NBA: All-Time Starting 5 of the Orlando Magic

The Orlando Magic started in the NBA in 1989 as an expansion team. In their first three seasons of existence, they had losing records. In 1992, Shaquille O’Neal was drafted first overall and he helped the team achieved a 41-41 record but still did not made the playoffs.

Penny Hardaway arrived the next season and the Magic finally made their postseason debut. The duo of Shaq and Penny led the team to their first ever NBA Finals appearance in 1995 but they got swept by the Houston Rockets.

O’Neal left in the summer of 1996 to join the Los Angeles Lakers. Hardaway became the franchise star of the Magic and he led the team to three more playoff appearances. When Penny was traded, the Magic formed a new duo in Tracy McGrady and Grant Hill.

McGrady and Hill did not play together that much due to injuries but the Magic got lucky in 2004. They drafted Dwight Howard first overall and he became the team’s superstar for the next eight seasons that included a trip to the 2009 NBA Finals.

Now, the Magic has not made the playoffs since 2012. Nevertheless, they have produced some great players and here are the five players who made the Magic’s all-time starting five.

Guard – Nick Anderson

Nick Anderson was the Magic’s first star player before Shaquille O’Neal. He spent ten seasons in Orlando wherein he was vital in the early years of the franchise. In the season before Shaq was drafted, Anderson averaged 19.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.6 steals per game. He averaged the same points during O’Neal’s rookie season.

Anderson was relegated to third option behind O’Neal and Penny Hardaway during his prime but he was still a key player for the Magic. In 692 games in Orlando, Anderson has scored the second most points in franchise history. He also ranks fourth in rebounds, fifth in assists, first in steals, sixth in blocks, and second in three-pointers made.

Honorable Mention: Guard – Jameer Nelson

Jameer Nelson was the sidekick of Dwight Howard during the Magic’s success from 2007 to 2012. Nelson was an All-Star in 2009, the year they went to the NBA Finals. He spent ten seasons in Orlando good enough to get to the fourth spot of the franchise’s all-time scoring list.

Guard – Penny Hardaway

A 6’7” point guard, Penny Hardaway was the second coming of Magic Johnson. Hardaway had the size and the passing ability to rival Magic’s. He spent six seasons in Orlando before being traded to the Phoenix Suns in 1999. Hardaway was a four-time All-Star during his tenure with the Magic.

Hardaway was also named to the All-NBA Second Team twice and the All-NBA Third Team once. Injuries slowed down the promising career of Hardaway during his stints with Suns and the New York Knicks. Despite that, Penny ranks seventh in points, tenth in rebounds, fourth in assists, third in steals, and tenth in blocks in the franchise leaderboards.

Honorable Mention: Guard – Scott Skiles

Before Penny Hardaway, Scott Skiles was the Magic’s starting point guard. He helped the team make the playoffs once and he was really an underrated player in the franchise’s history. Skiles still holds the record for most assists in a single NBA game with 30. He did in 1990 against the Denver Nuggets.

Center – Shaquille O’Neal

If Shaq played more than four seasons with the Orlando Magic, he would have been the greatest player in team history. Shaq was a beast in Orlando as he averaged 27.2 points, 12.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 2.8 blocks in his four years in Orlando. He was an All-Star in his four seasons with the Magic while also winning the Rookie of the Year in 1993.

Shaq helped the Magic made the playoffs three times including an NBA Finals appearance in 1994. However, Shaq and the Magic got dominated by the Houston Rockets and Hakeem Olajuwon in four games. The sweep motivated Shaq but it also meant that he left Orlando to join the Los Angeles Lakers. With the Lakers, he won three straight NBA championships from 2000 to 2002.

Honorable Mention: Center – Horace Grant

Yes, Horace Grant is not a center but we have to put him in here. Grant joined the Magic after winning three championships with the Chicago Bulls. Grant served as a veteran presence in the young Magic team. He ranks fifth in the franchise’s all-time rebounds list, as well as eighth in steals and fourth in blocks.

Forward – Tracy McGrady

I know, Tracy McGrady is a shooting guard but he also played small forward. McGrady signed with the Magic in 2000 as a free agent and blossomed into one of the most explosive scorers the NBA has ever seen. In four seasons with the Magic, McGrady averaged 28.1 points, 7.0 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.0 blocks per game.

T-Mac also won the Most Improved Player Award in 2001 while also being named an All-Star four-times while with the Magic. He was the scoring champion in back-to-back years in 2003 and 2004. He was a beast on the court, leading Orlando to three straight playoff appearances from 2001 to 2003. McGrady was inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2017.

Honorable Mention: Forward – Dennis Scott

One of the greatest shooters in NBA history, “3D” Dennis Scott played seven seasons with the Magic after getting drafted fourth overall in 1990. He is still the team’s leader in most three pointers made with 981. He also ranks tenth in assists, and seventh in steals.

Forward – Dwight Howard

Technically a center, we have to include Dwight Howard to this list because he is the greatest Magic player in history. Despite the way he forced himself out of Orlando, Howard had his best years with the team from 2004 to 2012. He dominated on both ends of the floor, making the All-NBA First Team five times and winning the Defensive Player of the Year Award from 2009 to 2011.

Howard led the Magic to an NBA Finals appearance in 2009 but they fell to the Los Angeles Lakers in five games. He might still be hated by Magic fans but there is no denying that Howard was at his best in Orlando. Howard is the franchise leader in points, rebounds, and blocks.

Honorable Mention: Forward – Grant Hill

Grant Hill was in Orland for six years but he never played a full 82-game season. His Magic career was derailed by several ankle injuries but it did not stop him from being one of the best players to ever play for the franchise. Hill was a two-time All-Star while with the Magic.