thinks the Magic will now become part of the fabric of the Lakeland community.

Considering Eaton and Totten are so passionate about the Magic and their newborn team in Lakeland, it was no surprise they were both on hand for opening night. Part of an electric crowd on Friday that helped spur Lakeland to a 105-100 victory over the Canton Charge, they are proud to call the Lakeland Magic their home team.

“It’s awesome, it gives us a chance out here to have the availability and watch them here,” Eaton said.

“I became a basketball fan when the Orlando Magic started,” Totten said. “I’m really excited to be able to support the home team (Lakeland). I really feel like this will be our success.”

Orlando Magic CEO and G League Team Managing Partner Alex Martins sensed the tremendous joy and enthusiasm from the fans as soon as he walked into the building. The loyalty and passion the fans of Lakeland have for their sports teams was a big reason why the Magic chose this community to be the new home of the G League squad.

“This is incredibly exciting,” Martins said. “There are a lot of great sports fans here. There’s a lot of great enthusiasm. The corporate community has gotten behind us. We are in for a great year and a long run in Lakeland.”

The short distance between Orlando and Lakeland also played a role in moving the team to the RP Funding Center. Being able to have players – like Wes Iwundu and Khem Birch who combined for 40 points in the win over the Charge – play in a G League game one night and then practice with the big league club the next day will help Orlando develop talent more efficiently.

“That convenience is so helpful,” Lakeland Head Coach Stan Heath said. “It’s helpful for me as a coach because I went to the game and watched the (Orlando) Magic play, see coach (Frank) Vogel talk to their staff and just talk basketball. It’s a benefit for everybody.”

Iwundu, who along with Birch was assigned to Lakeland after Orlando’s victory over the New York Knicks on Wednesday, felt the energy from the crowd and says this will be a tough building for opposing teams to play in.

“The crowd brought it today,” said Iwundu, who posted 31 points and nine rebounds. “It was great to see all the people that came out and support the G League team in Lakeland. There’s a lot to look forward to in the future.”

Many of Lakeland’s home games this season are scheduled on weekends, which is great for families with children. Much of what you experience at Orlando Magic games is what you will also see in Lakeland, including a live DJ, halftime acts, kids play areas and more. Learn about ticket options and how you can be a part of the fun by visiting https://lakeland.gleague.nba.com/season-ticket-membership/.

Iwundu recorded 31 points and nine rebounds and Troy Caupain made a few clutch shots down the stretch to lift Lakeland to a thrilling 105-100 win over Canton.

Playing at a pace similar to what we’ve seen from the big league club, the Magic made a concerted effort to speed up the tempo every chance they could. They also did a terrific job spacing the floor by driving and kicking out to open shooters on the perimeter.

Caupain hit a pair of 3-pointers in the final three minutes and finished with 23 points, while Jamel Artis, one of Orlando’s two-way contract players, scored 21 and sank two free throws with 6.4 seconds left to seal it.

Khem Birch, who posted nine points and 10 rebounds, drew a critical offensive foul on Kendrick Perkins in the final minute with Lakeland ahead by one.

“It’s good to get that one underneath our belt and get a win in front of our fans,” coach Heath said. “In the last two games when it’s become crunch time, last four or five minutes of the game, some guys have really stepped up on both ends of the floor, offensively and defensively.”

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Home Opener Huge Success for Lakeland Magic

ORLANDO -- You’ve probably heard these inspirational messages many times before.

“You never know until you try” and “it’s never too late to chase a dream.”

Sometimes your talents are concealed and you need an open platform to showcase your untapped potential.

The G League offers that platform for those who aspire to play professional basketball. It opens a door for those who have slipped under the radar.

Before each season, G League teams hold open tryouts. As many as five players from each team’s tryout can be added to a G League team’s training camp.

The Lakeland Magic, who recently named Anthony Parker general manager and Stan Heath head coach, hold their tryouts on Sept. 23. More information is available here.

“We’re really excited about the tryout,” Parker said. “We have a talented area here (in Central Florida) with guys that have had some success playing the game so I’m anxious to see who comes out.”

Believing the “experts” couldn’t have gotten it wrong is a common fallacy among players who never were drafted by an NBA franchise or simply haven’t received any major accolades during their careers. Evaluating talent is far from an exact science and sometimes scouts and other front office personnel lose sight of a player’s development and potential.

As a result, if you think you’ve been discounted and have the skills and character to be an asset for a G League team, give it a shot. Remember, “you never know until you try” and “it’s never too late to chase a dream.”

Over the last three seasons, 104 players who auditioned for G League teams made opening night rosters. While rare, a few have taken their talent to the NBA.

Jonathon Simmons, who signed with the Orlando Magic earlier this summer, is one of those diamonds in the rough. He paid $150 in 2013 to audition for the Austin Toros, the G League affiliate of the San Antonio Spurs.

It didn’t take long for this life-altering decision to work out in his favor. Simmons was sensational in Austin. The Spurs noticed and Simmons later earned his spot in San Antonio.

“I’m very proud,” Simmons said about his journey to the NBA and the Magic. “It’s been a long road and there’s a lot of work to be done still. It was a grind and the love for the game helped me to appreciate the grind even more.”

“Everybody has their own journey. It’s what you make the best of. I think I made the best out of the little opportunity that I had and I just kept pushing from there,” he added.

David Nwaba is another young player that recently caught the attention of NBA general managers. In one year, Nwaba went from trying out for the Reno Bighorns to claiming multiple honors with the Los Angeles D-Fenders to playing for the Lakers. He signed with the Chicago Bulls in July.

Alfonzo McKinnie travelled down a similar path. His tryout with the Windy City Bulls last year was a success and in July he signed with the Toronto Raptors.

Perhaps it will be in Lakeland where the next prodigy and relative unknown will come out of his shell and turn a dream into a reality.

Parker, who has worked in the Magic organization since retiring as a player in 2012, encourages anyone with a passion and commitment to basketball to try out. He points to Simmons’ journey as an example of how possible it really is for players to take advantage of a G League tryout.

“We all grow up saying you can be anything you want, anything can happen, but when you have somebody that’s actually done it that kind of gives you encouragement that this is possible,” said Parker, who spent time with the Sixers, Magic, Raptors and Cavaliers during his NBA playing career. “If you have the talent, we’re going to give you the opportunity.”

“What we want to do is try to bring in people that love the game, that are willing to put the team above themselves, that are going to play hard and play for each other,” he added. “Obviously, the talent has to be there. Off the court, what we want is individuals that understand that they’re representing Lakeland. We really want to have an impact on this community.”

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Lakeland Magic Open Tryout Great Opportunity for Local Talent

Dan Savage

LAKELAND, FL – The Lakeland Magic, the NBA G League affiliate of the Orlando Magic, have announced the open tryout date for the 2017-18 season which will be held on Sat., Sept. 23 from 9:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. at Polk State College (999 Avenue H N.E., Winter Haven, 33881). Local player tryouts provide athletes the chance to showcase their skills in front of Lakeland Magic coaches and staff.

Pre-registration for tryouts is open now until Sept. 20 at www.lakelandmagic.com. All required registration and release forms, along with a $150 non-refundable fee, must be completed in order to be considered. Payments may be made through credit card, cash, cashier’s checks or money orders.

Availability is on a first-come, first-served basis and tryouts are limited to 100 participants. All participants must meet the NBA G League eligibility requirement. Walkup registration is subject to availability and a $200 non-refundable fee.

For registration and additional questions regarding the tryout, please contact the Lakeland Magic by calling 863.825.3258 or emailing info@lakelandmagic.com.
Tryouts are for registered applicants only and closed to the public. Media is invited to cover both tryouts and scrimmage. Media interested in covering must request credentials in advance by contacting Ashley Foss, Lakeland Magic director of marketing & communications,  at media@lakelandmagic.com.

Orlando's NBA franchise since 1989, the Magic's mission is to be world champions on and off the court, delivering legendary moments every step of the way. The Magic have seen great success in a relatively short history, winning five division championships (1995, 1996, 2008, 2009, 2010) with seven 50-plus win seasons and capturing the Eastern Conference title in 1995 and 2009. Off the court, on an annual basis, the Orlando Magic gives more than $2 million to the local community by way of sponsorships of events, donated tickets, autographed merchandise and grants. Orlando Magic community relations programs impact an estimated 100,000 kids each year, while a Magic staff-wide initiative provides more than 7,000 volunteer hours annually. In addition, the Orlando Magic Youth Foundation (OMYF) which serves at-risk youth, has distributed more than $22 million to local nonprofit community organizations over the last 27 years. The Magic’s other entities include the team’s newly acquired NBA G League affiliate, the Lakeland Magic, which begins play in the 2017-18 season in nearby Lakeland, Fla.; the Orlando Solar Bears of the ECHL, which serves as the affiliate to the Toronto Maple Leafs of the NHL and the Toronto Marlies of the AHL; and will compete in the inaugural season of the NBA 2K esports league in 2018. Ticket highlights for the Magic's 2017-18 season in the Amway Center, honored with TheStadiumBusiness Awards’ 2013 Customer Experience Award and named SportsBusiness Journal's 2012 Sports Facility of the Year, include: 2,500 seats priced $20 or less, 8,000 seats priced $40 or less and 9,000 seats priced $50 or under. For ticket information log on to orlandomagic.com or call 407.89.MAGIC.

On December 14, 2016, the Orlando Magic and the NBA G League announced that the Magic purchased the Erie BayHawks with plans to relocate the team to Lakeland, Fla. and begin play during the 2017-18 season. With the purchase, the Magic became the 17th NBA team to own and operate their NBA G League affiliate, the Lakeland Magic. The franchise will play its 24 home games at the RP Funding Center. The Lakeland Magic season is made up of 50 regular season games plus a postseason and runs from November to April. Season ticket deposits for the 2017-18 season are now being accepted by calling 863.825.3258 or logging on to lakelandmagic.com.

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Lakeland Magic Announce Open Tryouts

ORLANDO – Adetunji Adedipe (ah-deh-TOON-gee ADD-uh-dee-pay) has been named Orlando Magic basketball operations/Lakeland Magic assistant general manager, Orlando Magic President of Basketball Operations Jeff Weltman announced today.

Adedipe is in his third season with the Orlando Magic organization. He began his career as a basketball operations assistant for the Erie BayHawks of the NBA G League during the 2014-15 season prior to joining IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. While at IMG, Adedipe coached the Ascenders junior varsity and assisted in NBA pre-draft workouts. During the summer of 2015, he interned with the Philadelphia 76ers in the basketball operations department. Adedipe joined the Orlando Magic in September of 2015 as a basketball operations associate and served as basketball operations coordinator with the Erie BayHawks in 2016-17.

Adedipe was a three-year letterman and former captain of the Ohio University men’s basketball team. The Bobcats advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament in 2010 with a win over Georgetown. A native of Cleveland, Oh., Adedipe graduated from Ohio University in 2010 and received a master’s degree in comparative politics in 2012.

On December 14, 2016, the Orlando Magic and the NBA G League announced that the Magic purchased the Erie BayHawks with plans to relocate the team to Lakeland, Fla. and begin play during the 2017-18 season. With the purchase, the Magic became the 17th NBA team to own and operate their NBA G League affiliate, the Lakeland Magic. The franchise will play its 24 home games at The RP Funding Center. The Lakeland Magic season is made up of 50 regular season games plus a postseason and runs from November to April. Season ticket deposits for the 2017-18 season are now being accepted by calling 863-825-3258 or logging on to LakelandMagic.com.

Orlando's NBA franchise since 1989, the Magic's mission is to be world champions on and off the court, delivering legendary moments every step of the way. The Magic have seen great success in a relatively short history, winning five division championships (1995, 1996, 2008, 2009, 2010) with seven 50-plus win seasons and capturing the Eastern Conference title in 1995 and 2009. Off the court, on an annual basis, the Orlando Magic gives more than $2 million to the local community by way of sponsorships of events, donated tickets, autographed merchandise and grants. Orlando Magic community relations programs impact an estimated 100,000 kids each year, while a Magic staff-wide initiative provides more than 7,000 volunteer hours annually. In addition, the Orlando Magic Youth Foundation (OMYF) which serves at-risk youth, has distributed more than $22 million to local nonprofit community organizations over the last 27 years. The Magic’s other entities include the team’s newly acquired NBA G League affiliate, the Lakeland Magic, which begins play in the 2017-18 season in nearby Lakeland, Fla.; the Orlando Solar Bears of the ECHL, which serves as the affiliate to the Toronto Maple Leafs of the NHL and the Toronto Marlies of the AHL; and will compete in the inaugural season of the NBA 2K esports league in 2018. Ticket highlights for the Magic's 2017-18 season in the Amway Center, honored with TheStadiumBusiness Awards’ 2013 Customer Experience Award and named SportsBusiness Journal's 2012 Sports Facility of the Year, include: 2,500 seats priced $20 or less, 8,000 seats priced $40 or less and 9,000 seats priced $50 or under. For ticket information log on to OrlandoMagic.com or call 407-89-MAGIC.

adetunji-adedipe-named-orlando-magic-basketball-operations-lakeland-magic-assistant-gm

Adetunji Adedipe Named Orlando Magic Basketball Operations/Lakeland Magic Assistant GM

ORLANDO – RP Funding president/CEO Robert Palmer is one of the true success stories to come out of Lakeland, and he is confident that his strong support of the newly named Lakeland Magic will make the Development League franchise similarly successful.

The D-League’s parent squad, the Orlando Magic, revealed the team’s new nickname on Wednesday, choosing ``Magic’’ as a way of broadening the NBA team’s brand throughout Central Florida, along the Interstate-4 corridor and toward Tampa’s Gulf Coast region.

Also, Palmer – a Lakeland native who has skyrocketed to fame in the Central Florida region with the success of his wide-ranging mortgage and investment companies – and companies RP Funding and HomeValue.com were named founding partners of the Lakeland Magic. RP Funding, a direct mortgage leader that underwrites, closes and funds its own loans to offer customers the best deals, will have decals at center court of the Lakeland Center, home to the D-League franchise. Additionally, RP Funding’s brand will be denoted on the Lakeland Magic’s uniforms.

Palmer, who was recognized three years ago by Orlando Business Journal as one of the most influential business leaders in Central Florida with its ``40 under 40’’ honor, is hopeful that basketball fans in Lakeland will get behind the new Magic just as he has. He is a big believer in the potential of his home region and he feels the partnership with Lakeland and the Magic is a perfect fit.

``I look back at my childhood and The Lakeland Center was a big deal with a lot of great concerts and a hockey team there once upon a time, but we’ve kind of had a void where the area hasn’t had a great sports team and they’ve had a lot of failures over the last decade or decade-and-a-half,’’ said Palmer, who was honored during a first-quarter timeout of the Magic’s game against the Detroit Pistons at the Amway Center on Wednesday night. ``So to have a team show up that is backed by such an amazing organization as the Magic – clearly this isn’t someone just playing around at Minor League sports – it was critical to our decision of getting involved. This is something we can put our name behind because it’s going to be here for the long haul and it will shape the future in Lakeland.’’

Magic CEO Alex Martins, who is also a minority owner in the Lakeland Magic franchise, lauded Palmer for his level of support in the franchise, which will begin play in the fall. Martins candidly said that Palmer’s strong belief and vision for Lakeland’s potential was a major factor in the NBA club picking Polk County as the home to its D-League franchise.

``Robert and his support are a launching pad, for sure, (for Lakeland),’’ Martins said. ``It’s the launching pad for the success of the team. Without getting into specifics, Robert’s support and the magnitude of this deal will be one of the biggest in the D-League overall. That’s indicative of his commitment to Lakeland. It’s indicative of his commitment to this team and it’s indicative of how this is going to be a launching point (for the Lakeland Magic).

``Now, we’ve raised the bar with Robert’s support,’’ Martins continued. ``As Robert says, that will bring a lot of other people behind him (to support the team).’’
  Much the same way that the Magic co-founders Pat Williams and Jimmy Hewitt believed in what Orlando could become as the home of a NBA franchise some 32 years ago, Palmer is fully convinced that Lakeland can take on a more prominent role as a hub to professional sporting events and premier entertainment exhibits. Using the same sort of vision that helped him build an investment empire, Palmer wants to grow the sports and entertainment options in his hometown.

``We want everybody in the (Lakeland) community to get involved because we feel like this can be big,’’ Palmer said. ``I felt like us stepping out in a big way first, it would help bring others (on board as well). We’ve got a very powerful brand on the RP Funding side along the I-4 corridor, so for us to put so much of our brand behind this, I feel it’s going to help to bring more sponsors out of the woodworks. A powerful sponsorship base is critical to the success of the team – not just our support, but the entire community’s support.

``I also think there’s a lot more to come,’’ Palmer added. ``We’ve got other ideas for The Lakeland Center, the community as a whole and sports in that community. In my mind, this is a first step. How do we bring more high-profile concerts to Lakeland? How do we bring other (professional) exhibition games to Lakeland or other great events to Lakeland like the high school (basketball) state championships? So, that’s something we’re going to be more involved in – trying to make Lakeland more of a sports center of the state.’’

Note: The contents of this page have not been reviewed or endorsed by the Orlando Magic. All opinions expressed by John Denton are solely his own and do not reflect the opinions of the Orlando Magic or their Basketball Operations staff, partners or sponsors.

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Lakeland Native Robert Palmer Excited to be Part of Magic

ORLANDO – Upon announcing that they were moving their NBA Development League affiliate to nearby Lakeland in December, the Orlando Magic touted the new opportunities available to broaden the scope of their franchise brand throughout Central Florida and toward Florida’s Gulf Coast region.

Now, following months of deliberation over what nickname to attach to Lakeland’s fledgling franchise, the already familiar ``Magic’’ name will be spreading to new regions of Florida.

Thousands of entries were submitted in the ``Name the Team Contest’’ since January, and ultimately ``Magic’’ was chosen as the nickname for the D-League franchise that will begin play in the fall at the Lakeland Center. Other nickname suggestions frequently submitted in the contest open to fans over the past four months: Swans, Alchemy, Voodoo, Dragons, Illusion and Lakers.

Currently, seven of the 22 teams in the D-League have the same nickname as their parent club. They are: Westchester (N.Y.) Knicks, Long Island (N.Y.) Nets, Raptors (Ontario) 905, Windy City (Ill.) Bulls, Santa Cruz (Calif.) Warriors, Northern Arizona (Ariz.) Suns and the Austin (Texas) Spurs.

Choosing ``Magic’’ for Lakeland made perfect sense considering that one of the team’s goals is to use the franchise to broaden the appeal of the parent club to others in the Sunshine State, Lakeland Magic president Shelly Wilkes said.

``After careful, thoughtful consideration, and to create synergy and extend the Orlando Magic brand, we made the determination to call our team the Lakeland Magic,’’ said Wilkes, who took over her current position in January. ``We appreciate all the entries and enthusiasm with our ``name the team contest,’’ and we received multiple entries for the name Magic - which we ended up concurring with and ultimately choosing.’’

Among the thousands of entries in the ``Name the Team’’ contest, the Magic name was submitted hundreds of times. The winning name was first entered by Nemanja Kovacevic, who will win a pair of season tickets to the Lakeland Magic’s 2017-18 season.

In addition, the first 10 fans who participated in the contest will receive a pair of opening night tickets for the inaugural Lakeland Magic season.

Season ticket deposits for the 2017-18 season are being accepted by calling 407-447-2210 or logging on to www.lakelandmagic.com.

The Lakeland Magic also announced RP Funding as the team’s inaugural Founding Partner. RP Funding, a direct mortgage leader which underwrites, closes and funds its own loans to offer customers the best deals and a superior level of service. As a Founding Partner, RP Funding will receive prominent exposure at The Lakeland Center.

``We are honored to have RP Funding join our family,’’ Orlando Magic CEO Alex Martins said. ``This is yet another example of a progressive company showing its commitment to our team. We believe this partnership will be mutually beneficial and will provide the opportunity for RP Funding to deliver a direct, positive and engaging message to our fan base and beyond. Through this new agreement, together we will also seek opportunities for local outreach.’’

Basketball fans in Lakeland and surrounding Polk County will be able to identify with the Magic’s partnership with RP Funding as president/owner Robert Palmer, who is a native of Lakeland and a tremendous success story. Palmer was eager to support and promote his hometown’s new team and he is hopeful that others in the Lakeland area will do the same.
  In addition to RP Funding, Palmer has started several other businesses under the Robert Palmer Companies umbrella. He also shares his financial, real estate and marketing knowledge on his radio show ``Saving Thousands’’ on iHeart radio, which is broadcast throughout Florida.

``RP Funding is thrilled to join the Orlando and Lakeland Magic families and be a part of this historic moment in the city of Lakeland,’’ Palmer said. ``As someone born and raised in Polk County, I’m honored to do my part to enhance the rich history and tradition here while helping shape the future of sports in Lakeland.’’

Lakeland also unveiled its inaugural team logo and official web site (LakelandMagic.com). The new logo incorporates the Orlando Magic’s current jersey/logo wordmark giving it an integrated look from Orlando to Lakeland. It continues the original Magic team’s colors with the Magic blue, Magic black and Magic silver. The logo also incorporates the team’s presenting partner, HomeValue.com, a Robert Palmer Company.

The look features five of the iconic stars to represent each player on the court creating a smooth transition from Orlando to Lakeland. These five stars pay homage to Orlando’s iconic silver-colored stars that have been part of the team’s logo lineage. The silver stars were originally featured prominently as replacements for the letter “a” in both “Orlando” and “Magic” within the team’s first logo in 1989. The silver stars have remained a part of the Magic’s logo throughout the years and live on in the Lakeland Magic, building on the heritage of the Orlando Magic while creating a history all its own in Lakeland.

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Magic Chosen as Team Name of D-League Affiliate in Lakeland

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We appreciate your understanding and flexibility.

Due to Tropical Storm Nicole, the NBA has announced that the Dallas Mavericks at Orlando Magic game on Wednesday, November 9 will tip-off at 5:30 PM. Amway Center doors open at 4:30 PM.