#Ffrk black magic icon professional#

Anderson was quoted as saying the atmosphere and the people watching the game was 'like Game 7 of the NBA Finals'. The Magic's very first game played was an exhibition game on October 13, 1989, against the then-reigning champion Detroit Pistons, which the Magic won. As the 10th pick, he was the team's first franchise player and leading scorer for a decade. Basketball and College Player of the Year awards, in the first round of the 1989 NBA Draft. The Magic, in their debut year, went on to select Nick Anderson (Illinois), who had just won both the Mr. 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 Magic hired Matt Guokas as the team's first coach, who helped the Magic select 12 players in the NBA Expansion Draft on June 15, 1989. 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.

#Ffrk black magic icon professional#

The Magic became the first-ever major-league professional sports franchise in the Orlando area, following an expansion fee of reportedly $32.5 million. 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. 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. The recommendation put the Orlando bid in doubt, since it advised that the state of Florida should only be allocated one team as part of the three-team expansion. In April, the franchise committee recommended expanding by three teams, with two of the slots going to Charlotte and Minneapolis-St. Meanwhile, Williams gave presentations to NBA commissioner David Stern and the owners of the other teams of the league that the town was viable. Hewitt brought investors such as real estate developer William DuPont, Orlando Renegades owner Don Dizney, and Southern Fruit Citrus owners Jim and Steve Caruso, and talked the Orlando city officials into approving an arena project. At the time, Orlando was a small city without a major airport or a suitable arena. Many, including Williams himself at first, thought that Miami or Tampa were better locations in Florida for a franchise. Hewitt added that 'You look at all the aspects of Central Florida, and you find it really is an exciting place, a magical place.' The name 'Magic' alludes to the area's biggest tourist attraction and economic engine Walt Disney World, along with its Magic Kingdom. 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 last one, which had been submitted by 11 people, was picked after Williams brought his 7-year-old daughter Karyn to visit in Orlando. Out of a total of 4,296 submitted entries, the names were subsequently narrowed to four, 'Heat', 'Tropics', 'Juice', and 'Magic'. Īt the same time, Hewitt and Williams decided to hold a contest in the Orlando Sentinel newspaper to get names for their new franchise. On June 19, 1986, the two held a news conference to announce their intention of seeking an NBA franchise. Intrigued by the potential of an Orlando-based NBA team, Williams became the front man of the investment group one year later, after he left the 76ers. Hewitt approached Philadelphia 76ers general manager Pat Williams as they met in Texas on his idea of bringing an NBA team to Orlando. In September 1985, Orlando businessman Jim L. JSTOR ( March 2019) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message).Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. This section needs additional citations for verification. 10 Franchises accomplishments and awards.1.4 1996–1999: The post Shaq /Penny Hardaway era.1.3 1992–1996: The Shaquille O'Neal and Penny Hardaway era.