In September 1985, Orlando businessman Jim L. Hewitt approached the Philadelphia 76ers general manager Pat Williams as they met in Texas about bringing an NBA team to Orlando(1). Intrigued by the potential of an Orlando-based NBA team, Williams became the frontman of the investment group one year later, after he left the 76ers(2). On June 19th, 1986, the two held a news conference to announce their intention to seek an NBA franchise(3)(2).
At the same time, Hewitt and Williams held a contest in the Orlando Sentinel newspaper to get names for their new franchise. Out of a total of 4,296 submitted entries, the names were subsequently narrowed to four, “Heat”, “Tropics”, “Juice”, and “Magic”. The last one, which had been submitted by 11 people, was picked after Williams brought his seven-year-old daughter Karyn to visit Orlando(4). On July 27th, 1986, it was announced that the committee chose the Magic as the new name of the Orlando franchise in the NBA(5). The name “Magic” alludes to the area’s biggest tourist attraction and economic engine Walt Disney World, and its Magic Kingdom, highlighting its corporate theme of magic. Hewitt added “You look at all the aspects of Central Florida, and you find it really is an exciting place, a magical place(6)(7)(8).
Many, including Williams himself at first, thought that Miami or Tampa were better locations in Florida for a franchise. At the time, Orlando was a small city without a major airport and a suitable arena(9). Hewitt brought investors such as real estate developer William DuPont, Orlando Renegades owner Don Dizney, and Southern Fruit Citrus owners Jim and Steve Caruso(3), and talked the Orlando city officials into approving an arena project(10). Meanwhile, Williams gave presentations to NBA Commissioner David Stern and the owners of the other teams of the league that the town was viable(9).
In April, the franchise committee recommended expanding by three teams, with two of the slots going to Charlotte and Minneapolis-St. Paul. The recommendation put the Orlando bid in doubt since it advised that the state of Florida should be only allocated one team as part of the three-team expansion. This feedback put the planned Orlando franchise up against the Miami-based team, originally known as the Florida Heat and eventually named the Miami Heat(11). 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(12).
The Magic became the first-ever major-league professional sports franchise in the Orlando area, following an expansion fee of reportedly $32.5 million(3)(12). They were one of the four new expansion franchises awarded by the NBA in 1987 along with the Charlotte Hornets, Miami Heat, and Minnesota Timberwolves(13). The Magic hired Matt Goukas as the team’s first coach, who helped the Magic select 12 players in the NBA Expansion Draft on June 15th, 1989. On June 27th, 1989, the Magic chose Nick Anderson with the 11th pick in the first round, who became the first draft pick of the franchise(14).
The Magic, in their debut year, went on to select Nick Anderson (Illinois), who had just won both the Mr. Basketball and College Player of the Year awards, in the first round of the 1989 NBA Draft. As the 11th pick, he was the team’s first franchise player and scoring leader for a decade. The Magic’s very first game played was an exhibition game on October 13th, 1989, against the then-reigning champion Detroit Pistons, which the Magic won(14). Anderson was quoted as saying the atmosphere and the people watching the game was “like Game 7 of the NBA Finals.”(15)
On November 4th, 1989, the Magic played their first season game 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. The inaugural team compiled a record of 18-64 with players including the franchise star player Nick Anderson, Reggie Theus, Scott Skiles, Terry Catledge, Sam Vincent, Otis Smith, and Jerry Reynolds(16)(17).
In the 1990 NBA draft, the Orlando Magic selected Dennis Scott with the fourth overall pick(18). On December 30th, 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)(19). 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(15). He was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team(15).
On September 19th, 1991, the DeVos family, founders of Amway, purchased the franchise for $85 million. Family patriarch Richard DeVos became the owner of the franchise(20). The 1991-1992 season was disappointing for the Magic as various players missed games with injuries. Dennis Scott played only 18 games, Nick Anderson missed 22 games, and Stanley Roberts, Jerry Reynolds, Brian Williams, 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 sold out(15).
1. https://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/stories/
2001/03/12/story8.html
2. https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Journal/
Issues/2013/02/11/Champions/Pat-Williams.
aspx? hl=Sports%20Business%20Awards&sc=0
3. https://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/stories/
2006/07/10/story10.html?page=all
4. https://www.nba.com/magic/news/behindthe
name.html
5. https://web.archive.org/web/20080202232216/
http://www.nba.com/magicnews/20_Years_
Ago_Today__The_Magic-182426-800.html
6. https://nbahoopsonline.com/Articles/2007-08/
teamnames.html
7. https://web.archive.org/web/20161220111141/
http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/1986-07-
27/sports/0240120291_1_orlando-magic-
magic-johnson-earvin
8. https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/23115/
origins-all-30-nba-team-names
9. https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Journal/
Issues/2013/02/11/Champions/Williams-
Orlando.aspx
10. Blumenstyk, Goldie (December 9, 1986).
“Gung-ho City Council Okays Early
Construction Of Arena”.
11. “The Heat is On, Miami awarded NBA
franchise”. Sun Sentinel.
12. Goldaper, Sam (April 23, 1987). “The
National Basketball Association decided
yesterday in a surprise move to expand by
four franchises rather than the three
originally planned”. The New York Times.
13. “NBA ’89-90; Turnovers, 2 More Teams
And Questions”. The New York Times.
14. https://www.orlandopinstripedpost.com/
2013/11/1/5050460/orlando-magic-anni
versary-nick-anderson-honor-2013
15. https://www.nba.com/magic/news/
denton-25-years-magic-history
16. https://web.archive.org/web/2011010116
0114/http://www.nba.com/history/standi
ngs/19891990.html
17. https://web.archive.org/web/20100329091
903/http://www.nba.com/history/expansion
_ drafts.html
18. https://www.orlandopinstripedpost.com/
2013/12/9/5193860/orlando-magic-anni
versary-dennis-scott-honor-2013-cavaliers
19. https://web.archive.org/web/20101201212
207/http://www.nba.com/magic/history/
1990-91.html
20. “N.B.A. Orlando Team Sold”. The New
York Times. September 20, 1991.
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