Basketball club "Orlando Magic": history of the club, symbols, legendary players

Despite its relatively small age,the basketball team "Orlando Magic", speaking in the Eastern Conference of the NBA, is known to many fans of the popular game. In its time, stars such as Shaquille O'Neil, Dwight Howard, Vince Carter and Grant Hill performed for it.

History of the club

In 1989, as a result of the expansion of the number of NBA clubs, Orlando Magic was given the right to take part in the most prestigious basketball tournament in America. But the history of the team began a little earlier.

In 1985, the idea of ​​setting up in Orlandoprofessional basketball club. To do this, businessman Jimmy Hewitt, along with the mayor of the city Bill Frederic made a pledge of 100 thousand dollars to get the right to participate in the competition.

At the same time, the local press established a prize for the best name of the future club. From more than 4 thousand variants the word Magic - "Magic" was chosen.

In 1986, the first official name appearedclub - "Orlando Magic". After a season of fans another wonderful news waited: as a result of expansion of a league the command has acquired the right to participate in games under the aegis of NBA.

November 4, 1989 was the debut game for"Orlando Magic". In a completely filled home arena, they took "Nets" from New Jersey and failed to win, losing with a score of 111: 106. But two days later, after defeating the "New York Knicks" on the road, the club won the first historic victory.

Over the next 21 season, the team played 12 times in the playoffs of the conference, and in 2008-09 managed to even reach the NBA Finals, where they lost to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Symbols of the team

As you know, any NBA team has its own symbolism: emblem, form and talisman. For its existence, "Magic" three times changed the emblem. Now it's a blue basketball flying under the name of the club.

Traditional shape colors also changed 5 times. The home kit is white with a blue border on the T-shirts. The exit form is made in blue or blue. Front on home T-shirts there is an inscription Magic, whereas on the guest - Orlando. The design of the form has not changed since 2005.

Since the day of foundation, the official mascot "Orlando Magic" is a green dragon named Staff, who is also a slam-dunk coach at the club's support team.

Legends of "Magic"

Basketball club "Orlando Magic" alwaysfamous for the fact that it opened up new talented players. In 1992, Louisiana's little-known center-center, Shaquille O'Neal, who later became a world-class legend, was chosen for the draft in the draft, and no player has been given the number "32" since. "four seasons, after which he moved to the" Los Angeles Lakers ", in which he was several times the champion of the NBA.

In 2000, a new star, Tracy McGrady, was lit up in Orlando. With his help, the team for three seasons in a row made its way into the round of the playoffs, and the basketball player twice took part in the match of all NBA stars.

After 4 years in the draft "Orlando Magic" chosenschoolboy Dwight Howard, who was destined to become the new leader of the team. In one of the games, the rising star managed to set a personal record - 28 points and 26 rebounds.