Orlando Magic
30-year Orlandoversary: Anderson banks in game-winner from deep as Magic nip Bullets, 92-91
Shaquille O’Neal became the star of the Orlando Magic franchise as a rookie during the 1992-93 season, but one might argue that in the clutch, no player was more valuable than guard Nick Anderson.
25-year Orlandoversary: Anderson’s late 3 lifts Magic to victory, spoils Shaq’s return to Orlando
Many Orlando Magic fans still rue the day that All-Star and Hall of Fame center Shaquille O’Neal left the City Beautiful for the bright lights of Los Angeles.
30-year Orlandoversary: Magic outlast Knicks in first-ever triple-overtime game
For the Orlando Magic, Valentine’s Day has had its quirks over the years. In 1990, Chicago Bulls star Michael Jordan was infamously forced to wear a nameless No. 12 jersey after his came up missing at Orlando Arena.
Thank you Magic fans, it’s been quite a ride
Well, I think it may be time to step back and be a fan again.<br><br>That was my first thought a couple of weeks ago when the news broke that Vox Media, the parent company of SB Nation, would no longer be financially supporting many of its team pages – including Orlando Pinstriped Post. It has taken a bit of time to collect my thoughts, but the conclusion I’ve come to is clear: I can be a fan again, and I have a lot of folks to thank.<br><br>It may seem strange to read that from someone who put content out for a ‘fan page’, someone who grew up in Central Florida in the ‘90’s with the expansion franchise since its infancy, someone who celebrated with friends in bars downtown when the franchise reached its second NBA Finals by sending home LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.<br><br>But I’m not a fan, or at least I haven’t been in some time. I guess that started during the 2017 season when I began writing for a website that I had visited for many years, Orlando Pinstriped Post. It just so happened that the site was going through a transitional period, and many of the writers that had been covering the Magic for ‘OPP’ had stepped away, moved on, or at least had moved away from Orlando. So for the last six seasons, I’ve been fortunate enough to live out a dream that many never get even close to experiencing. Covering a professional team they grew up passionately supporting.<br><br>However, this wasn’t fantasy camp – it was a grind. I didn’t have time to get caught up in the awe of where I was working, or who I was working with. I had a job to do, and providing fair, unbiased, and authentic coverage of the Orlando Magic was something I took very seriously.<br><br>Of course, I wouldn’t have come to this realization so quickly if not for the true professionals that I was lucky enough to learn from, such as Josh Robbins, John Denton, Keith Smith (my go-to authority whenever I mentioned the salary cap in a piece), and Dan Savage to name a few. <br><br>My first conversation with Josh (Robbins) occurred in the tunnel prior to the first game I covered at Amway Center. He came up to me, introduced himself, shook my hand, and commented that he appreciated my professional attire – especially my jacket. Over the next five-plus years, there wasn’t a game I covered that I didn’t wear that blazer. I hope Josh realizes what an exemplary role-model he was for me, and how much I learned about covering a team by just watching him work.<br><br>And that’s how it went, or at least that was my mindset. I’m not there to cheer on a team that I’ve followed for over twenty-five years, to become emotionally invested in a particular outcome, or to be fanatical about supporting certain players and/or coaches. My role was to provide balanced coverage of a team for fans and supporters of my writing.<br>
25-year Orlandoversary: Outlaw’s game-winner lifts Magic past Hawks, 91-90
Over his 15 years in the NBA, forward Bo Outlaw was largely known for his ability to defend and rebound. On this day 25 years ago, however, Outlaw powered the offense and played the role of hero.
30-year Orlandoversary: Magic erase 14-point fourth-quarter deficit to stun Kings, 119-115
Drafting Shaquille O’Neal first overall certainly helped matters, but the Orlando Magic had their first real taste of success during the 1992-93 season. That year, the Magic finished 41-41 – their first non-losing season – and narrowly missed making the postseason.
15-year Orlandoversary: Turkoglu beats buzzer from deep as Magic top Celtics
The 2007-08 Boston Celtics accomplished a great and many things. That year, the Celtics finished 66-16 before beating the Los Angeles Lakers in six games in the NBA Finals for the franchise’s 17th championship and first since 1986.
15-year Orlandoversary: Lewis beats buzzer as Magic sink Pistons, 102-100
The Orlando Magic’s 2007-08 season ended at the hand of the Detroit Pistons for the second year in a row. Orlando went down in five games in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, but the most thrilling win over Detroit for the Magic during the campaign may have come in the regular season and on this day 15 years ago.
30-year Orlandoversary: Magic overcome Jordan’s 64 points to top Bulls in OT, 128-124
Most diehard Orlando Magic fans are aware that Orlando was the last team to eliminate the legendary Michael Jordan from the postseason. After the Chicago Bulls legend came out of retirement, the Magic topped the Bulls in six games in the 1995 Eastern Conference Semifinals.