subject: Orlando Magic - The Team to Beat [print this page] Orlando Magic - The Team to Beat Orlando Magic - The Team to Beat
When someone says NBA, one would immediately think of the Orlando Magic. Orlando Magic belongs to the best teams in the NBA. The Magic was one of the four expansion teams started in 1989. People flock down and buy Magic tickets to watch this studded of NBA star players. Shaquille "Shaq" O'Neal, Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway, Tracy McGrady, Grant Hill, Steve Francis and Dwight Howard are some of the players that are associated with the team.
The first few years that the Magic played were a bit shaky. However, the team has made some of the more known players in the NBA. In his first year with the Magic, Shaquille O'Neal was voted All-Star despite being a rookie. He too was chosen to be the 1992-1993 NBA Rookie of the YearAnother player was Anfernee Hardaway. With the combination of Shaq and Penny, Magics ticket holders were treated to great games as they watched the duo help the team win their first 50 win season in the franchise history. That year, the team also made it to playoffs.
After the season in 1996 Magic lost one of the team's great players.Shaq became a free agent and joined the Lakers. Hardaway with Darell Armstrong led the team giving one of the most exciting games. In 1999, the then General Manager John Gabriel, traded Hardaway to the Phoenix Suns for Danny Manning. Despite being a team of unknown players, the Magic tickets hungry crowd was satiated when the team managed a 41-41 season.
The new millennium marked a new start for the team. They were able to acquire Grant Hill and Tracy McGrady. Mcgrady had the chance to shine since Hill suffered from an ankle injury early in the season. Mcgrady stayed with the Magic four seasons where he became part of the All Star Team four consecutive seasons and also became part of the All NBA Team for his last two years.
The team was reshuffled again when John Weisbrod became General Manager. He traded of McGrady after the worst season in NBA in 2003-2004. Hill have recovered from his injuries and was able to salvage the season for the team. The following years, the team acquired and traded star players such as Galician Fran Vazquez, Travis Diener Keyon Dooling Carlos Arroyo and others as well. In 2010, the team transferred to the Amway Center in the hopes that they would win the NBA finals.
