Orlando Magic
2011–12 Orlando Magic season
Orlando Magic logo
Conference	Eastern Conference
Division	Southeast Division
Founded	1989
History	Orlando Magic (1989–present)
Arena	Amway Center
City	Orlando, Florida
Team colors	Light Royal Blue, Black, Silver, and White
Owner(s)	Orlando Magic, Ltd., a subsidiary of RDV Sports, Inc.
General manager	Vacant
Head coach	Vacant
D-League affiliate	Sioux Falls Skyforce
Championships	0
Conference titles	2 (1995, 2009)
Division titles	5 (1995, 1996, 2008, 2009, 2010)
Official website	orlandomagic.com
Home Away

The Orlando Magic is a professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The franchise was founded in 1989 as an expansion franchise and has had such notable NBA stars such as Shaquille O'Neal, Penny Hardaway, Grant Hill, Tracy McGrady, Steve Francis, Dwight Howard, Hedo Türkoğlu, Vince Carter, Nick Anderson, Gilbert Arenas and Rashard Lewis throughout its young history. The franchise has also been in the playoffs for more than half of their existence (14 playoff appearances in 23 years). Orlando has been the most successful of the four expansion teams brought into the league in 1988 and 1989 in terms of winning percentage. As of 2011, they are the only team in the "big four" sports leagues to play in the city of Orlando.

Franchise history[link]

1989–1992: Team Creation[link]

The Orlando Magic went to the NBA as an expansion franchise in 1989. A contest sponsored by Orlando Magic team officials and the local Orlando Sentinel newspaper allowed the community to suggest names for their new franchise. The contest of a total of 4,296 submitted entries subsequently narrowed the names to the "Heat", the "Tropics", the "Juice" and the "Magic".^[1] 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.^[2] The Magic were one of the four new expansion franchises awarded by the NBA along with the Charlotte Hornets, Miami Heat and Minnesota Timberwolves. Initially, the NBA was planning to expand by three teams, with one franchise going to Florida; however, 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.^[3] The Magic became the first ever major-league professional sports franchise in the Orlando area, led by William duPont III, joined with two brothers, James and Robert Hewitt, as general partners and former Philadelphia 76ers general manager Pat Williams. The expansion fee was reportedly $32.5 million.^[3] The Magic hired Matt Guokas as the team's first coach, who helped the Magic select twelve players in the NBA Expansion Draft on June 15, 1989. 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 first game the Magic played on November 4, 1989, at the Orlando Arena (O-Rena) against the visiting New Jersey Nets, who won 111–106 in a hard-fought game. The Magic's first victory came two days later, as the Magic defeated the New York Knicks 118–110. The inaugural team compiled a record of 18–64 with players including Reggie Theus, Scott Skiles, Terry Catledge, Sam Vincent, Otis Smith, and Jerry Reynolds.^[4][5]

In the 1990 NBA Draft, the Orlando Magic selected Dennis Scott with the fourth overall pick. On December 30, 1990, Scott Skiles racked up 30 assists in the 155–116 victory over the Denver Nuggets, breaking Kevin Porter's NBA single-game assists record (29).^[6] Skiles was named the NBA's Most Improved Player at the end of the season, as the Magic heralded the NBA's most improved record that season. Forward Dennis Scott set a team mark with 125 three-point field goals for the season, the best long-distance production by a rookie in NBA history.^[7] He was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team.^[7] Despite a 31–51 record, there were 40 sellouts out of 41 home games.

On September 19, 1991, the DeVos family purchased the franchise for $85 million and the family head Richard DeVos became the owner of the franchise.^[8] The 1991–92 season was disappointing for the Magic as various players missed games with injuries. Dennis Scott played only 18 games, Nick Anderson missed 22 games, Stanley Roberts, Jerry Reynolds, Brian Williams, Sam Vincent and Otis Smith all missed at least 27 games each. With a shortage of healthy players the team struggled through a 17-game losing streak and finished with a 21–61 record. The Magic still managed to have all 41 home games sold out.^[7]

1992–1996: Shaq Arrives[link]

The Magic history was changed on May 17, 1992, when the franchise won the first pick in the 1992 NBA Draft Lottery.^[7] The Magic selected big-man Shaquille O'Neal from Louisiana State University, the biggest prize in the draft since the Knicks won Patrick Ewing.^[9] O'Neal, a 7-foot 1 inch center, made an immediate impact on the Magic, leading the club to a 41–41 record.^[10] The Magic again became the NBA's most improved franchise, as they improved by 20 games. O'Neal was the first rookie to be voted an All-Star starter since Michael Jordan in 1985.^[7] He also became the 1992–1993 NBA Rookie of the Year. Despite O'Neal's presence, the Magic missed the 1993 NBA Playoffs because they were tied with the Indiana Pacers for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with the Pacers holding the tiebreaker.

Despite barely missing the playoffs and receiving the least chance of gaining the top draft pick with only one ball in the lottery, the Magic won the first pick in the 1993 NBA Draft Lottery.^[7] Prior to the draft, Guokas stepped down as head coach, and Brian Hill was promoted to become the Magic's second head coach.^[11] In the draft, the Magic selected Chris Webber, but traded him to the Golden State Warriors for the number three pick, guard Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway and three future first-round draft picks.^[12] With the combination of O'Neal and Hardaway, the Magic became a dominant team in the NBA, compiling the first 50 win season in franchise history with a 50–32 record.^[13] The Magic were in the playoffs for the first time, ranked the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference; however, the Pacers swept the Magic 3–0 in the first round, thus ending the Magic's season.^[14]

In the 1994–95 season, the Magic's sixth season, All-Star forward Horace Grant was acquired as a free agent from the Chicago Bulls.^[7] Orlando Magic compiled a 57–25 record, best in the East and winning the Atlantic Division title,^[15] becoming the second-fastest team to advance to the NBA Finals in league history.^[16] In the playoffs, the Magic defeated the Boston Celtics, Bulls, and the Indiana Pacers, advancing to the NBA Finals. The Houston Rockets swept Orlando 4–0 in the Finals to take the crown.^[17]

In the 1995–96 season, the Magic again were near the top of the Eastern Conference and the Atlantic Division with a 60–22 record, led by O'Neal and Hardaway; however, the Magic were seeded number two, behind the NBA all-time best 72–10 record of the Chicago Bulls.^[18] In the meantime, General Manager Pat Williams was promoted to Senior Executive Vice President and replaced by the Vice President of Basketball Operations John Gabriel on April 29, 1996.^[19] In the playoffs, after the Magic defeated the Detroit Pistons and the Atlanta Hawks, Orlando met the Bulls in the Eastern Conference Finals.^[20] The combination of Jordan, Scottie Pippen and rebounder Dennis Rodman was too much for the Magic, and Orlando was swept 4–0.

1996–2000: Penny era[link]

In the offseason, O'Neal left as a free agent to the Los Angeles Lakers, dealing a huge blow to the Magic franchise. In the middle of the season, urged by player discontent, management fired coach Brian Hill and named Richie Adubato as interim coach for the rest of the season. Under Adubato, the Magic went 21–12 to compile a 45–37 record, led by Penny Hardaway, Darrell Armstrong, the team's emotional leader, and Rony Seikaly acquired in a trade with Golden State. In the playoffs, the Magic came close to stunning the heavily favored Miami Heat in the first round, extending the series to a decisive game five, after losing the first two games.

The Magic then hired Chuck Daly to be head coach for the 1997–98 season. In addition, Hall of Famer Julius Erving joined the Magic's front office, giving Orlando hope for a successful season. The season was hampered by an injury to Hardaway who sat out the majority of the season. Anderson, combined with newly acquired free agent Bo Outlaw, led the team to a 41–41 record, just out of reach of the NBA playoffs. In addition, Seikaly was traded during the season to the New Jersey Nets for three role players and a future draft pick.

In 1998–99, with the drafting of Michael Doleac and Matt Harpring with the 12th and 15th picks in the 1998 draft, and a healthy Hardaway and Anderson, the Magic tied for the Eastern Conference's best record with the Miami Heat in the lockout-shortened season, 33–17. Armstrong again led the team emotionally, winning the NBA's Sixth-Man and Most Improved Player awards. Orlando also acquired NBA great Dominique Wilkins, along with brother Gerald, who were past their primes but were both still good. In the playoffs the Magic were seeded number 3 because of tiebreakers and faced the Philadelphia 76ers. The 76ers, led by Allen Iverson, upset the Magic 3–1 in the first round. The team also changed their uniforms for the first time ever, changing from pinstripes to stars.

In 1999, the Magic, under General Manager John Gabriel, who was later named Executive of the Year, hired rookie-coach Doc Rivers. Gabriel dismantled the previous team trading their only remaining superstar Anfernee Hardaway to the Phoenix Suns for Danny Manning (who never donned a Magic uniform), Pat Garrity, and two future draft picks. The Magic were then a team composed of virtually all no name players and little experience which included team captain Armstrong, Bo Outlaw and a young Ben Wallace, along with Coach Rivers led the Magic to a 41–41 record, barely missing out on the playoffs. At the end of the season Rivers was named Coach of the Year. That year was characterized by the slogan "Heart and Hustle", as the team was known for its hard-working style.

2000–2004: T-Mac era[link]

The following offseason, Gabriel, with millions of cleared salary cap space, attempted to lure three of the NBA's most prized free agents: Tim Duncan, Grant Hill, and Tracy McGrady. Duncan opted to remain with the San Antonio Spurs, the Magic acquired Hill, a perennial All-Star, and McGrady. With McGrady and Hill together, the Magic were expected to be a force in the East. However, Hill was limited to 4 games because of an ankle injury. McGrady blossomed into a star during the season, becoming one of the NBA's top scorers. With the addition of Mike Miller from the draft, the Magic compiled a 43–39 record, which included a nine-game winning streak, and once again made the playoffs. McGrady made the All-Star Team and All-NBA 2nd Team. Miller won the Rookie of the Year. In the playoffs, they faced the Milwaukee Bucks team in the first round. The Bucks won the series 3–1.

In 2001–02, McGrady led the Magic to a winning record of 44–38. Hill was still severely limited by his ankle injury, and did not play for the vast majority of the season. McGrady, combined with Armstrong, Miller, and 3-point sharpshooter Pat Garrity, formed the core of the team. McGrady made the All-NBA for the first time and made his second consecutive All-Star Team. However, the Magic were defeated 3–1 in the first round of the playoffs by the Charlotte Hornets led by Baron Davis.

In 2002–03, with the acquisitions of Gordan Giricek and Drew Gooden from the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for Mike Miller, McGrady once again led the Magic to a 42–40 record. McGrady led the league in scoring with 32.1 ppg, made his second All-NBA 1st Team, and 3rd All-Star Team. Despite still not having Hill due to injury, the Magic entered the playoffs for the third straight year. However, after taking a 3–1 lead in the best-of-seven first round series, the Magic fell to the Detroit Pistons 4–3 in the now infamous heartbreaker in which McGrady was quoted "It's nice to finally be in the second round" after still needing one more win to advance.

The Magic's 15th season in 2003–04 proved to be one of its toughest ever. Even with the acquisition of veteran free agents Tyronn Lue and Juwan Howard, the Magic struggled early. After winning its first game, the Magic lost 19 consecutive games, setting a franchise record. The Magic finished an NBA worst with, 21–61. Despite this, McGrady led the league in scoring with 28.0 ppg, made the All-NBA 2nd Team and his 4th consecutive All-Star Team. In the middle of the 19-game losing streak, coach Doc Rivers was fired, and assistant Johnny Davis was promoted. Also, general manager Gabriel was replaced by John Weisbrod.

2004–2006: A new start with Dwight Howard[link]

Dwight Howard was drafted No. 1 overall in the 2004 NBA Draft.

In the offseason, Weisbrod completely dismantled the team. Though he kept Davis as coach, he shook up the player roster, only keeping a few players from last season. The most significant trade was Tracy McGrady. McGrady, discontent with the Magic, wished to move on; Weisbrod accused McGrady of "slacking off" and not attending practices (McGrady later admitted that he did not give 100% percent during the 2003–2004 season and wanted the team to bring him some help, but never wanted to leave Orlando). The Magic traded McGrady along with Reece Gaines, Tyronn Lue, and Juwan Howard to the Houston Rockets for Steve Francis, Kelvin Cato, and Cuttino Mobley. In addition, the Magic acquired center Tony Battie and two second-round draft picks from the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for Drew Gooden, Steven Hunter, and the draft rights to Anderson Varejão. The Magic then signed free agent Hedo Türkoğlu. With the number one draft pick, the Magic selected high-school phenomenon and future All-Star and franchise cornerstone Dwight Howard and traded for point guard Jameer Nelson. Nelson, who most scouts speculated to be a top-10 pick, fell to the 20th pick, and the Magic traded a future first-round draft pick to the Denver Nuggets for Nelson.

After a promising 13–6 start, the Magic began to fall apart. First, Weisbrod traded Mobley for Doug Christie from the Sacramento Kings. Christie, because of his emotional ties to the Kings, at first refused to play for the Magic. Later on, Christie claimed he had bone spurs and was placed on the injured list after playing only a few games for the Magic. Near the end of the season, with a playoff-push faltering, Weisbrod fired Davis after leading Davis to believe he was going to be the team's head coach for the entire 2004–05 NBA season. He then promoted Chris Jent to interim head coach. Throughout the season, bolstered by Hill's return, the Magic played spectacularly, defeating top NBA teams. However, led by the erratic play of Francis, the Magic also lost to league teams with losing records. Howard showed great promise, becoming one of the few players to average a double-double. Howard was a consistent rebounder and scorer, becoming the first rookie to start and play all 82 games in a season. In addition, Nelson, after a slow start, developed into a talented player, taking over the starting point guard position. Hill also returned and averaged 19.7 points a game. Hill was chosen an All-Star starter by NBA fans for the 2005 All-Star Game, and Dwight Howard and Jameer Nelson were named to the All-Rookie first and second teams, respectively. Howard was a unanimous selection.

The Magic finished the season 36–46. Their playoff push was hampered by injuries in the last quarter of the season: a season-ending broken wrist for sixth man Hedo Türkoğlu, a shin injury to Grant Hill, a rib cage injury to Nelson, and a three-game suspension to Francis for kicking a photographer. The Magic ended a few games out of the playoffs. On May 23, the Magic's plans were disrupted by the abrupt resignation of General Manager and Chief Operating Officer John Weisbrod. In addition, the Magic announced the following day that Brian Hill, the coach who led the Magic to the NBA Finals under O'Neal and Hardaway, would return as head coach.

The Magic drafted Galician Fran Vazquez with the 11th pick in the 2005 NBA Draft. On July 28, Vazquez stunned the team after announcing that he would remain in Spain to play for Akasvayu Girona, getting ridiculed by media after he was quoted that the decision to stay was made by his girlfriend.^{[citation needed]} Owner Rich DeVos announced on October 21 that he was transferring ownership to his children, with the official owner role moving to son-in-law and team President Bob Vander Weide. The transfer was supposed to be complete by the end of the year.^[21]

The 2005–06 season opened with high hopes for the Magic despite not being able to add first round draft pick Vasquez. Grant Hill was supposedly finally healed from his multiple ankle surgeries. Dwight Howard and Jameer Nelson showed excellent progress during summer-league play. Second round draft pick Travis Diener showed excellent shooting and decision making during the summer. And the free agent signing of Keyon Dooling showed that the club was going to continue making progress. Then trouble began. Hill, despite his ankle apparently being healed, suffered a painful sports hernia injury that would hamper his play throughout the entire season. After playing in three preseason games, he underwent surgery to correct the hernia and would not appear during the regular season until mid-December, to which he lasted a month before attempting to make another comeback in February and early March, however he only played sporadically. Then a foot injury to Nelson forced him to sit out over a month.

On February 15 the Magic announced that they had acquired Darko Miličić and Carlos Arroyo from the Detroit Pistons in exchange for Kelvin Cato and a 2007 top-five protected first-round draft pick. One week later on February 22 Orlando announced that they had traded Steve Francis to the New York Knicks in exchange for Anfernee Hardaway (whom they waived two days later) and Trevor Ariza. With a set starting rotation of Battie, Howard, Türkoğlu, DeShawn Stevenson, and Nelson, the Magic mounted a surprising run at the eighth playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, including an 8-game winning streak and twelve consecutive home wins. The streak included wins against NBA powerhouses Detroit, San Antonio, Dallas and Miami, as well as a game against the Philadelphia 76ers in which Howard recorded 28 points and a career-high 26 rebounds. Despite their efforts they didn't make the playoffs.

2006–2010: Back to the playoffs and NBA finals[link]

With the 11th pick in the NBA Draft the Magic took the former Duke star J. J. Redick. Even with the fan support to get him playing time he averaged just over 11 minutes a game. After beginning the season strong with a 13–4 record, the Orlando Magic began to suffer in the standings as the result of multiple losses, due in large part to the injuries of Tony Battie, Keyon Dooling, and Grant Hill. The Magic were also hampered with the sporadic play of many of their young stars, who on multiple occasions showed their propensity for streaky shooting and the team's lack of a solid scoring two-guard. Despite the team's poor play, Dwight Howard continued to develop and blossom in his third year in the league, culminating in his first selection to the Eastern Conference All-Star team. The final few weeks of the season saw the Magic build momentum and confidence with an impressive late push towards the Playoffs. On April 15, 2007, with an 88–86 victory over the Boston Celtics, the Magic secured its first berth in the NBA Playoffs since 2003 by locking up the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference. This marked the first time that the team had made the playoffs while posting a losing record. Nevertheless, their Playoff run ended on April 28, 2007 after they were swept in the first round by first seeded Detroit Pistons whose experience, veteran leadership and ability to consistently make the clutch basket proved far too much for the undermanned and overwhelmed Magic to overcome. It was announced on May 23, 2007, that Brian Hill had been fired as head coach of the Magic.

On June 1, the Magic signed Billy Donovan to be their head coach for five years. The next day, Donovan wished to be released from the contract and the Magic agreed several days later. On June 6, 2007, the Magic signed a 4-year contract with Stan Van Gundy. In the free agent market, the Magic signed Rashard Lewis of the Seattle SuperSonics to a six-year league-maximum contract believed to be worth over $110 million.^[22] At the NBA China Games, the Magic swept the three games in China, twice against the Cleveland Cavaliers and once against the Chinese national team in games held in Shanghai and in Macau.

On November 15, 2007, Bob Vander Weide, the son-in-law of Richard DeVos, officially took over as owner of the team, although ownership is still split evenly amongst Richard DeVos' other children as well.^[23]

The Magic started the 2007–08 NBA season with an impressive 16–4 record in their first 20 games, which included wins over the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers. Through the next few months, the Magic were not so successful, splitting their next 36 games with 18 wins and 18 losses. At the start of March, the Magic seemed to pick up speed again, finishing the month with 10 wins, the first time since November that they won 10 or more in a month. The Magic clinched the Southeast Division title when the Washington Wizards were routed at Utah 129–87 on March 31, 2008. It was the Magic's third division title, but only their first since 1995–96 season, as well as their first since the Southeast Division was formed. They also earned their 50th win of the season against the Chicago Bulls on April 13, which had not happened since the 1995–96 season. The Magic finished the regular season 52–30, their best season since 1995–96. With the 3rd seed in the Eastern Conference, they were matched up in their first round playoff series against the Toronto Raptors. The Magic had home court advantage for the first time since the 1998–99 season.

On April 28, 2008, at Amway Arena, the Magic eliminated the Raptors with a 4–1 series victory in the first round. It was the first playoff series victory for the Magic in 12 years after 6 straight first round exits. The run of success didn't last long as they fell 4–1 to the experienced Detroit Pistons in the second round. With the Magic already down in the series, controversy erupted after the Pistons' Game 2 victory. At the conclusion of the 3rd quarter, Chauncey Billups of the Pistons made a three point shot giving the Pistons a three point lead. However, the clock had stopped just as the play began. NBA rules prohibit officials from using instant replay or any timing device to determine how much time has elapsed when a clock malfunctions, nor is a replay allowed to be viewed from the time of the malfunction to when the play ends, when the game clock has not expired. Because of the rule, the officials then estimated that the play took 4.6 seconds, and because there were 5.1 seconds remaining when play began, the field goal was allowed to be counted. The NBA later admitted that the play actually took 5.7 seconds and the basket in question should not have counted.^[24] The Pistons went on to win Game 2. The Magic were able to win Game 3, with the Pistons' Chauncey Billups out for most of the game with an injury, but were unable to take advantage of his absence and defeat the Pistons in Games 4 and 5, which ended the Magic's playoff run in 2008.

The first half of the 2008–09 season went very well for the Magic. After 41 games, the Magic were 33-8, leading the Southeast Division, as well as having one of the top four records in the league. At the start of February, Jameer Nelson, their all-star starting point guard, went down with a shoulder injury. He was expected to miss the remainder of the season. After trading for Rafer Alston, the Magic finished the regular season with a 59-23 record, it was the most games the team had won in a season since the 1995–96 season in which they had 60 wins. In the playoffs, the Magic beat the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round of the playoffs and then the defending champions, the Boston Celtics, in the Eastern Conference semifinals, behind assistant coach Patrick Ewing's guarantee that they would win Game 7 of that series.^[25] In their first conference finals since 1996, the Magic beat the Cleveland Cavaliers, which were led by the season's MVP, LeBron James. After dropping the first two games in the Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers, the Magic finally won their first ever game in the Finals in Game 3. Despite Nelson's return to the team for the Finals, the Lakers won the series and the championship by beating the Magic in five games.

In the 2009 offseason, Orlando traded Rafer Alston, Tony Battie, and Courtney Lee to the New Jersey Nets in exchange for eight-time All-Star Vince Carter and Ryan Anderson.^[26] Hedo Türkoğlu, as part of a sign-and-trade, was sent to the Toronto Raptors. They then made several free agent signings. On July 10, former Dallas Mavericks power forward Brandon Bass was given a 4-year deal.^[27] On July 21, the Magic signed former Phoenix Suns Forward Matt Barnes.^[28] On August 19, they signed former Miami Heat point guard Jason Williams.^[29]

On September 28, 2009, Orlando extended the contract of head coach Stan Van Gundy by exercising his option for the 2010–11 season. They did the same for General Manager Otis Smith, which would keep him in that position through the 2011–12 season.^[30]

The Magic were without Rashard Lewis for the first 10 games of the 2009–10 season. Lewis tested positive for an elevated testosterone level that was caused by an over-the-counter supplement containing a substance banned by the league.^[31] To make matters worse, Vince Carter suffered a left ankle injury in just the second game of the season. Carter's injury turned out to be not too serious, but caused him to miss the next five games. Another setback came in mid-November, when Jameer Nelson injured his left knee, which required arthroscopic surgery to repair. Nelson would be out for five weeks. Despite all of this, the Magic had a 23–8 record at the end of December.

Orlando lost seven of their first ten games in January, but recovered well enough to post a winning record for the month by winning six of their next seven. Following the All-Star break, the Magic went on a roll, winning 23 of their 28 remaining games, clinching their fourth consecutive playoff berth and winning their third consecutive division championship in the process. The Magic finished the regular season with a 59–23 record, matching their record from the 2008–09 season, and finishing with not only the second-best record in the Eastern Conference, but the second-best record in the entire league. The Magic swept the Charlotte Bobcats and the Atlanta Hawks in the first two rounds of the playoffs, respectively. They then faced the Boston Celtics in the conference finals. After losing the first three games of the series, Orlando managed to win the next two games, but lost on the road in Game 6, ending their season.

2010–present: New Arena, New Look[link]

In anticipation of the team's move to Amway Center, the Magic updated its logo. They retained the streaking ball logo, but changed the wordmark taken from their current uniforms. The Magic hosted the NBA All-Star Game in 2012. The Magic have also unveiled black alternate uniforms.

In the summer of 2010 the Orlando Magic signed Chris Duhon, formerly of the New York Knicks,^[32] and Quentin Richardson, formerly of the Miami Heat.

On December 18, 2010, having lost five of their last six games, the Magic made a blockbuster trade deal with the Phoenix Suns and the Washington Wizards. They traded Vince Carter, Marcin Gortat and Mickaël Piétrus to Phoenix for Hedo Türkoğlu (who led them into the 2009 NBA Finals when they lost 4–1 against the Los Angeles Lakers), Jason Richardson and Earl Clark. Rashard Lewis was traded to Washington for 3-time All-Star Gilbert Arenas.^[33]

The Magic finished the season with 52 victories, good for 2nd in the Southeast Division. But they were ousted in six games by the Atlanta Hawks in the first round of the 2011 NBA Playoffs, the first time head coach Stan Van Gundy was eliminated early in the playoffs.

In a shortened 2012 season, due to the NBA Lockout, the Magic started the offseason on a rocky note, with their all star Center, Dwight Howard, requesting a trade. Overlooking the trade request the Magic did a sign and trade with the Boston Celtics for Glen Davis and Von Wafer in exchange for Brandon Bass. The Magic also amnestied Gilbert Arenas and signed Larry Hughes, Justin Harper, and DeAndre Liggins.The Magic started the season on Christmas day at Oklahoma against the Oklahoma City Thunder . They lost the season opener 89-97. During the month of February the Magic waived Hughes and signed Ish Smith. On February 26 Orlando hosted the 2012 All-Star Game.The Magic couldn't find a way to win games consistently but after Dwight rescinded his trade demand and signed a one-year deal, in March, the Magic seemed to find their footing again but then in early April Howard was diagnosed with a herniated disk and was forced to have back surgery, ending his season. The Magic clinched the sixth seed in the east with a 37-29 record. The Magic were faced with the third seeded Pacers in the first round. Despite winning the first game of the series the Magic were defeated 4-1. On May 21st, it was reported that general manager Otis Smith and head coach Stan Van Gundy would part ways with the organization. Stan Van Gundy finished with a 259-135 regular season record with the team which included making the playoffs in those five years and a conference championship.

Home arena[link]

Amway Center[link]

Amway Center, the Magic's arena since 2010

The team's new state of the art home arena, the Amway Center officially opened on October 1, 2010. The Orlando Magic hosted their first preseason game at Amway Center on October 10 against the New Orleans Hornets. The 2010–11 regular season home opener was on October 28 against the Washington Wizards. The Magic won both games. The new Amway Center is home to the largest Jumbotron in the NBA. It is also the home of the AFL's Orlando Predators and minor league hockey team, Orlando Solar Bears.

On May 4, 2010, NBA Commissioner David Stern announced that Orlando would host the 2012 All-Star Weekend in the new Amway Center.^[34]

Amway Arena (Former Arena)[link]

Originally called the Orlando Arena, and later TD Waterhouse Centre, the Amway Arena was the home of the Magic from 1989 to 2010.

Amway Arena opened in 1989 and served as home to the Orlando Magic since their inception until the 2009–2010 season. It was originally known as the Orlando Arena, or the "O-Rena", during its first ten years. In 1999, TD Waterhouse purchased the naming rights and named the venue the TD Waterhouse Centre. In December 2006, the naming rights were purchased by Amway for four years.^[35] It is also home of the Arena Football League's Orlando Predators, the Orlando Sharks of the Major Indoor Soccer League, and various sporting and entertainment events. Amway Arena was one of "The Orlando Venues" owned and operated by the City of Orlando. The other facilities include the Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre, Tinker Field, the Florida Citrus Bowl, Harry P. Leu Gardens, and Mennello Museum.^[36]. Amway Arena was demolished by implosion on March 25, 2012.

Uniforms[link]

• 1989–90 – 1997–98 – The home jerseys were white with black pinstripes, and black numbers with blue trim. The Magic logo on the jersey was blue with black trim. The road jerseys were black with white pinstripes, and blue numbers with white trim. The Magic logo on the jersey was the city name ("Orlando") and it was white with blue trim.

• 1994–95 – 1997–98 – The Magic unveiled the blue road jersey, with white pinstripes in 1994–95. It had white numbers with black trim and the Magic logo was the city name ("Orlando") logo with black trim. Replica blue jerseys sold at retail were manufactured incorrectly until 1997, as they had black numbers with white trim. With the introduction of the blue road jersey, the black road jersey became the alternate road jersey.

• 1998–99 – 2002–03 – For the Magic's 10th anniversary they introduced a new look designed by fashion designer Jhane Barnes. They removed the pinstripes, but the silky home and away uniforms featured stars as the background. The home jersey was white, with blue Magic logo and numbers with black trim. The blue away uniforms had a white Magic logo (the team dropped the city name for the road uniform) and numbers with black trim. In the 2000–01 season the streaking ball logo on the beltline of the shorts was replaced by the current secondary streaking ball arch logo on the right leg and the Magic wordmark added on the back.

• 2003–2008 – For the team's 15th anniversary, the Magic opted for a cleaner (sans the striping and subliminal stars) look this time. The home jerseys were white and the Magic logo was blue with silver and black trim. The away jersey reverted back to the city name, and was blue. The logo and numbers are white with black trim.

• 2008–present – For the 08–09 season, the Magic have once again created another uniform. The Magic returned to the pinstriped uniforms^[37] to commemorate the team's 20th anniversary. The current design combines the elements of the previous three uniform designs the Magic used in its 20-year history. The home jerseys are white with silver pinstripes, while the away jerseys are blue with white pinstripes. The font used for the number and player/team name has also been updated to a more modern look. Magic alternate logos are on the shorts and the back of the jersey. This is the fourth model in franchise history.

• 2010–present – The Magic unveiled a black alternate uniform, with silver pinstripes. The uniform mirrors that of the regular blue road uniform. This will mark the first time since 1998 that the Magic will wear an alternate uniform, though in recent years the Magic's alternate uniforms were worn as throwback uniforms as part of the NBA Hardwood Classics program. A variation of the uniform is also used for Noche Latina every March, with 'Orlando' substituted for 'El Magic', with 'El' in black and silver trim and 'Magic' in blue and silver trim. This was unveiled in the 2011–12 season.

• Until recently, the Magic had a team rule that prohibited the wearing of headbands by its players during games; this is a rule similar to the Chicago Bulls and Utah Jazz.

The Magic were also the only NBA team to wear black sneakers and socks in all their games, a tradition that began upon the hiring of Stan Van Gundy in 2007; however they wore white sneakers and socks at home in all of the 2008–09 season and early in the 2009–10 season before switching back to black sneakers and socks. They have since switched back to wearing white sneakers and socks at home, except when wearing their black alternate uniforms.

The Magic participated in the NBA's "Hardwood Classics" campaign in 2003, debuting the retro black away jerseys from 1989 during Christmas Day. It was a little unusual to call the uniform a "retro" since the Magic wore them as recently as 1997–1998, however they have already had four jersey designs in only 20 seasons of play. The following season, they wore the 1994–95 blue alternates for "Hardwood Classics" and in 2005–06, they wore the home pinstriped jerseys from the inaugural year. In 2006–07, the Magic wore the black away retro jerseys again for "Hardwood Classics". In the 2009–10 season, the same black pinstriped jerseys were used for the third time, making it the most-used Hardwood Classics Nights uniform design since the promotion's inception in 2002.

Up until the current uniform revision, Bo Outlaw had been the only Magic player to have worn all of the Magic jersey designs, and during 2005–2006 "Hardwood Classics," he was the only player on the roster to wear the home pinstriped jersey when it was still the current uniform, having joined the team in 1997 (last season of the original pinstripe uniform). He repeated the same feat in 2006, wearing the black pinstriped jersey.

Players[link]

Basketball Hall of Famers[link]

• Chuck Daly, coach, 1997–1999, Class of 1994
• Dominique Wilkins, SF, 1999, Class of 2006
• Patrick Ewing, C, 2001–2002, assistant coach, Class of 2008

Retired numbers[link]

• 6 – "The Sixth Man – The Fans" (this was unretired in 2001–2002 for Patrick Ewing.)

Current roster[link]

Orlando Magic roster v t e
Players	Coaches
Pos. # Name Height Weight DOB (Y–M–D) From 4.0 !F 33 Anderson, Ryan 82 !6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 240 lb (109 kg) 1988–05–06 California 4.0 !F 3 Clark, Earl 82 !6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 225 lb (102 kg) 1988–01–17 Louisville 5.5 !F/C 11 Davis, Glen 81 !6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 289 lb (131 kg) 1986–01–01 LSU 1.5 !G 25 Duhon, Chris 73 !6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1982–08–31 Duke 4.0 !F 32 Harper, Justin 82 !6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 225 lb (102 kg) 1989–08–30 Richmond 6.0 !C 12 Howard, Dwight  (C) 83 !6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 265 lb (120 kg) 1985–12–08 SW Atlanta Academy (GA) 1.5 !G 34 Liggins, DeAndre 78 !6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 209 lb (95 kg) 1988–03–31 Kentucky 1.5 !G 14 Nelson, Jameer (C) 72 !6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1982–02–09 Saint Joseph's 6.0 !C 21 Orton, Daniel 82 !6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 255 lb (116 kg) 1990–08–06 Kentucky 1.5 !G 7 Redick, J. J. 76 !6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1984–06–24 Duke 1.5 !G 23 Richardson, Jason 78 !6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 225 lb (102 kg) 1981–01–20 Michigan State 3.0 !SF 5 Richardson, Quentin 78 !6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 228 lb (103 kg) 1980–04–13 DePaul 1.5 !G 10 Smith, Ish 72 !6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 175 lb (79 kg) 1988–07–05 Wake Forest 4.0 !F 15 Türkoğlu, Hedo 82 !6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 220 lb (100 kg) 1979–03–19 Turkey 1.5 !G 1 Wafer, Von 77 !6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 209 lb (95 kg) 1985–07–21 Florida State	Head coach Vacant Assistant coach(es) Brendan Malone Steve Clifford Patrick Ewing Bob Beyer Mark Price Ahmad Ajami Athletic trainer(s) Keon Weise Strength and conditioning coach(es) Joe Rogowski Legend (C) Team captain (DP) Unsigned draft pick (FA) Free agent (S) Suspended (DL) On assignment to D-League affiliate Injured Roster • Transactions Last transaction: 2012–02–02

International rights[link]

PF		Fran Vázquez	2005 NBA Draft	11th pick
C		Milovan Raković	2007 NBA Draft	60th pick

Head coaches[link]

Season-by-season records[link]

Media[link]

Television[link]

The current television announce team for the Orlando Magic is play-by-play announcer David Steele and color analyst Matt Guokas. Guokas was the first head coach of the Magic. Paul Kennedy and Dante Marchetelli serve as courtside reporters. Television broadcasts were split in 2007–08 between Fox Sports Florida and Sun Sports. In previous years, broadcasts were split between Sun Sports and local television stations, originally WKCF and, later, WRBW. Select broadcasts will be available in HDTV.

There was a controversy with moving broadcasts to Fox Sports Florida since Orlando's largest cable TV provider, Bright House Networks, did not carry the network. Pressure increased for the cable provider to pick up FS Florida in time for the 2007–08 NBA season but this did not happen. The Magic persisted with airing games on FS Florida into the 2008–09 season despite Bright House's refusal to pick up the channel in all of its affiliates. Recently, Bright House and FS Florida came to an agreement on January 1, 2009 and have begun airing the channel as part of its standard cable package. However, Bright House airs the channel using a digital signal that only allows customers who own the Digital cable box to receive the channel. The customers do not have to pay any additional costs to get the channel with their Digital cable box.

Radio[link]

The current radio announce team for the Orlando Magic is play-by-play announcer Dennis Neumann and color analyst Richie Adubato, another former Magic head coach. Games are produced by Magic Radio Network flagship AM 580 WDBO in Orlando, and also broadcast on AM 1380 WELE in Daytona Beach, 99.5 FM WBXY "The Star" in Gainesville and Ocala, AM 1290 WPCF in Panama City, AM 1590 WPSL in Port St. Lucie and AM 1450 WSTU in Stuart. The Tampa Bay area affiliate is ESPN 1040 WHBO. The affiliate in Tallahassee is AM 1270 "The Team" WNLS.

Joey Colon and Ramon Rivas do Spanish-language commentary on AM 1030 WONQ "La Grande" in Orlando.

Podcasts[link]

The official Orlando Magic website features a collection of podcasts available on iTunes, including "Magic Overtime with Dante and Galante".

Leaders[link]

Franchise leaders[link]

Career[link]

• Games: Nick Anderson (692)
• Consecutive Games Played: Dwight Howard (351)
• Minutes Played: Dwight Howard (22,471)
• Field Goals Made: Nick Anderson (4,075)
• Field Goal Attempts: Nick Anderson (8,976)
• 3-Point Field Goals Made: Dennis Scott (981)
• 3-Point Field Goal Attempts: Nick Anderson (2,480)
• Free Throws Made: Dwight Howard (3,366)
• Free Throw Attempts: Dwight Howard (5,727)
• Total Rebounds: Dwight Howard (8,072)
• Assists: Scott Skiles (2,776)
• Steals: Nick Anderson (1,004)
• Blocked Shots: Dwight Howard (1,344)
• Personal Fouls: Dwight Howard (2,002)
• Points: Dwight Howard (11,435)

Career per game averages[link]

• Points: Tracy McGrady (28.1)
• Rebounds: Dwight Howard (13.0)
• Assists: Scott Skiles (7.2)
• Steals: Penny Hardaway (1.9)
• Blocked shots: Shaquille O'Neal (2.8)

For career records, players currently on the team are in italics. As of the 2011–12 NBA season.

Individual records[link]

• Most points in one game with 62 (Tracy McGrady on March 10, 2004 vs. Washington Wizards)
• Most points in one half with 37 in the first half (Tracy McGrady on March 9, 2003 vs. Denver Nuggets)
• Most points in one quarter with 25 in the second quarter (Tracy McGrady on March 9, 2003 vs. Denver Nuggets)
• Most free throws made in one game with 21 (Dwight Howard on January 12, 2012 vs. Golden State Warriors
• Most free throws attempted in one game with 39 (Dwight Howard on January 12, 2012 vs. Golden State Warriors) ***NBA Record
• Most points in a playoff game with 46 (Dwight Howard in Game 1 of 2011 Eastern Conference playoffs, First round vs. Atlanta Hawks and Tracy McGrady in Game 2 of the 2003 Eastern Conference playoffs, First round vs. Detroit Pistons)
• Most assist made in one game with 30 (Scott Skiles on December 30, 1990 vs. Denver Nuggets) ***NBA Record

Individual awards[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Orlando Magic

• Orlando Magic official website
• Sports E-Cyclopedia

Links to related articles v t e Orlando Magic Founded in 1989 Based in Orlando, Florida The Franchise Franchise Expansion Draft All-time Roster Draft history Records Seasons Current season Arenas Amway Arena Amway Center Coaches Guokas Hill Adubato Daly Rivers Davis Jent Hill Van Gundy General Managers Williams Gabriel Weisbrod Smith D-League Affiliate Sioux Falls Skyforce Administration RDV Sports, Inc. (Rich DeVos, Owner & Chairman) Vacant (General Manager) Vacant (Head Coach) Retired Numbers 6 (The Sixth Man) Conference Championships (2) 1995 2009 Division Championships (5) 1995 1996 2008 2009 2010 NBA Finals 1995 2009 Media TV Sun Sports Fox Sports Florida Radio WDBO Announcers David Steele Matt Guokas Dennis Neumann Richie Adubato v t e Orlando Magic seasons 1989–90 • 1990–91 • 1991–92 • 1992–93 • 1993–94 • 1994–95 • 1995–96 • 1996–97 • 1997–98 • 1998–99 • 1999–00 • 2000–01 • 2001–02 • 2002–03 • 2003–04 • 2004–05 • 2005–06 • 2006–07 • 2007–08 • 2008–09 • 2009–10 • 2010–11 • 2011–12{{ }} 2012-13 v t e Sports teams in Florida Baseball MLB: Miami Marlins • Tampa Bay Rays - SL: Jacksonville Suns • Pensacola Blue Wahoos - FSL: Bradenton Marauders • Brevard County Manatees • Charlotte Stone Crabs • Clearwater Threshers • Daytona Cubs • Dunedin Blue Jays • Fort Myers Miracle • Jupiter Hammerheads • Lakeland Flying Tigers • Palm Beach Cardinals • St. Lucie Mets • Tampa Yankees - GCL: Blue Jays • Braves • Cardinals • Indians • Marlins • Mets • Nationals • Orioles • Phillies • Pirates • Rays • Red Sox • Tigers • Twins • Yankees Basketball NBA: Miami Heat • Orlando Magic - FBA: Florida Flight • Heartland Prowl • Palm Beach Titans • Tampa Bay Rebels - CBL: Gainesville Galaxy - ABA: Jacksonville Giants Football NFL: Jacksonville Jaguars • Miami Dolphins • Tampa Bay Buccaneers AFL: Jacksonville Sharks • Orlando Predators • Tampa Bay Storm - UIFL: Florida Tarpons • Lakeland Raiders WFA: Gulf Coast Riptide • Jacksonville Dixie Blues • Miami Fury • Orlando Anarchy • Palm Beach Punishers • Tallahassee Jewels • Tampa Bay Inferno - LFL: Orlando Fantasy • Tampa Breeze Hockey NHL: Florida Panthers • Tampa Bay Lightning - ECHL: Florida Everblades • Orlando Solar Bears - SPHL: Pensacola Ice Flyers Lacrosse PLL: Jacksonville Bullies Soccer NASL: Fort Lauderdale Strikers • Tampa Bay Rowdies - USL Pro: Orlando City S.C. - USL PDL: Bradenton Academics • FC Jax Destroyers • Fort Lauderdale Schulz Academy • Ocala Stampede • Orlando City U-23 • Panama City Beach Pirates • VSI Tampa Flames - W-League: FC Jax Destroyers • VSI Tampa Flames - WPSL: Florida Sol FC • FSA Freedom • Gulf Coast Texans • South Florida Strikers • Tampa Bay Hellenic - NPSL • Jacksonville United FC Roller derby WFTDA: Gold Coast Derby Grrls • Jacksonville RollerGirls • Tallahassee RollerGirls • Tampa Bay Derby Darlins Rugby league USARL: Jacksonville Axemen Rugby union FRU: Bay Area Pelicans • Boca Raton RFC • Jacksonville RFC • Miami Rugby Club • Tampa Bay Krewe College athletics (NCAA Division I) Bethune-Cookman Wildcats (MEAC) • Florida Gators (SEC) • Florida A&M Rattlers (MEAC) • Florida Atlantic Owls (Sun Belt) • Florida Gulf Coast Eagles (A-Sun) • FIU Golden Panthers (Sun Belt) • Florida State Seminoles (ACC) • Jacksonville Dolphins (A-Sun/Pioneer) • Miami Hurricanes (ACC) • North Florida Ospreys (A-Sun) • South Florida Bulls (Big East) • Stetson Hatters (A-Sun) • UCF Knights (C-USA) v t e National Basketball Association Eastern Conference Western Conference Atlantic Boston Celtics Brooklyn Nets New York Knicks Philadelphia 76ers Toronto Raptors Central Chicago Bulls Cleveland Cavaliers Detroit Pistons Indiana Pacers Milwaukee Bucks Southeast Atlanta Hawks Charlotte Bobcats Miami Heat Orlando Magic Washington Wizards Northwest Denver Nuggets Minnesota Timberwolves Oklahoma City Thunder Portland Trail Blazers Utah Jazz Pacific Golden State Warriors Los Angeles Clippers Los Angeles Lakers Phoenix Suns Sacramento Kings Southwest Dallas Mavericks Houston Rockets Memphis Grizzlies New Orleans Hornets San Antonio Spurs Annual events: Draft · Summer League (Orlando) · Christmas Day · All-Star Weekend (Game · MVP) · Celebrity Game · Rising Stars Challenge · Shooting Stars · Skills Challenge · Slam Dunk Contest · Three-Point Shootout · Playoffs · Finals (MVP) Others: 50 Greatest Players · Arenas · Awards · BAA · Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (Members) · Collective bargaining agreement · Criticisms and controversies · D-League · Dress code · Defunct teams · Draft eligibility · Europe Live Tour · First overall draft picks · Head coaches (Current · Player-coaches · Champions) · Lockouts · Larry O'Brien Trophy · Midwest Division · NBA champions · NBA Store · NBA TV · NBL · Players (Current rosters · Foreign players · Race and ethnicity · Banned or suspended) · NBA records (regular season, post-season, All-Star Game) · Relocated teams · Rivalries · Salary cap · Highest paid · Seasons · WNBA · Cheerleading Category · Basketball Portal · 2011–2012 season

Orlando
—  City  —
City of Orlando
Downtown Orlando, Seaworld Orlando, Gatorland, The Mall at Millenia, Orlando International Airport, Lake Eola fountain, Church Street Station, Amway Center, Orange County Courthouse, Walt Disney World, Universal Studios Florida
Flag of Orlando Flag Official seal of Orlando Seal
Nickname(s): The City Beautiful, O-Town[1]
Location in Orange County and the state of Florida
Orlando Location in the United States
Coordinates: 28°24′57″N 81°17′56″W / 28.41583°N 81.29889°W / 28.41583; -81.29889Coordinates: 28°24′57″N 81°17′56″W / 28.41583°N 81.29889°W / 28.41583; -81.29889[2]
Country	United States
State	Florida
County	Orange
Settled	July 31, 1875
Incorporated	1885
Government
• Type	Mayor–Commission
• Mayor	Buddy Dyer (D)
Area[2]
• City	110.7 sq mi (287 km2)
• Land	102.4 sq mi (265 km2)
• Water	8.3 sq mi (21 km2)
Elevation[3]	82 ft (25 m)
Population (2010)[4]
• City	238,300
• Density	2,327.3/sq mi (898.6/km2)
• Urban	1,377,342 (35th)
• Metro	2,134,411 (26th)
• CSA	2,818,120 (17th)
Demonym	Orlandoan
Time zone	EST (UTC-5)
• Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code(s)	32801–32899
Area code(s)	321, 407
FIPS code	12-53000[4]
GNIS feature ID	0288240[3]
Website	www.cityoforlando.net

Orlando (/ɔrˈlændoʊ/) is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States. The Greater Orlando metropolitan area has a population of 2,134,411, making it the 26th largest metro area in the United States, the sixth largest metro area in the Southeastern United States, and the third largest metro area in Florida. Orlando is the fifth largest city in Florida, and the state's largest inland city.

Orlando is nicknamed "The City Beautiful" and its symbol is the fountain at Lake Eola. The current mayor is Buddy Dyer. The city is best known for the Walt Disney World Resort (located approximately 21 miles (34 km) southwest of Downtown Orlando in Lake Buena Vista), founded by the Walt Disney Company in 1971, and for the Universal Orlando Resort (which consists of two parks, Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure, as well as other attractions, including City Walk). Orlando is also home to the SeaWorld theme park, Gatorland, as well as Wet 'n Wild Water Park. With the exception of Walt Disney World, most major attractions are located along International Drive. The city's famous attractions form the backbone of Orlando's tourism industry, making the city the most visited American city in 2009.^[5] The city is also one of the busiest American cities for conferences and conventions. Like other major cities in the Sun Belt, Orlando grew rapidly during the 1980s and well into the first decade of the 21st century. Orlando is also home to the University of Central Florida, which is the second largest university in the United States in terms of enrollment (as of 2011).

Orlando attracts over 51 million tourists a year (3.6 million of them are international tourists).^[6] Its airport, the Orlando International Airport (MCO), is the thirteenth busiest airport in the United States, and the 29th busiest in the world.^[7]

In 2010, Orlando was listed as a Gamma world-city in the World Cities Study Group’s inventory by Loughborough University. According to Loughborough, Orlando ranks alongside other cities such as Belfast, Milwaukee, and Islamabad.^[8]

History[link]

Pre-European history[link]

Before European settlers arrived in 1836, Orlando was sparsely populated by the Creek and other Native American tribes. There are very few archaeological sites in the area today, except for the ruins of Fort Gatlin along the shores of modern-day Lake Gatlin south of downtown Orlando.

Namesakes[link]

Prior to being known by its current name, Orlando was known as Jernigan. This originates from the first permanent settler, Aaron Jernigan, a cattleman who acquired land along Lake Holden by the terms of the Armed Occupation Act of 1842.^[9]

City officials and local legend say the name Orlando originated from a soldier named Orlando Reeves who died in 1835 during a supposed attack by Native Americans in the area during the Second Seminole War. Reeves was acting as a sentinel for a company of soldiers that had set up camp for the night on the banks of Sandy Beach Lake (now Lake Eola).^[10] There are conflicting legends, however, as an in-depth reviews of military records in the 1970s and 1980s turned up no record of Orlando Reeves ever existing.^[10] The legend grew throughout the early 1900s, particularly with local historian Kena Fries' retelling in various writings and on local radio station WDBO in 1929.^[10] A memorial beside Lake Eola – originally placed by students of Orlando's Cherokee Junior School in 1939^[10] – designates the spot where the city's supposed namesake fell.

Local historians have come up with a more credible version of the "Reeves" story. During the Second Seminole War, the U.S. Army established an outpost at Fort Gatlin, a few miles south of the modern downtown, in 1838, but it was quickly abandoned when the war came to an end. Most pioneers did not arrive until after the Third Seminole War in the 1850s. Many early residents made their living by cattle ranching. One such resident was a South Carolinian Orlando Savage Rees.^[11] Rees owned several large estates in Florida and Mississippi. On two separate occasions, relatives of Rees claimed their ancestor was the namesake of the city. F.K. Bull of South Carolina (Rees' great-grandson) told an Orlando reporter of a story in 1955; years later, Charles M. Bull Jr. of Orlando (Rees' great-great-grandson) offered local historians similar information.^[11] Rees most certainly did exist and was in Florida during that time period: in 1832 John James Audubon met with Rees in his large estate at Spring Garden, about 45 minutes away from Orlando.^[11] In 1837, Rees also attempted to stop a peace Treaty with the Indians because it did not reimburse him for the loss of slaves and crops. The story goes Rees' sugar farms in the area were burned out in the Seminole attacks in 1835 (the year Orlando Reeves supposedly died). Subsequently, he led an expedition to recover stolen slaves and cattle. It is believed he could have left a pine-bough marker with his name next to the trail, and later residents misread the sign as "Reeves" and thought it was his grave.^[11] In the years since the telling of this story, it has merged with the Orlando Reeves story. Some variants attempt to account for Reeves having no military records by using the name of another 'Orlando' that exists in some written records – Orlando Acosta. Not much is known about Acosta and if he even existed.

In 1975, local historian, and then chairman of the county historical commission, Judge Donald A. Cheney put forth a new version of the story in an Orlando Sentinel article.^[11] Cheney is the son of Judge John Moses Cheney, a major figure in Orlando's history who arrived in Orlando in 1885. John Cheney knew James Speer – another major figure who proposed the name of Orlando. Cheney's retelling relates how Speer proposed the name Orlando after one of the main characters in the Shakespeare play As You Like It. Speer, "was a gentleman of culture and an admirer of William Shakespeare...According to him, [Orlando] was a veritable Forest of Arden, the locale of As You Like It."^[11] One of the main streets in downtown Orlando is named Rosalind Avenue, after Rosalind, the heroine of the play. Speer's descendants have also confirmed this version of the naming and the legend has continued to grow.^[11]

What is known for certain is Jernigan became Orlando in 1857. The move is believed to be sparked, in part, by Aaron Jernigan's fall from grace after he was relieved of his military command by military officials in 1856. His behavior was so notorious that Secretary of War Jefferson Davis wrote, "It is said they [Jernigan's militia] are more dreadful than the Indians."^[11] At a meeting in 1857, debate had grown concerning the name of the town. Pioneer William B. Hull recalled how Speer rose in the heat of the argument and said, "This place is often spoken of as 'Orlando's Grave.' Let's drop the word 'grave' and let the county seat be Orlando."^[11] Through this retelling of history, it is believed that a marker of some sort was indeed found by Jernigan (or one of the other original pioneers); but, others claim Speer simply used the folk legend to help push for the Shakespearian name.