The Orlando Magic look for the face of their franchise

What Makes a Face?

Before deciding who is the true “face” of the Magic, we must decide what exactly constitutes a franchise “face.”

Perhaps the most obvious requirement is talent. To be the “face” of the franchise, a player has to be one of the most talented players on the roster.

This is more than simply putting up big numbers. A true “face” will also be a defensive leader and someone who makes his entire team better. It is not merely about scoring the most points. it is also about who fans identify with most, who gets the lead marquee in team marketing promotions and who opposing fans want to see.

In the majority of cases, talent alone is not enough to fill the role.

Orlando Magic

Style of play is important too. A true franchise face will be able to catch-on with fans, even those who support rival teams (as far as that is possible, at least). Perhaps they are a prolific scorer with an exciting offensive repertoire or a high-flying dunker with out-of-this-world athleticism.

Off-the-court presence has also become increasingly important. While not immediately obvious, the vast majority of current franchise “faces” in the NBA have an interesting or engaging personality off-the-court.

LeBron James is “The King”, a national leader and prominent on social media. Stephen Curry became popular with fans for being seemingly personable both on and off the court. Even Kawhi Leonard is a huge personality, no matter what Anfernee Hardaway says.

It helps that all three of those players are all-NBA players and figure into the title picture every year. Fans know who they are and associate them with the great teams in the league.

So to be a “face,” there are three requirements.

To be one of the franchise’s star players, to have an exciting on-court game and to at least have some presence off the court as well.