The Magic is a professional basketball team based out of Orlando, Florida. The franchise is part of the Eastern Conference Southeast Division.
Orlando Magic Betting Brief History
The team established as an expansion franchise during the 89-90 season.
During its first seasons in the league, the team was marked by mediocre performances, always posting losing records.
However, things started to change for the better for this team after they acquired Shaquille O’Neal with their first overall NBA Draft pick of 1992.
The first year with Shaq on their roster, the team finished with 20 more victories than their previous season. They almost made it to the postseason that first year with O’Neal, but they lost in a tiebreaker with the Pacers.
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The team made it to its first playoffs during the 1993-94 season, and, they improved this record quick, as they advanced to the NBA Finals the following season, in what it was just their sixth year of existence.
With that said, the team’s lack of postseason experience was noticeable when they lost to the Rockets in four straight matches.
After that significant loss, Shaq moved to the Lakers, and this left the team without its most relevant player.
During this period, the team enjoyed regular season success but was unable to make it past the first round of the playoffs.
The team then entered a period of recurrent losses, their worst being the 2003-04 season.
But all negative has its positive, as the team’s worst NBA record allowed them to win the draft lottery once again.
And with that first overall pick, they got the services of Dwight Howard, who, just like his hero Kevin Garnett, forewent college and went straight to the NBA.
This player, who was to be later baptized as “Superman,” provided the team with the low-post dominance the Magic had lacked since the departure of Shaq.
And, with the addition of forwards Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu, the team managed to reach the second round of the postseason in 2007-08.
And with the help of this trio, the team once again managed to make it to the NBA Finals, where they lost to the Lakers in five matches.
Orlando Magic Betting Interesting Facts
- The team has made it to the postseason for exactly half of its existence in the league. Exactly 15 playoff appearances in 30 years.
- The Magic has also been the most successful of the 4 expansion franchises acquired by the league in 1988 and 1989.
Orlando Magic Betting Awards and Accomplishments:
- Championships: 0
- Conference titles: 2 (1995, 2009)
- Division titles: 6 (1995, 1996, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2019)
Orlando Magic Betting Hall of Famers and Famous Players
Here’s a list of the top 3 Hall of Famers for the Orlando Magic Betting:
Shaquille O’Neal: He’s considered one of the best centers to have ever played the game. He won the Rookie of the Year honors, and just two seasons later managed to lead the Magic to the 1995 NBA Finals.
- 4 seasons with the Magic, 1-time MVP, 15 times All-Star, averaged 27 points per game
- Basketball Hall of Fame: Inducted in 2016
- College Basketball Hall of Fame: Inducted in 2014
Dwight Howard: He’s earned the Defensive Player of the Year honors 3 times, and managed to set numerous franchise and league records during his time in Orlando.
- 8 seasons with the Magic, 8 times All-Star
Grant Hill: Just like Shaq, he also received the Rookie of the Year honors, just like his father, NFL Pro Bowl running back Calvin Hill.
- 6 seasons with the Magic, 7 times All-Star, averaged 16 points per game
- Basketball Hall of Fame: Inducted in 2018
- College Basketball Hall of Fame: Inducted in 2014
Orlando Magic Betting Rivalries
The top rivalry for this team is with the Atlanta Hawks.
And this rivalry is the result of playoff competition, and the rising stardom of Josh Smith and Dwight Howard, both from the 2004 NBA Draft class.
The teams have faced 3 times during the postseason: first in 1996, then in 2010, and then in 2011.
Orlando managed to defeat the Hawks 4-1 during their second-round series of 1996; then they swept the Hawks in four games in 2010.
And lastly it was the Hawks’ chance to get revenge, as they eliminated the Magic 4-2 during the first round in 2011.
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