Retrospective: The Top-10 Power Forwards in Orlando Magic History

2. Horace Grant

Horace Grant could easily be referred to as “the missing piece” that made the Magic legitimate contenders in the mid-90s. The team had mostly filled the spot with middling talent like Jeff Turner and Anthony Avent, and bringing Grant aboard gave the Magic one of the best role players in the league at his position.

Grant embraced the new opportunity in Orlando, after already having served an important role in the Chicago Bulls’ first three-peat in the Jordan era. He came to Orlando seasoned with a lot of valuable experience, and there’s no real price on that veteran leadership he brought to those Magic teams. 

It really is incalculable the effect he had.

Grant averaged nearly a double-double in his first season in Orlando, a feat he had accomplished twice with the Bulls. His numbers did take a dip from his time in Chicago, but he still shot 51 percent from the floor after having shot 56 percent his first season with the Magic.

Grant’s best season with the Magic was that 1995 Finals year, when he averaged 12.7 points, 9.6 rebounds, 2.2 blocks/steals in 74 appearances (all starts). Most importantly, he played a huge role in the Magic’s 4-2 series win over his former Bulls mates. Grant scored 20.8 points per game in that series and he played very well in the Finals.  Grant averaged 14.6 points and 12 rebounds per game in the four-game Finals sweep.

Grant was traded to Seattle before the 2000 season after having spent five years in Orlando. He would come back at age 36 to play another 81 games in Orlando before being cut and moving on to the Los Angeles Lakers.  His legacy in Orlando is very tainted due to he and Penny Hardaway’s “mutiny” of Brian Hill, after the team had organized a team meeting to determine whether or not they would play for Hill.

Four days following that meeting Hill was fired, and Grant said, “A lot of guys had concerns about certain situations, certain things weren’t happening…guys going out and not giving a team effort.  A coach has to get a team up…he didn’t do that.”

Next: A key to the 2009 Finals run