Who is the Orlando Magic’s rival?
Miami Heat
The Magic and the Heat are natural rivals, because they are both in the Sunshine State. However the teams have rarely been good at the same time.
In the mid-1990s, the Magic fell from championship glory just as the Heat were rising up. They met in the Playoffs and Anfernee Hardaway gave one last burst to challenge the Heat before they eventually won in the decisive Game Five on their way to the Eastern Conference Finals.
When the Magic were competing for titles, the Heat were near the bottom of the league (even drafting second one year) as Dwyane Wade struggled with injuries and the Heat positioned cap room.
When LeBron James arrived, the Magic were good for a moment. Then they traded away their championship window and the Heat sped on to two more titles.
For many of the players on the current Magic squad, the Heat have been the gold standard. And there have been some classic games between the young Magic and Heat.
Nikola Vucevic posted a 29-rebound game in an overtime loss on New Years’ Eve 2012. LeBron James needed to hit a game-winner getting past DeQuan Jones in a meeting in March 2013. Another James game-winner in Nov. 2013 added to the Magic’s misery against the Heat.
Last year, the Magic finally defeated the Heat. It was December, the team was still riding pretty high and Victor Oladipo got to the foul line for the game-winning free throws. It was a tough game and a gritty win. One of those games that made fans believe the Magic were preparing to turn the corner.
Listening to the Magic after the game, you could sense how much the win meant to them. This was a team they desperately wanted to defeat. That they were very close to defeating numerous times. And they finally did it.
It hurt them even more when the Magic blew a seven-point lead with about 30 seconds left in an overtime loss later on this season.
It is not just a state rivalry thing. These games clearly matter to the Magic. And that is as much a rivalry as anything.
Next: More old friends