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Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Orlando Magic

Orlando Magic
(Official website : orlandomagic.com)

The Orlando Magic are a professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and are currently coached by Stan Van Gundy. The franchise was founded in 1989 as an expansion franchise and has had such notable NBA stars such as Shaquille O'Neal, Penny Hardaway, Grant Hill, Tracy McGrady, Steve Francis, Dwight Howard, and Vince Carter throughout its young history. The franchise has also been in the playoffs for more than half of their existence (11 playoff appearances in 20 years).Contents 


1989–1992: Team Creation

The Orlando Magic went to the NBA as an expansion franchise in 1989. A contest sponsored by Orlando Magic team officials and the local Orlando Sentinel newspaper allowed the community to suggest names for their new franchise. The contest of a total of 4,296 submitted entries subsequently narrowed the names to the "Heat", the "Tropics", the "Juice" and the "Magic". On July 27, 1986, it was announced that the committee chose the Magic to be the new name of the Orlando franchise in the NBA. The Magic were one of the four new expansion franchises awarded by the NBA along with the Charlotte Hornets, Miami Heat and Minnesota Timberwolves. Initially, the NBA was planning to expand by three teams, with one franchise going to Florida; however, when both Miami and Orlando ownership groups made successful pitches, the expansion committee decided to expand by four teams, allowing both to have a franchise. The Magic became the first ever major-league professional sports franchise in the Orlando area, led by William duPont III, joined with two brothers, James and Robert Hewitt, as general partners and former Philadelphia 76ers general manager Pat Williams. The expansion fee was reportedly $32.5 million.

The Magic hired Matt Guokas as the team's first coach, who helped the Magic select twelve players in the NBA Expansion Draft on June 15, 1989. On June 27, 1989, the Magic chose Nick Anderson with the 11th pick in the first round, who became the first draft pick of the franchise. The first game the Magic played on November 4, 1989, at the Orlando Arena (O-Rena) against the visiting New Jersey Nets, who won 111- 106 in a hard-fought game. The Magic's first victory came two days later, as the Magic defeated the New York Knicks 118–110 in Orlando. The inaugural team compiled a record of 18–64 with players including Reggie Theus, Scott Skiles, Terry Catledge, Sam Vincent, Otis Smith, and Jerry Reynolds.

In the 1990 NBA Draft, the Orlando Magic selected Dennis Scott with the fourth overall pick. On December 30, 1990, Scott Skiles racked up 30 assists in the 155–116 victory over the Denver Nuggets, breaking Kevin Porter's NBA single-game assists record (29). Skiles was named the NBA's Most Improved Player at the end of the season, as the Magic heralded the NBA's most improved record that season. Forward Dennis Scott set a team mark with 125 three-point field goals for the season, the best long-distance production by a rookie in NBA history. He was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team. Despite a 31–51 record, there were 40 sellouts out of 41 home games.

On September 19, 1991, the DeVos family purchased the franchise for $85 million and the family head Richard DeVos became the owner of the franchise.[8] The 1991–92 season was disappointing for the Magic as various players missed games with injuries. Dennis Scott played only 18 games, Nick Anderson missed 22 games, Stanley Roberts, Jerry Reynolds, Bison Dele, Sam Vincent and Otis Smith all missed at least 27 games each. With a shortage of healthy players the team struggled through a 17-game losing streak and finished with a 21–61 record. The Magic still managed to have all 41 home games soldout.

1992–1996: Shaq and Penny Duo

The Magic history was changed on May 17, 1992, when the franchise won the first pick in the 1992 NBA Draft Lottery. The Magic selected big-man Shaquille O'Neal from Louisiana State University, the biggest prize in the draft since the Knicks won Patrick Ewing. O'Neal, a 7-foot 1 inch center, made an immediate impact on the Magic, leading the club to a 41–41 record.[10] The Magic again became the NBA's most improved franchise, as they improved by 20 games. O'Neal was the first rookie to be voted an All-Star starter since Michael Jordan in 1985. He also became the 1992–1993 NBA Rookie of the Year. Despite Shaquille O'Neal's presence, the Magic missed the 1993 NBA Playoffs because they were tied with the Indiana Pacers for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with the Pacers holding the tiebreaker.

Despite barely missing out on the playoffs and thereby receiving the least chance of gaining the top draft pick with only one ball in the lottery machine, the Magic won the first pick in the 1993 NBA Draft Lottery. Prior to the draft, Guokas stepped down as head coach, and Brian Hill was promoted to become the Magic's second head coach. In the draft, the Magic selected Chris Webber, but traded him to the Golden State Warriors for the number three pick, guard Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway and three future first-round draft picks. With the combination of O'Neal and Hardaway, the Magic became a dominant team in the NBA, compiling the first 50 win season in franchise history with a 50–32 record. The Magic were in the playoffs for the first time, ranked the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference; however, the underdog Pacers team swept the Magic 3–0 in the first round, thus ending the Magic's season.

In the 1994–95 season, the Magic's sixth season, an All-Star forward Horace Grant was acquired as a free agent from the Chicago Bulls. Orlando Magic compiled a 57–25 record, best in the East and winning the Atlantic Division title, becoming the second-fastest team to advance to the NBA Finals in league history. In the playoffs, the Magic defeated the Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls, and the Indiana Pacers, advancing to the NBA Finals. The Houston Rockets, though, ended Orlando's dream of a championship by sweeping Orlando 4–0 in the Finals to take the crown.

In the 1995–96 season, the Magic again were near the top of the Eastern Conference and the Atlantic Division with a 60–22 record, led by O'Neal and Hardaway; however, the Magic were seeded number two, behind the NBA all-time best 72–10 record of the Chicago Bulls. In the meantime, General Manager Pat Williams was promoted to Senior Executive Vice President and replaced by the Vice President of Basketball Operations John Gabriel on April 29, 1996. In the playoffs, after the Magic defeated the Detroit Pistons and the Atlanta Hawks, Orlando met the Bulls in the Eastern Conference Finals. The combination of Jordan, Scottie Pippen and rebounder Dennis Rodman was too much for the Magic, and Orlando was swept 4–0 in the Eastern Conference Finals.

1996–2000: Departure of O'Neal; Penny's Team

In the offseason, O'Neal left as a free agent to the Los Angeles Lakers, dealing a huge blow to the Magic franchise. In the middle of the season, though, urged by player discontent, management fired coach Brian Hill and named Richie Adubato as interim coach for the rest of the season. Under Adubato, the Magic went on a 21–12 streak to compile a 45–37 record, led by Hardaway, Darrell Armstrong, the team's emotional leader, and Rony Seikaly acquired in a trade with Golden State. In the playoffs, the Magic came close to stunning the heavily favored Miami Heat in the first round, extending the series to a decisive game five, even after losing the first two games.

The Magic then hired Chuck Daly to be head coach for the 1997–98 season. In addition, Hall of Famer Julius Erving joined the Magic's front office, giving Orlando immense hope for a successful season. However, the season was hampered by injuries, as Hardaway sat out the majority of the season. Anderson, combined with newly acquired free agent Bo Outlaw, led the team to a respectable 41–41 record, just out of reach of the NBA playoffs. In addition, Rony Seikaly was traded during the season to the New Jersey Nets for three role players and a future draft pick.

In 1998–99, with the drafting of Michael Doleac and Matt Harpring with the 12th and 15th picks in the 1998 draft respectively, and a healthy Hardaway and Anderson, the Magic tied for the Eastern Conference's best record with the Miami Heat in the lockout-shortened season, 33–17. Armstrong again led the team emotionally, winning the NBA's Sixth-Man and Most Improved Player awards. In addition, Orlando also acquired NBA great Dominique Wilkins, along with brother Gerald, who were past their primes but were both still very good. In the playoffs the Magic were seeded number 3 because of tiebreakers and faced the Philadelphia 76ers. The 76ers, led by Allen Iverson, upset the Magic 3–1 in the first round.
 
In 1999, the Magic, under General Manager John Gabriel, who was later named Executive of the Year, hired rookie-coach Doc Rivers. Gabriel dismantled the previous team trading their only remaining superstar Anfernee Hardaway to the Phoenix Suns for Danny Manning (who never donned a Magic uniform), Pat Garrity and two future draft picks. The Magic were then a team composed of virtually all no name players and little experience which included team captain Armstrong, Bo Outlaw and a young Ben Wallace, along with Coach Rivers led the Magic to a 41–41 record, barely missing out on the playoffs. At the end of the season Rivers was named Coach of the Year by the NBA. This year was characterized by the slogan "Heart and Hustle", as the team was known for its hard-working style.

2000–2004: T-Mac Era

In the following offseason, Gabriel, with millions of cleared salary cap space, attempted to lure three of the NBA's most prized free agents: Tim Duncan, Grant Hill, and Tracy McGrady. Despite Duncan opting to remain with the San Antonio Spurs, the Magic acquired Hill, a perennial All-Star, and McGrady. With McGrady and Hill together, the Magic were expected to be a force in the East. However, Hill was limited to 4 games because of an ankle injury. McGrady blossomed into a star during this season, becoming one of the NBA's top scorers. With the addition of Mike Miller from the draft, the Magic compiled a 43–39 record, which included a nine-game winning streak, and once again made the playoffs. McGrady made the All-Star Team and All-NBA 2nd Team. Miller won the Rookie of the Year that season. In the playoffs, the Magic faced an upstart Milwaukee Bucks team in the first round. The Bucks won the series 3–1.

In 2001–02, McGrady led the Magic to a winning record of 44–38. However, Hill was still severely limited by his ankle injury, and did not play for the vast majority of the season. McGrady, combined with Armstrong, Miller, and 3-point sharpshooter Pat Garrity, formed the core of the team that season. McGrady made the All-NBA for the first time and made his second consecutive All-Star Team. However, the Magic were defeated 3–1 in the first round of the playoffs by the Charlotte Hornets led by Baron Davis (the team has since relocated, becoming the New Orleans Hornets).

In 2002–03, with the acquisitions of Gordan Giricek and Drew Gooden from the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for Mike Miller, McGrady once again led the Magic to a 42–40 record. McGrady led the league in scoring with 32.1 ppg, made his second All-NBA 1st Team, and his 3rd All-Star Team. Despite still not having Hill due to injury, the Magic entered the playoffs for the third straight year. However, after taking a 3–1 lead in the best-of-seven first round series, the Magic faltered and fell to the Detroit Pistons 4–3 in the now infamous heartbreaker in which McGrady was quoted "It's nice to finally be in the second round" after still needing one more win to advance.

The Magic's 15th season in 2003–04 proved to be one of its toughest ever. Even with the acquisition of veteran free agents Tyronn Lue and Juwan Howard, the Magic struggled early. After winning its first game, the Magic lost 19 consecutive games, setting a franchise record. The Magic finished with a disappointing 21–61 record, the worst in the NBA. Despite this, McGrady led the league in scoring with 28.0 ppg, made the All-NBA 2nd Team and his 4th consecutive All-Star Team. In the middle of the 19-game losing streak, coach Doc Rivers was fired, and assistant Johnny Davis was promoted. In addition, general manager Gabriel was replaced by John Weisbrod.

2004–2006: A New Start

In the offseason, Weisbrod completely dismantled the team. Though he kept Davis as coach, he shook up the player roster, only keeping a few players from last season. The most significant trade was that of Tracy McGrady. McGrady, discontent with the Magic, wished to move on; Weisbrod accused McGrady of "slacking off" and not attending practices (McGrady later admitted that he did not give 100% percent during the 2003–2004 season and wanted the team to bring him some help, but never wanted to leave Orlando). The Magic traded McGrady along with Reece Gaines, Tyronn Lue, and Juwan Howard to the Houston Rockets for Steve Francis, Kelvin Cato, and Cuttino Mobley. In addition, the Magic acquired center Tony Battie and two second-round draft picks from the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for Drew Gooden, Steven Hunter, and the draft rights to Anderson Varejão. The Magic then signed free agent Hedo Turkoglu. With the number one draft pick, the Magic selected high-school phenom and future All-Star and franchise cornerstone Dwight Howard and traded for point guard Jameer Nelson. Nelson, who most scouts speculated to be a top-10 pick, fell to the 20th pick, and the Magic traded a future first-round draft pick to the Denver Nuggets for Nelson.

After a promising 13–6 start, the Magic began to fall apart. First, Weisbrod traded Mobley for Doug Christie from the Sacramento Kings. Christie, because of his emotional ties to the Kings, at first refused to play for the Magic. Later on, Christie claimed he had bone spurs and was placed on the injured list after playing only a few games for the Magic. Near the end of the season, with a playoff-push faltering, Weisbrod fired Davis after leading Davis to believe he was going to be the team's head coach for the entire 2004–05 NBA season. He then promoted Chris Jent to interim head coach.

Throughout the season, bolstered by Hill's return, the Magic played spectacularly, defeating top NBA teams such as the San Antonio Spurs, Dallas Mavericks, Miami Heat, Phoenix Suns and the Detroit Pistons. However, led by the erratic play of Francis, the Magic also lost to league bottom-feeders, such as the expansion Charlotte Bobcats and the Atlanta Hawks. However, Howard showed great promise, becoming one of the few players to average a double-double. Howard was a consistent rebounder and scorer, becoming the first rookie to start and play all 82 games in a season. In addition, Nelson, after a slow start, developed into a talented player, taking over the starting point guard position. Hill also returned and averaged 19 points a game. Hill was chosen an All-Star starter by NBA fans for the 2005 All-Star Game, and Dwight Howard and Jameer Nelson were named to the All-Rookie first and second teams, respectively. Howard was a unanimous selection.

The Magic finished the season with a 36–46 record, disappointing after a strong start. Their playoff push was hampered by injuries in the last quarter of the season: a season-ending broken wrist for sixth man Hedo Turkoglu, a shin injury to Grant Hill, a rib cage injury to Nelson, and a three-game suspension to Francis for allegedly kicking a photographer. In the end, the Magic ended a few games out of the playoffs.

On May 23, however, the Magic's plans were disrupted by the abrupt resignation of General Manager and Chief Operating Officer John Weisbrod. In addition, the Magic announced the following day that Brian Hill, the coach who led the Magic to the NBA Finals under O'Neal and Hardaway, would return as head coach.

The Magic drafted Spaniard Fran Vazquez with the 11th pick in the 2005 NBA Draft. On July 28, Vazquez stunned the team after announcing that he would remain in Spain to play for Akasvayu Girona, getting ridiculed by media after he was quoted that the decision to stay was made by his girlfriend.

Owner Rich DeVos announced on October 21 that he was transferring ownership to his children, with the official owner role moving to son-in-law and team President Bob Vander Weide. The transfer was supposed to be complete by the end of the year.

The 2005–06 season opened with high hopes for the Magic despite not being able to add first round draft pick Vasquez. Grant Hill was supposedly finally healed from his multiple ankle surgeries. Dwight Howard and Jameer Nelson showed excellent progress during summer-league play. Kelvin Cato was in shape for training camp. Second round draft pick Travis Diener showed excellent shooting and decision making during the summer. And the free agent signing of Keyon Dooling showed that the club was going to continue making progress.

Then the trouble began. Grant Hill, despite his ankle apparently being healed, suffered a painful sports hernia injury that would hamper his play throughout the entire season. After playing in three preseaon games, he underwent surgery to correct the hernia and would not appear during the regular season until mid-December, to which he lasted a month before attempting to make another comeback in February and early March, however only playing sporadically. Then a foot injury to Nelson forced him to sit out over a month.

Then rays of hope came shining down on the season. On February 15 the Magic announced that they had acquired Darko Miličić and Carlos Arroyo from the Detroit Pistons in exchange for Kelvin Cato and a 2007 top-five protected first-round draft pick. One week later on February 22 Orlando announced that they had traded Steve Francis away to the New York Knicks in exchange for Anfernee Hardaway (whom they waived two days later) and Trevor Ariza. With a set starting rotation of Battie, Howard, Turkoglu, DeShawn Stevenson, and Nelson, the Magic mounted a surprising run at the eighth playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, including an 8-game winning streak and twelve consecutive home wins. The streak included wins against NBA powerhouses Detroit, San Antonio, Dallas and Miami, as well as a game against the Philadelphia 76ers in which Howard recorded 28 points and a career-high 26 rebounds. Unfortunately, not only did a win by the Chicago Bulls over the Miami Heat on April 16 eliminate the Magic from playoff contention, but the Bulls also ended both Magic winning streaks with a 116–112 overtime victory in Orlando on April 17.

2006–present: Back to the Playoffs & NBA Finals

With the 11th pick in the NBA Draft the Magic took the former Duke star J. J. Redick. Even with the fan support to get him playing time he averaged just over 11 minutes a game. After beginning the season strong with a 13–4 record, the Orlando Magic began to suffer in the standings as the result of multiple losses, due in large part to the injuries of Tony Battie, Keyon Dooling, and Grant Hill. The Magic were also hampered with the sporadic play of many of their young stars, who on multiple occasions showed their propensity for streaky shooting and the team's lack of a solid scoring two-guard. Despite the team's poor play, Dwight Howard continued to develop and blossom in his third year in the league, culminating in his first selection to the Eastern Conference All-Star team. The final few weeks of the season saw the Magic build momentum and confidence with an impressive late push towards the Playoffs. On April 15, 2007, with an 88–86 victory over the Boston Celtics, the Magic secured its first berth in the NBA Playoffs since 2003 by locking up the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference. This marked the first time that the team had made the playoffs while posting a losing record. Nevertheless, their Playoff run ended on April 28, 2007 after they were swept in the first round by first seeded Detroit Pistons whose experience, veteran leadership and ability to consistently make the clutch basket proved far too much for the undermanned and overwhelmed Magic to overcome. It was announced on May 23, 2007, that Brian Hill had been fired as head coach of the Magic.

On June 1, the Magic signed Billy Donovan to be their head coach for five years. The next day, Donovan wished to be released from the contract and the Magic agreed several days later. On June 6, 2007, the Magic signed a 4-year contract with Stan Van Gundy. In the free agent market, the Magic signed Rashard Lewis of the Seattle SuperSonics to a six-year league-maximum contract believed to be worth over $110 million. At the NBA China Games, the Magic swept the three games in China, twice against the Cleveland Cavaliers and once against the Chinese national team in games held in Shanghai and in Macau.

On November 15, 2007, Bob Vander Weide, the son-in-law of Richard DeVos, officially took over as owner of the team, although ownership is still split evenly amongst Richard DeVos' other children as well.

The Magic started the 2007–08 NBA season with an impressive 16–4 record in their first 20 games, which included wins over the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers. Through the next few months, the Magic were not so successful, splitting their next 36 games with 18 wins and 18 losses. At the start of March, the Magic seemed to pick up speed again, finishing the month with 10 wins, the first time since November that they won 10 or more in a month. The Magic clinched the Southeast Division title when the Washington Wizards were routed at Utah 129–87 on March 31, 2008. It was the Magic's third division title, but only their first since 1995–96 season, as well as their first since the Southeast Division was formed. They also earned their 50th win of the season against the Chicago Bulls on April 13, which had not happened since the 1995–96 season. The Magic finished the regular season 52–30, their best season since 1995–96. With the 3rd seed in the Eastern Conference, they were matched up in their first round playoff series against the Toronto Raptors. The Magic had home court advantage for the first time since the 1998–99 season.
 
On April 28, 2008, at Amway Arena, the Magic eliminated the Raptors with a 4–1 series victory in the first round. It was the first playoff series victory for the Magic in 12 years after 6 straight first round exits. The run of success didn't last long as they fell 4–1 to the experienced Detroit Pistons in the second round. With the Magic already down in the series, controversy erupted after the Pistons' Game 2 victory. At the conclusion of the 3rd quarter, Chauncey Billups of the Pistons made a three point shot giving the Pistons a three point lead. However, the clock had stopped just as the play began. NBA rules prohibit officials from using instant replay or any timing device to determine how much time has elapsed when a clock malfunctions, nor is a replay allowed to be viewed from the time of the malfunction to when the play ends, when the game clock has not expired. Because of the rule, the officials then estimated that the play took 4.6 seconds, and because there were 5.1 seconds remaining when play began, the field goal was allowed to be counted. The NBA later admitted that the play actually took 5.7 seconds and the basket in question should not have counted. The Pistons went on to win Game 2. The Magic were able to win Game 3, with the Pistons' Chauncey Billups out for most of the game with an injury, but were unable to take advantage of his absence and defeat the Pistons in Games 4 and 5, which ended the Magic's playoff run in 2008.

The first half of the 2008–09 season went very well for the Magic. After 41 games, the Magic were 33–8, leading the Southeast Division, as well as having one of the top four records in the league. At the start of February, Jameer Nelson, their all-star starting point guard, went down with a shoulder injury which caused him to miss the remainder of the season. After trading for Rafer Alston, the Magic finished the regular season with a 59–23 record, it was the most games the team had won in a season since the 1995–96 season in which they had 60 wins. In the playoffs, the Magic beat the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round of the playoffs and then the defending champions, the Boston Celtics, in the Eastern Conference semifinals, behind assistant coach Patrick Ewing's guarantee that they would win Game 7 of that series. In their first conference finals since 1996, the Magic beat the Cleveland Cavaliers, which were led by the season's MVP, LeBron James. After dropping the first two games in the Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers, the Magic finally won their first ever game in the finals in Game 3. The Lakers won the series and the championship by beating the Magic in five games.

In the 2009 offseason, Orlando traded Rafer Alston, Tony Battie, and Courtney Lee to the New Jersey Nets in exchange for eight-time All-Star Vince Carter and Ryan Anderson. They then made several free agent signings. On July 10, former Dallas Mavericks power forward Brandon Bass was given a 4 year deal. On July 21, the Magic signed former Phoenix Suns Forward Matt Barnes. On August 19, they signed former Miami Heat point guard Jason Williams.

On September 28, 2009, the Magic extended the contract of head coach Stan Van Gundy by exercising his option for the 2010–11 season. They did the same for General Manager Otis Smith, which would keep him in that position through the 2011–12 season.

Home arena

Amway Arena 

Amway Arena opened in 1989 and has served as home to the Orlando Magic since their inception. It was originally known as the Orlando Arena, or the "O-Rena", during its first ten years. In 1999, TD Waterhouse purchased the naming rights and named the venue the TD Waterhouse Centre. In December 2006, the naming rights were purchased by Amway for four years. It is also home of the Arena Football League's Orlando Predators, the Orlando Sharks of the Major Indoor Soccer League, and various sporting and entertainment events. Amway Arena is one of "The Orlando Venues" owned and operated by the City of Orlando. The other facilities include the Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre, Tinker Field, the Florida Citrus Bowl, Harry P. Leu Gardens, and Mennello Museum.

Amway Center

On September 29, 2006, after years of on-and-off negotiations, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and the Magic announced an agreement on Amway Center, a new arena in downtown Orlando. The arena received its final approval on July 26, 2007. The new 18,500-seat arena will be located at the southwest corner of Church Street and Hughey Avenue, with construction starting in early 2008 and is estimated to cost around $480 million.

The Magic will be contributing $114 million in cash and up-front lease payments and guaranteeing $100 million of the bonds to be used to pay for the facility. It is part of the "Triple Crown For Downtown", a $1.05-billion plan to redo the Orlando Centroplex with a new arena, a new $375-million performing arts center, and a $175-million expansion of the Citrus Bowl. The Magic are anticipating that it will be completed prior to the 2010–2011 regular season opener.[33] City officials said once the new arena is complete, the Amway Arena probably will be torn down.

NBA Commissioner David Stern promised Orlando would host an All Star Weekend once the arena is built. He cited the city's agreeable year-round climate, the presence of theme parks and other tourist destinations, and an abundant supply of hotels.

As an added note, the Magic have a team rule that prohibits the wearing of headbands by its players during games; this is a rule similar to the Chicago Bulls, Utah Jazz, Miami Heat, and Toronto Raptors.
The Magic have made an exemption to this rule for Courtney Lee to hold his protective face mask on after a face injury in the playoffs.
 
The Magic participated in the NBA's "Hardwood Classics" campaign in 2003, debuting the retro black away jerseys from 1989 during Christmas Day. It was a little unusual to call the uniform a "retro" since the Magic wore them as recently as 1997–1998, however they have already had four jersey designs in only 20 seasons of play. The following season, they wore the 1994–95 blue alternates for "Hardwood Classics" and in 2005–06, they wore the home pinstriped jerseys from the inaugural year. In 2006–07, the Magic wore the black away retro jerseys again for "Hardwood Classics."

Up until the current uniform revision, Bo Outlaw was the only Magic player to have worn all of the Magic jersey designs, and during 2005–2006 "Hardwood Classics," he was the only player on the roster to wear the home pinstriped jersey when it was still the current uniform, having joined the team in 1997 (last season of the pinstripes). He repeated the same feat in 2006, wearing the black pinstriped jersey.


NBA

National Basketball Association

The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league, composed of thirty teams in North America (twenty-nine in the United States and one in Canada). It is an active member of USA Basketball (USAB),[1] which is recognized by the International Basketball Federation as the National Governing Body (NGB) for basketball in the United States. The NBA is one of the four major North American professional sports leagues, which include Major League Baseball (MLB), the National Football League (NFL), and the National Hockey League (NHL).

The league was founded in New York City on June 6, 1946 as the Basketball Association of America (BAA).[2] The league adopted the name National Basketball Association in 1949 after merging with the rival National Basketball League (NBL). The league's several international as well as individual team offices are directed out of its head offices located in the Olympic Tower at 645 Fifth Avenue in New York City. NBA Entertainment and NBA TV studios are directed out of offices located in Secaucus, New Jersey.Contents 

History

1940s: The BAA years

The Basketball Association of America was founded in 1946 by the owners of the major ice hockey arenas in the Northeastern and Midwestern United States. On November 1, 1946, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, the Toronto Huskies hosted the New York Knickerbockers at Maple Leaf Gardens, which the NBA now regards as the first game played in the league's history.[3] Although there had been earlier attempts at professional basketball leagues, including the American Basketball League and the NBL, the BAA was the first league to attempt to play primarily in large arenas in major cities. During its early years, the quality of play in the BAA was not significantly better than in competing leagues or among leading independent clubs such as the Harlem Globetrotters. For instance, the 1948 ABL finalist Baltimore Bullets moved to the BAA and won that league's 1948 title, and the 1948 NBL champion Minneapolis Lakers won the 1949 BAA title.

1950s: The early years

On August 3, 1949, the BAA agreed to merge with the NBL, creating the new National Basketball Association. The new league had seventeen franchises located in a mix of large and small cities, as well as large arenas and smaller gymnasiums and armories. In 1950, the NBA consolidated to eleven franchises, a process that continued until 1954, when the league reached its smallest size of eight franchises, all of which are still in the league (the Knicks, Celtics, Warriors, Lakers, Royals/Kings, Pistons, Hawks, and Nationals/76ers).

The process of contraction saw the league's smaller-city franchises move to larger cities. The Hawks shifted from "Tri-Cities" (the area now known as the Quad Cities) to Milwaukee (in 1951) and then to St. Louis (in 1955); the Royals from Rochester to Cincinnati (in 1957); and the Pistons from Fort Wayne to Detroit (in 1957). In 1960, the Lakers relocated to Los Angeles, and the Warriors moved to San Francisco in 1963. The following year, the Nationals left upstate New York to bring basketball back to Philadelphia, changing their nickname from "Nationals" to "76ers." Thus far, out of the original eight franchises, only the Knicks and Celtics have not relocated.

Although Japanese-American Wataru Misaka technically broke the NBA color barrier in the 1947–48 season when he played for the New York Knicks, 1950 is recognized as the year the NBA integrated. This year witnessed the addition of African American players by several teams, including Chuck Cooper with the Boston Celtics, Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton with the New York Knicks, and Earl Lloyd with the Washington Capitols.

During this period, the Minneapolis Lakers, led by center George Mikan, won five NBA Championships and established themselves as the league's first dynasty. To encourage shooting and discourage stalling, the league introduced the 24-second shot clock in 1954. If a team does not attempt to score a field goal (or the ball fails to make contact with the rim) within 24 seconds of obtaining the ball, play is stopped and the ball given to its opponent.

In 1957, rookie center Bill Russell joined the Boston Celtics, who already featured guard Bob Cousy and coach Red Auerbach, and went on to lead the club to eleven NBA titles in thirteen seasons. Center Wilt Chamberlain entered the league with the Warriors in 1959 and became the dominant individual star of the 1960s, setting new records in scoring (100) and rebounding (55). Russell's rivalry with Chamberlain became one of the great individual rivalries in the history of American team sports.

1960s: The Celtics Dynasty

The 1960s were dominated by the Boston Celtics. Led by Bill Russell, Bob Cousy and coach Red Auerbach, the Celtics won every championship in the NBA from the 1958-1959 season through 1965-1966. The streak is the longest in NBA history at 8 in a row. They did not repeat in 1966-1967 but regained the title in the 1967-1968 season and repeated in 1968-1969. The domination totaled nine of the 10 championship banners of the 1960's.

Through this period, the NBA continued to strengthen with the shift of the Minneapolis Lakers to Los Angeles, the Philadelphia Warriors to San Francisco, and the Syracuse Nationals to Philadelphia, as well as the addition of its first expansion franchises. The Chicago Packers (now Washington Wizards) became the 9th NBA team in 1961. From 1966 to 1968, the league expanded from nine teams to fourteen, introducing the Chicago Bulls, Seattle SuperSonics (now Oklahoma City Thunder), San Diego Rockets (who relocated to Houston four years later), Milwaukee Bucks, and Phoenix Suns.

In 1967, the league faced a new external threat with the formation of the American Basketball Association. The leagues engaged in a bidding war. The NBA landed the most important college star of the era, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (then known as Lew Alcindor). However, the NBA's leading scorer, Rick Barry jumped to the ABA, as did four veteran referees—Norm Drucker, Earl Strom, John Vanak, and Joe Gushue.

1970s: The NBA vs. the ABA

The American Basketball Association also succeeded in signing a number of major stars, including Julius Erving of the Virginia Squires, in part because it allowed teams to sign college undergraduates. The NBA expanded rapidly during this period, one purpose being to tie up the most viable cities. From 1966 to 1974, the NBA grew from nine franchises to 18. In 1970 the Portland Trail Blazers, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Buffalo Braves (now the Los Angeles Clippers) all made their debuts expanding the league to 17. The New Orleans Jazz (now in Utah) came aboard in 1974 bringing the total to 18. Following the 1976 season, the leagues reached a settlement that provided for the addition of four ABA franchises to the NBA, raising the number of franchises in the league at that time to 22. The franchises added were the San Antonio Spurs, Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers and New York Nets (now the New Jersey Nets). Some of the biggest stars of this era were Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Rick Barry, Dave Cowens, Julius Erving, Walt Frazier, Artis Gilmore, George Gervin, Dan Issel and Pete Maravich.

1980s: Magic vs. Bird

The league added the ABA's innovative three-point field goal beginning in 1979 to open up the game. That same year, rookies Larry Bird and Earvin "Magic" Johnson joined the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers respectively, initiating a period of significant growth in fan interest in the NBA throughout the country and the world. Johnson went on to lead the Lakers to five titles and Bird went on to lead the Celtics to three . Also in the early '80s, the NBA added one more expansion franchise, the Dallas Mavericks, bringing the total to 23 teams. Later on, Larry Bird won the first two three-point shooting contests ever.

1990s: The Jordan era

Michael Jordan entered the league in 1984 with the Chicago Bulls, providing an even more popular star to support growing interest in the league. This resulted in more cities demanding teams of their own. In 1988 and 1989, four cities got their wishes as the Charlotte Hornets (now the New Orleans Hornets), Miami Heat, Orlando Magic, and Minnesota Timberwolves made their NBA debuts.

Jordan and Scottie Pippen would lead the Bulls to six championships in eight years during the 1990s. Hakeem Olajuwon won back-to-back titles with the Houston Rockets in '94 and '95.

The 1992 Olympic basketball Dream Team, the first to use current NBA stars, featured Michael Jordan as the anchor, along with Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, David Robinson, Patrick Ewing, Scottie Pippen, Clyde Drexler, Karl Malone, John Stockton, Chris Mullin, Charles Barkley, and Christian Laettner.

In 1995, the NBA expanded to Canada with the addition of the Vancouver Grizzlies and the Toronto Raptors. In 2001, the Vancouver Grizzlies were relocated to Memphis, which left the Raptors as the only Canadian team in the NBA.

In 1996, the NBA created a women's league, the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA).

In 1998, the NBA owners began a lockout which lasted 191 days and was settled on January 18, 1999. As a result of this lockout the 1998–99 NBA season was reduced from 82 to 50 games. San Antonio won the championship on June 25 by beating the New York Knicks, the first, and to this date, the only 8th seed to ever make the NBA Finals.

2000s: Lakers/Spurs Battle to the Finals

Since the break-up of the Chicago Bulls in the summer of 1998, the Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs have combined to win the title in 8 of 11 years, and one or the other has won the Western Conference title every year except in 2006 (when the Dallas Mavericks won the conference title). Tim Duncan and David Robinson won the 1999 championship with the San Antonio Spurs, and Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant started the 2000s off with the three consecutive championships with the Los Angeles Lakers. The Spurs reclaimed the title in 2003 against the Nets. In 2004 the Lakers returned to the Finals, only to fall to the Detroit Pistons. The following off-season, O'Neal was traded to the Miami Heat while the Spurs won their third championship in 2005. Miami with Dwyane Wade and O'Neal won the title in 2006 against the Dallas Mavericks.

The dominance of the Western Conference continued in the 2006–07 season with the triumph of the San Antonio Spurs in 2007 over the Cleveland Cavaliers. 2008 saw a rematch of the league's highest profile rivalry, the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers, with Boston prevailing. The Lakers returned to the Finals in 2009, this time winning over the Orlando Magic. Kobe Bryant won his first NBA MVP award in his 12th season after leading the Lakers to their first conference title since the departure of Shaquille O'Neal.

On some occasions, young players, most but not all from the English-speaking world, have attended U.S. colleges before playing in the NBA. Notable examples are Nigerian Hakeem Olajuwon (top draft pick in 1984, 12-time All-Star, 1994 MVP, and Hall of Famer), Dutchman Rik Smits (1988 second overall pick, 1998 NBA All-Star, played 12 years for the Indiana Pacers), German Detlef Schrempf (Sixth Man Award winner in 1991 and 1992), Canadian Steve Nash (2005 and 2006 MVP) and Australians Luc Longley (3-times champion with the Michael Jordan led Chicago Bulls in 1990s) and Andrew Bogut, (top draft pick in 2005). Currently, the Milwaukee Bucks have the most international players in the league with seven, followed by the Toronto Raptors who have six international players on their roster. The NBA is now televised in 212 nations in 42 languages.

Since 2006, the NBA has faced Euroleague teams in exhibition matches in the NBA Europe Live Tour.

The 2009–10 season season opened with a record of 83 international players on the opening night rosters, tying the record set in the 2006–07 season.

Other developments

In 2001, an affiliated minor league, the National Basketball Development League, now called the NBA Development League (or D-League) was created. Before the league was started, there were strong rumors that the NBA would purchase the CBA, and call it its developmental league, as the Continental Basketball Association was its "minor league" affiliate for years.

In 2004, two years after the Hornets relocation to New Orleans, the NBA returned to North Carolina as the Charlotte Bobcats were formed.

In 2005, the Hornets relocated to Oklahoma City for two seasons. This was required due to damage caused by Hurricane Katrina. In 2007, the Hornets returned to New Orleans.

On June 29, 2006, a new official game ball was introduced for the 2006–07 season, marking the first change to the ball in over 35 years and only the second in 60 seasons. Manufactured by Spalding, the new ball featured a new design and new synthetic material that Spalding claimed offered a better grip, feel, and consistency than the original ball. However, many players were vocal in their disdain for the new ball, saying that it was too sticky when dry, and too slippery when wet.

On December 11, 2006, Commissioner Stern announced that beginning January 1, 2007, the NBA would return to the traditional leather basketball in use prior to the 2006–2007 season. The change was influenced by frequent player complaints and confirmed hand injuries (cuts) caused by the microfiber ball.[6] The Players' Association had filed a suit in behalf of the players against the NBA over the new ball. As of 2006, the NBA team jerseys are manufactured by Adidas, which purchased the previous supplier, Reebok.

On July 19, 2007, the FBI investigated allegations that veteran NBA referee Tim Donaghy bet on basketball games he officiated over the past two seasons and that he made calls affecting the point spread in those games.[8] On August 15, 2007, Donaghy pleaded guilty to two federal charges related to the investigation. However, he could face additional charges if it is determined that he deliberately miscalled individual games.

In June 2008, it was announced that the Seattle SuperSonics would be rendered inactive and the franchise itself would relocate to Oklahoma City. The Oklahoma City Thunder began playing in the 2008–2009 season. This marks the third NBA franchise to relocate in the past decade.

On October 11, 2008, the Phoenix Suns and the Denver Nuggets played the first outdoor game in the modern era of the NBA at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.

On September 1, 2009, the contract between the NBA and its referees expired. On October 1, 2009, the first preseason games were played and replacement referees from the WNBA and NBDL were used. The last time replacement referees were used was beginning of the 1995-96 season.[9] The NBA and the regular referees reached a deal on October 23, 2009.[10]

Teams

The NBA originated in 1946 with 11 teams, and through a sequence of team expansions, reductions, and relocations currently consists of 30 teams. The United States is home to 29 teams and one is located in Canada. The Boston Celtics have won the most championships with 17 NBA Finals wins. The next most successful franchise is the Los Angeles Lakers, who have 15 overall championships (10 in Los Angeles, 5 in Minneapolis), including the most recent one. Following the Lakers are the Chicago Bulls with six championships, all of them over an 8-year span during the 1990s, and the San Antonio Spurs with four championships, all since 1999.

The current league organization divides thirty teams into two conferences of three divisions with five teams each. The current divisional alignment was introduced in the 2004–05 season.

Regular season

Following the summer break, teams hold training camps in October. Training camps allow the coaching staff to evaluate players (especially rookies), scout the team's strengths and weaknesses, prepare the players for the rigorous regular season, and determine the 12-man active roster (and a 3-man inactive list) with which they will begin the regular season. Teams have the ability to assign players with less than two years of experience to the NBA development league. After training camp, a series of preseason exhibition games are held. The NBA regular season begins in the first week of November. During the regular season, each team plays 82 games, 41 each home and away. A team faces opponents in its own division four times a year (16 games), teams from the other two divisions in its conference either three or four times (36 games), and teams in the other conference twice apiece (30 games). This asymmetrical structure means the strength of schedule will vary significantly between teams.

As of 2008, the NBA is one of only three major leagues in North America (besides the Canadian Football League) in which teams play every other team during the regular season (the others being the National Hockey League and Major League Soccer). Each team hosts and visits every other team at least once every season.
 
In February, the regular season pauses to celebrate the annual NBA All-Star Game. Fans vote throughout the United States, Canada, and on the Internet, and the top vote-getters at each position in each conference are given a starting spot on their conference's All-Star team. Coaches vote to choose the remaining 14 All-Stars. Then, Eastern conference players face the Western conference players in the All-Star game. The player with the best performance during the game is rewarded with a Game MVP award. Other attractions of the All-Star break include the Rookie Challenge, where the top rookies and second-year players in the NBA play against each other in a 5-on-5 basketball game; the Skills Challenge, where players compete to finish an obstacle course comprising of shooting, passing and dribbling in the fastest time; the Three Point Contest, where players compete to score the most amount of three-point field goals in a given time; and the NBA Slam Dunk Contest, where players compete to dunk the ball in the most entertaining way according to the judges. These other attractions have varying names which include the names of the various sponsors who have paid for naming rights.

Shortly after the All-Star break is the trade deadline, which is set to fall on the 16th Thursday of the season (usually in February) at 3pm Eastern Time. After this date, teams are not allowed to exchange players with each other for the remainder of the season, although they may still sign and release players. Major trades are often completed right before the trading deadline, making that day a hectic time for general managers.

Around the end of April, the regular season ends. It is during this time that voting begins for individual awards, as well as the selection of the honorary, league-wide, post-season teams. The Sixth Man of the Year Award is given to the best player coming off the bench (must have more games coming off the bench than actual games started). The Rookie of the Year Award is awarded to the most outstanding first-year player. The Most Improved Player Award is awarded to the player who is deemed to have shown the most improvement from the previous season. The Defensive Player of the Year Award is awarded to the league's best defender. The Coach of the Year Award is awarded to the coach that has made the most positive difference to a team. The Most Valuable Player Award is given to player deemed the most valuable for (his team) that season. Additionally, Sporting News awards an unofficial (but widely recognized) Executive of the Year Award to the general manager who is adjudged to have performed the best job for the benefit of his franchise.

The post-season teams are the All-NBA Team, the All-Defensive Team, and the All-Rookie Team; each consists of five players. There are three All-NBA teams, consisting of the top players at each position, with first-team status being the most desirable. There are two All-Defensive teams, consisting of the top defenders at each position. There are also two All-Rookie teams, consisting of the top first-year players regardless of position.

Playoffs

NBA Playoffs begin in late April, with eight teams in each conference going for the Championship. The three division winners, along with the team with the next best record from the conference are given the top four seeds. The next four teams in terms of record are given the lower four seeds.

Having a higher seed offers several advantages. Since the first seed begins the playoffs playing against the eighth seed, the second seed plays the seventh seed, the third seed plays the sixth seed, and the fourth seed plays the fifth seed, having a higher seed means a team faces a weaker team in the first round. The team in each series with the better record has home court advantage, including the First Round. This means that, for example, if the team who receives the 5 (five) seed has a better record than the team with the 4 (four) seed (by virtue of a divisional championship), the 5 seed would have home court advantage, even though the other team has a higher seed. Therefore, the team with the best regular season record in the league is guaranteed home court advantage in every series it plays. For example, in 2006, the Denver Nuggets won 44 games and captured the Northwest Division and the #3 seed. Their opponent was the #6 seeded Los Angeles Clippers, who won 47 games and finished second in the Pacific Division. Although Denver won its much weaker division, the Clippers had home-court advantage and won the series in five games.

The playoffs follow a tournament format. Each team plays a rival in a best-of-seven series, with the first team to win four games advancing into the next round, while the other team is eliminated from the playoffs. In the next round, the successful team plays against another advancing team of the same conference. All but one team in each conference are eliminated from the playoffs. Since the NBA does not re-seed teams, the playoff bracket in each conference uses a traditional design, with the winner of the series matching the 1st and 8th seeded teams playing the winner of the series matching the 4th and 5th seeded teams, and the winner of the series matching the 2nd and 7th seeded teams playing the winner of the series matching the 3rd and 6th seeded teams. In every round except the NBA Finals, the best of seven series follows a 2-2-1-1-1 home-court pattern, meaning that one team will have home court in games 1, 2, 5, and 7, while the other plays at home in games 3, 4, and 6. For the final round (NBA Finals), the series follows a 2-3-2 pattern, meaning that one team will have home court in games 1, 2, 6, and 7, while the other plays at home in games 3, 4, and 5. The 2-3-2 pattern in the NBA Finals has been in place since 1985.

The final playoff round, a best-of-seven series between the victors of both conferences, is known as the NBA Finals, and is held annually in June. The victor in the NBA Finals wins the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy. Each player and major contributor—including coaches and the general manager—on the winning team receive a championship ring. In addition, the league awards a Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award to the best performing player of the series.

On August 2, 2006, the NBA announced the new playoff format. The new format takes the three division winners and the second-place team with the best record and rank them 1–4 by record. The other 4 slots are filled by best record other than those other 4 teams. Previously, the top three seeds went to the division winners.


International competitions

The National Basketball Association has sporadically participated in international club competitions. From 1987 to 1999 the NBA champions played against the continental champions of the Fédération Internationale de Basketball (FIBA) in the McDonald's Championship. This tournament was won by the NBA invitee every year it was held. FIBA is organizing a new World Club Championship to begin in 2010, and currently plans to invite the NBA champions starting in 2011.

Saturday, November 21, 2009

My New Logo



















The New Logo of 20th Anniversary of Orlando Magic












The Best Team of Orlando Magic

My Jacket

















My new Magic's Jackets
( with $78.4 ) 

My 2nd Jersey





















 My 2nd Magic's Jersey
( with $152 )

My New Jersey





















My new Magic's Jersey
( with $174 )





My Hat















I got my new Magic's Hat...
(with $24.5)

Here...




I'm here for my new shoes,
TS Bounce Commander of Dwight Howard.
I got Superman Edition...

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Hey, whaddaup..!!


Hey yo, guy's...

Chess August right here...

Welcome home....!!