The Orlando Magic have had a strong history of characters and players through their 30 years. We now review who the most popular players in Magic history.
Every team can usually point easily to who the best player in franchise history is. Or at least point to who is among the best.
For the Orlando Magic, there is a Mt. Rushmore of four players who are unquestionably the best the team has ever seen. They define the franchise’s history and tell its story in a simple bow through their exploits on the court. Shaquille O’Neal, Anfernee Hardaway, Tracy McGrady and Dwight Howard are the titans for the franchise.
That tells the general story for the team. It gets fans caught up and helps them understand the history. But those are not the details. They are great players who drive team success, but they are not always the ones that make a team memorable or really endear fans to the team.
There is a second tier of players the wriggle their way into a team’s story and narrative. They may not be the players that generate the star power, but they are the grinders who endear themselves to a team’s fans.
After the Finals and championship-contending teams, no Magic team likely generates more excitement or wistful nostalgia like the 1999-2000 Heart and Hustle team. The group of castoffs featuring Darrell Armstrong (plucked from obscurity in 1995 and a fixture in overfitted beige suits during the team’s Finals run) and Bo Outlaw (a player who did not discover basketball until high school but had a grin that went beyond ear to ear) nearly made the Playoffs in a clear tanking year based on grit and determination alone.
Non-Magic fans would likely look at a list that includes Darrell Armstrong and Bo Outlaw high on the list with a side eye. But Magic fans know how valuable and beloved those two players are.
Capturing these players and creating a list for these players to shine is at the heart of what we are searching for in this year’s ranking list.
This year, I gathered the Orlando Magic Daily staff to try to discover who is the most popular player in Magic history. Last year, we as a staff ranked every team in franchise history and the year before we ranked the top players.
From there, I asked my Twitter follower to nominate players to included in the list and conducted several days worth of Twitter polls to give the fans a voice in the vote. I also enlisted the help of the Orlando Magic subreddit community for their lists of the most popular players in team history.
But this year, we went for something a bit more nebulous. Popularity is a harder thing to measure. A player can be popular for doing very little. And the stars are always popular.
There is a bit of recency bias of course. Not everyone remembers who was truly popular during the mid-1990s runs or in the expansion year.
There is also a bit of nostalgia involved. Old feuds and disagreements with fans die as time passes on. No one remembers how players exit as they think about what the player truly did while they were in a Magic uniform.
And I left the definition of popularity intentionally vague so every voter can define it how they want. Does it mean national popularity? Team popularity?
With all that in mind, let’s count down the 30 most popular players in Magic history as voted on by the Orlando Magic Daily staff and contributions from our online Twitter polls and the Orlando Magic subreddit community.
30. Arron Afflalo (2013-14, 2018)
When Arron Afflalo signed a veterans’ minimum deal with the Orlando Magic last summer, it took a lot of fans by surprise. Afflalo had worked his way into becoming a solid rotational player who would provide some solid veteran presence for any team. It seemed a return to Orlando would mean he was coming off the bench.
What followed from Afflalo endeared him to Magic fans in a way that no one expected. Really Afflalo was one of the few players to have truly fallen in love with Orlando. He became popular not because of his play, but his desire to come back.
When he touched down in Orlando in the summer of 2017, it seemed his social media posts were a love letter to Orlando. He expressed nothing but appreciation for the franchise for giving him another opportunity and felt the responsibility of doing things right for his teammates and his franchise.
He made it known to the world how much he wanted to be here.
His 2018 return season was not what he expected — a career-worst 3.4 points per game and he was virtually out of the rotation the entire season. His career seemed to fall off a cliff. But Afflalo never complained and was a good presence in the locker room for the team.
There is a general appreciation for Arron Afflalo for putting in yeoman’s work as the best player on the team after the Dwight Howard trade. He nearly became an All-Star in those transition years.
29. Kyle O’Quinn (2013-15)
Kyle O’Quinn’s first game in an Orlando Magic uniform was memorable for the statement O’Quinn made. That was both the statement he made to the ninth overall pick in his draft class and the statement he made on the court in winning the battle of words and the battle on the court.
O’Quinn is someone who always makes a statement. He is someone who does not have the best filter and says what comes to his mind. And his play reflects that too.
Having a bit of a screw loose is always something that endears a player to fans. They like characters who are a bit wild in the end.
Kyle O’Quinn’s first Summer League game against Andre Drummond was a sign of that. He talked trash to Drummond the entire game and then backed it up throughout. He had a strong game, getting nearly a double-double.
Or maybe that is the story we tell ourselves because stories are more fun than the truth when it comes to role players like O’Quinn.
In any case, that game seemed to show the 49th overall pick in the 2012 Draft would stick in the league. He proved that time and time again in his three years with the Magic.
O’Quinn had a solid jumper, but his real worth was in his ability to block shots and play solid defense. He was a grinder in every way of the word. He did not do anything flashy or spectacular.
But that is what makes a player popular sometimes. Pure hustle and heart. Overcoming a bad draft position to make a mark in the league.
28. Reggie Theus (1990)
The excitement of the Orlando Magic’s expansion season overwhelmed any thought of the players on the team. There were definitely some gems who quickly endeared themselves to fans that year. But everything was so new, the whole team was treated as royalty.
Nick Anderson, Scott Skiles and Jeff Turner all gained their own pockets of popularity (stay tuned to this list) in the coming years. But they were all bit players in that expansion year. Otis Smith too was a hard-working quasi-local who would help create plenty of memories in that first year.
The star attraction, if anything was, in that first year was Reggie Theus.
The man made the jerry curl look good in pure 1980s fashion and he was the veteran and best player on the team that first year. Or at least its most consistent.
Theus was two years removed from averaging 20 points per game with the Atlanta Hawks. He would lead the team in scoring with 18.9 points per game that lone year in Orlando. He would be out of the league within a year after that, although his production never tailed off.
Theus became famous for plenty off the court — including that quintessential 1980s haircut.
According to his Wikipedia page, he hosted a local talk show in Orlando and shortly after retiring he would star in the TV show Hang Time. Theus was a dynamic personality and added plenty of flair to that expansion year.
27. Anthony Bowie (1992-96)
There is not a whole lot to say about the way Anthony Bowie played. In fact, it might be easy to confuse him with Donald Royal on occasions. Both were strong defenders who were not excellent shooters but could streak to the basket and finish at the rim.
It was a different NBA.
Bowie lasted with the Magic for a long time because of his strong individual defense. He was one of the guys tasked with guarding Anfernee Hardaway during his pre-Draft workout and told management, he was the guy to take. When the rookie was torching the team’s best defenders, Bowie was the one they turned to test him.
That was Bowie’s job the entire time he was in Orlando. He was the pest that made everyone’s job tougher. If Nick Anderson was not checking you in the post, Anthony Bowie was making life hard on the perimeter.
That kind of grit and determination will endear anyone to him.
Bowie kept himself active in the community. He hosted a basketball camp every summer in town (I attended it for several years in elementary school). And continued to work for local schools as a gym teacher and in their physical education department. He made Orlando his home.
His inclusion on this list though should come with a more modern caveat. Bowie was extremely popular for his role on the 1995 team that made the Finals. And he kept a home in Orlando.
But recent allegations he exposed himself to a co-worker at a Seminole County elementary school casts a shadow on him. Bowie has denied those charges although he remains suspended without pay.
26. Pat Garrity (2000-08)
For someone who played nine seasons with the Orlando Magic, Pat Garrity does not find him at the top of many lists in Magic history. He was not a great scorer. Nor a good rebounder.
Yet, he stuck around as one of the original stretch-4s in the league and someone who always had a big shot at a big moment.
Even with his limitations, he was a solid player who was a good guy in the community and played hard every time. And created plenty of big moments and memories during the Tracy McGrady years. He was a popular role player who did his job effectively at a time when so few people outside of McGrady did.
He had plenty of big shots — game-winners against the Washington Wizards and Philadelphia 76ers come to mind. He could get hot from beyond the arc and put together some strong scoring games — like his 29-point outburst against the New York Knicks in 2002.
Garrity seemed like an everyman. Someone who did not look like he belonged in the league, but found positive ways to contribute. He stuck around because of his professionalism and outside shooting ability.
When he tore his ACL in 2006 and then again in 2007, it was legitimately sad. His production had already fallen off at that point. But he was not someone who deserved to go out the way he did.
Garrity was self-deprecating enough to be shocked when the Magic asked to honor him during the team’s 25th anniversary season. But he deserved the appreciation the fans gave him.
25. Tobias Harris (2013-16)
When the Orlando Magic acquired Tobias Harris at the trade deadline in 2013, nobody really knew what to think of him. The team had given up an extremely popular player in J.J. Redick in a move everyone understood was necessary with J.J. Redick preparing to be a free agent. Harris had not done very much with the Milwaukee Bucks to that point. It seemed a good flyer for a young team.
Then Harris scored 14 points in his Magic debut and started pouring in points from there, including a 30-point effort when the Bucks visited the Amway Center later that year.
It seemed Orlando had found a steal, a player with untapped potential and a smooth scoring ability the team was missing as it continued to grow in the rebuild.
Harris provided plenty of memories early on in his Magic career. His game-winning dunk against the Oklahoma City Thunder should go down as one of the best game-winners in Magic history. For a team that lacked a true go-to scorer and has still lacked it, Harris is about as close as the Magic have come.
Popularity comes in many definitions. And regret is certainly one of them.
Trading Tobias Harris in 2016 to the Detroit Pistons for Brandon Jennings and Ersan Ilyasova was a terrible move at the time. It was one that signaled the Magic were done rebuilding and trying to push things all in. Foolishly it seemed.
Orlando straight salary dumped Harris for a shot at free agency. And then spent that money on Bismack Biyombo, D.J. Augustin and Evan Fournier. The Bismack Biyombo contract especially has been an albatross. All the while, Harris has continued to flourish, averaging 18.6 points per game with the Detroit Pistons and LA Clippers.
Harris is popular because he was a good guy and great young talent. A young talent the Magic gave up on far too soon.
24. Ryan Anderson (2010-12)
It is hard to be involved in a trade to replace one of the most popular players in the league and become one of the supremely popular players in Orlando Magic history yourself. The Courtney Lee–Vince Carter trade is one Magic fans still debate endlessly. Plenty still lament breaking up the 2009 team, even if financial reality called for it.
Vince Carter had the clout and the popularity he brought with him. Carter still gets a lot of that around his home in Central Florida. But the bonus of that deal was the acquisition of Ryan Anderson.
At the time, Anderson was coming off an up-and-down rookie year. He felt like a throw-in to the deal. Instead, he became a critical part for the Magic not only in that strong 2010 year but also to the team’s future.
Ryan Anderson was a 3-point shooting savant, helping stem the tide during Rashard Lewis‘ suspension. He demanded playing time and soon replaced Lewis in the lineup. He was every bit as effective offensively with his 3-point shooting. A reliable floor spacer.
But his personality made him truly stand out. He was a constant on the Magic’s online television shows, showing off his talent of catching grapes to go with his great shooting.
He had everything everyone could love. A relatable skill, a goofy personality and an openness and joy. There is not a single person within the Magic organization with anything bad to say about Anderson.
23. Jeff Turner (1990-96)
A sure way to gain popularity is to choose the city as the place you want to be.
In the 1990 expansion season, Jeff Turner chose to come to Orlando. He was the team’s original free agent. The first one who was not selected in the expansion draft or the NBA Draft. He was the one who wanted to be in Orlando.
Turner has put down roots in the City Beautiful since then. Even though his role going up and down — he played in only 18.4 minutes per game that first year and rarely averaged more than 7.0 points per game in a Magic uniform. It is hard to say what Turner’s most translatable NBA skill is.
But he remained a constant in Orlando.
Shortly after retiring in 1996, Turner took a job as the radio analyst for the Magic. He became a high school basketball coach, winning a state championship with Lake Highland Prep. And then he eventually became the team’s color analyst on TV.
Turner has been a constant with the Magic for its entire 30-year history. Even with his meager 6.5 points per game in seven seasons with the Magic. He is almost as much Mr. Magic as Nick Anderson with how many roles he has held in the organization over time.
When we did our fan voting and Turner got beat out by more nationally recognized names, several longtime fans noted it was a shame Turner did not get more love.
Turner might be the perfect example of a player who did not do a whole lot on the court but still made an impact in the minds of Magic fans.
22. Vince Carter (2010-11)
Inevitably every summer, Vince Carter will sign somewhere and some Orlando Magic fan will say, “Man, the Magic should have brought Vince home.”
The third act of his career as a veteran teacher has been an intriguing one. He has chosen not to chase titles and instead has been the old head on young teams — this year, it will be the Atlanta Hawks. It has brought the wave of nostalgia from his younger years with the Toronto Raptors. That was the electric Carter that redefined NBA culture in many ways.
Everyone is nostalgic for it.
Carter is on this list much more for that kind of popularity than he was for his Orlando popularity. He won three days of polling in our Twitter poll even if it seemed a bit unrealistic with his short tenure with the Magic.
But Carter still has that draw. And working in his favor is that he is a true local. He went to Mainland High School in Daytona Beach and is someone who still has a home in Central Florida. He still has deep roots.
Acquiring Carter the summer after the team went to the Finals was full of controversy. Orlando traded the popular Courtney Lee to bring Vince Carter in essentially to be the guy who drove the Magic’s perimeter attack. He was meant to take the Magic to the title. The piece they were ultimately missing.
Carter did not deliver that. He disappeared in the Eastern Conference Finals in 2010. As it always seems to with the Magic, Carter missed two free throws in Game 2 that would have tied the game for his team and put the Magic in a 0-2 hole they would not recover from. Carter took heat for his poor performance in that series — unfairly in some ways, but he averaged only 13.7 points per game on 36.7 percent shooting in that series.
The Magic caught Carter at the end of his stardom. He quickly transitioned to an interesting player off the bench. But still maintained the warm memories of his Toronto years.
21. Mickael Pietrus (2009-11)
There were a lot of characters on the Orlando Magic’s 2009 Finals team. Dwight Howard would usually be enough to suck up all the oxygen. And that was back when he was likable.
Mickael Pietrus though was something else.
A fun-loving guy who was as goofy on the court as he was off it. He just seemed to enjoy everything about his teammates and about the team he was on. He, along with Hedo Turkoglu and Jamnelseer Nelson, kept those championship teams loose.
If there was a fair knock on Pietrus it was that he seemed only to show up for the big games. That was fine, of course. He showed up when it mattered.
In the 2009 Playoffs, Pietrus averaged 10.5 points per game on 38.5 percent shooting. That was all while defending the best perimeter player on the other team. He got the main call on LeBron James (who still put up one of the great individual series in Playoff history that year).
It felt like his impact was a whole lot bigger.
And that certainly plays a role in popularity. Which player do you remember having a bigger role than they actually did? Pietrus might be the player that best exemplifies this notion. He brought a lot of memories and had a lot of big moments that statistics will never capture.
He was just a great player to have around and someone necessary for the Magic to make the title run. And certainly one of the big reasons that team was so much fun.
20. Nikola Vucevic (2013-Present)
Nikola Vucevic deserves some appreciation.
He had the unenviable task of following Dwight Howard as the team’s center. All as a young player who was still trying to prove himself. All while the team was going through a rebuild and seemed to lose direction.
Vucevic’s emergence as a reliable offensive player was probably a bit of a surprise. Rob Hennigan probably did not see Nikola Vucevic becoming a near All-Star (in some respects) and the team probably envisioned a few times when they would find his replacement. It felt like acquiring Bismacibk Biyombo and Serge Ibaka meant the end of Nikola Vucevic’s time in a Magic uniform.
Yet, Vucevic persisted. He kept producing — 16.0 points and 10.4 rebounds per game in his six seasons in Orlando. And no one was able to unseat him. Vucevic has been a constant during the last six years of the rebuild.
And perhaps that is why is unfairly maligned for the team’s inability to take the next step. Vucevic was never meant to be the team’s next great star. Yet, the team has asked him to go out and do that.
He has some severe limitations. Vucevic’s defense, as improved as it might be, has never been more than an average defender. And Orlando almost certainly drafted his replacement in Mohamed Bamba. It feels like his time in Orlando is coming to an end.
In the moment, it feels like Vucevic takes much of the blame for the team’s shortcomings. He is the constant of the worst run in Magic history.
That is ultimately unfair to him, although it might end up being his legacy from a long run in Magic history.
Hopefully, history remembers Vucevic for putting in his work and staying loyal to the team.
19. Rafer Alston (2009)
At the trade deadline in 2009, the Orlando Magic were desperate.
Jameer Nelson was out with a shoulder injury. They quickly acquired Tyronn Lue, but it was clear he and Anthony Johnson were not going to be able to carry the load. The team’s early title dreams were quickly dashed.
That is when Orlando acquired Rafer Alston, and everything seemed saved.
Alston was not at Nelson’s level. But he was good enough. He could hit an open shot and was a great playmaker and passer. He gave the team a bit of a nasty streak in the playoffs that helped turn the tables in the Playoffs. Particularly early on in the series against the Boston Celtics.
Alston is involved perhaps in one of the greatest what-ifs in Magic history.
Despite leading the team to the Finals through the Playoffs, and starting every Finals game, the Magic clearly started turning more toward Nelson in the 2009 NBA Finals. It created some tension. Alston averaged 12.2 points and 4.1 assists per game in 32.2 minutes per game for the entire Playoffs. In the Finals, he averaged 10.6 points and 3.0 assists per game in 29.5 minutes per game.
That little drop was enough to throw the Magic off kilter. Nelson was fighting his way back from injury in the biggest moment. And Alston was not getting the rhythm that helped Orlando get to that point.
In this case then, Alston gained popularity for what happened in defeat. Probably unfairly, Stan Van Gundy’s decision to go back to Nelson in that series is viewed as a deciding factor. It made Alston the hero.
Regardless of that debate, Alston is a major contributing factor to the Magic’s dream run to the 2009 Finals. And someone Magic fans were happy to see and remember.
18. Marcin Gortat (2008-11)
Marcin Gortat probably had his best moment on the set of Magic Overtime with Dante Marchitelli and George Galante. It was here that they jokingly raised his Summer League practice jersey to the rafters, always hanging behind them during that show, and had his best on-camera appearances jokingly asking fans to renew their season tickets.
Gortat was full of that energy. At one point, he joked he would provide the cars for J.J. Redick and Ryan Anderson’s fake rap video they claimed they would make.
In a true fan-favorite fashion, Gortat started as an acquired second-round pick who toiled in Summer League for a few years. He earned his way onto the roster and spent time in the D-League. He got his shot on the main roster and made his mark.
Gortat is truly one of the best home-grown stories in Magic history. When Orlando re-signed him after the 2009 season, matching a restricted free agent’s offer sheet, he was a luxury for a team that had an iron man at center.
And none of that mattered. Gortat came into the game, blocked shots, set solid screens and rolled hard to the basket. That is what he did on the court. And he did it extremely well.
And he was a blast to watch off the court. The 2009 group was full of extremely likable guys who did their jobs on the court and had their fun off it. Just go watch the team’s dunk show they put on before games in the 2010 season. Gortat was a big part of that too, throwing down some surprisingly agile dunks in the process.
It was hard to find anything to dislike about Gortat from his play to his personality. Everyone seemed happy for him to get that opportunity to start when he got traded to the Phoenix Suns. And even today, fans seem to welcome the nostalgia of bringing him back. Gortat has suggested he would like to do that too.
17. Scott Skiles (1990-94)
When the Orlando Magic hired Scott Skiles as their head coach before the 2016 season, fans were elated. This was a celebrated figure coming home.
Nostalgia and his relationship wtih team CEO Alex Martins probably helped him get the job in some ways, but he coached the same way he played. Coaching that way may not be as endearing as it is when you are playing.
Skiles was a no-frills player. He cared about playing the right way and taking the game seriously. He played strong defense and took more joy out of passing the ball than he did out of scoring.
The best description of his personality is his reaction to his still-standing single-game assists record. When asked about it on its 25th anniversary, he seemed to shrug off the accomplishment. After the game in news reports, he credited his teammates. You would not find any jokes about players missing shots and making him work for that 30th assist. That is not Skiles’ personality.
And that is what endeared him to fans.
His self-seriousness led to one of the great stories in Magic history.
During the 1993 season, the Magic were in Los Angeles preparing to play the Los Angeles Lakers. That is when young players like Shaquille O’Neal and Dennis Scott went out to party. Skiles would have none of it and challenged O’Neal physically. They got into a fight and it seemed to set the whole team straight.
Another great story to endear Skiles to fans. He was one of the original unheralded players that Magic fans just absolutely loved.
His popularity in town may have taken a bit of a hit with his sudden and surprising resignation as head coach after just one season. Skiles though remains the best coach the Magic have had in the last six years, leading the team to a 35-win season.
Skiles was still not impressed with that mark.
16. Victor Oladipo (2014-16)
The Orlando Magic have had rotten Lottery luck in the past six years. The rebuild for the Magic have not had the great fortune that the Magic’s other great teams relied on. The only top three pick the team got was Victor Oladipo.
That was when the team fell back a spot to get him in a draft that was relatively weak.
Olaidpo though was the talent that was closest to becoming a star. He was someone the Magic hoped could be a culture setter for the team. And his joyous nature and mood was something that would make him a fan favorite.
At least the latter part of the equation came true.
Oladipo was truly a fan favorite. Someone fans absolutely adored and went to bat for. He put the Magic back on the map for the first time after Dwight Howard’s departure with an amazing effort at the Slam Dunk Contest (Zach LaVine was just that much better).
Everyone saw a potential star in Oladipo. They were just waiting for him to come out.
Like with Tobias Harris, the Magic lost patience with their budding young star. Oladipo did himself no favors as he struggled. Fans likely remember his tenure with Orlando better than it actually was.
That still does not excuse the Magic for trading him so quickly. Even before his rookie contract ran out and the silly move to push all in that ultimately sacrificed Oladipo at the altar.
Oladipo turned into the All-Star the Magic always hoped he would become with the Indiana Pacers. And that only made him more popular among Magic fans. Frustration has a way of doing that.
15. J.J. Redick (2007-13)
J.J. Redick was destined to be a popular player wherever he landed so long as he made it. When he was with the Duke Blue Devils, he was a player everyone hated except for the Cameron Crazies. They reveled in the hate directed at their top player.
It was not an easy road for Redick to make it in the NBA. He was struggling to get off the bench and even requested a trade. Otis Smith told him to be patient and the team would see what they could do.
Redick and the Magic’s patience were both rewarded. Redick got his opportunity and never let go of it, growing tremendously as a defensive player and providing the shooting that everyone knew he could from his prolific college days.
Fans loved Redick for his dry humor — no wonder he is an amazing podcast host — and the way he was just a grinder on the court. An offensive grinder, oddly, but someone who just worked hard. It was never a sure thing for him to make it in the NBA. it was a huge task to get there.
When he got there he was truly beloved. When he returned to Orlando with the Milwaukee Bucks, he got a standing ovation. And it was extremely deserved.
Fans still follow and love Redick.
The going theme with a player like Redick is that he was self-made. Sure he had all the advantages of Duke and a reputation to live up to. But he was relegated to the bench and had to work his way into the rotation.
He then played a critical role in the 2009 Finals run after Dwight Howard knocked out Courtney Lee and broke his face during Game 5 of the first round. And Redick never let go, providing a consistent work rate and production the rest of his career to this point.
Nothing to hate about Redick at this point. Unless you are a North Carolina Tar Heel. The Charlotte crowd still boos him.
14. Grant Hill (2001-07)
The inclusion of Grant Hill on this list, and especially this high, is probably going to feel odd. I must admit that I did not include him on my ballot at all. And I know there is a large pocket of Orlando Magic fans who feel Hill did the Magic wrong and still hate him (they are wrong, but they are out there).
Hill’s case for inclusion on this list is part of why I left the definition of “popular” so intentionally vague.
Hill, in his playing days, was incredibly popular. There is no getting around it.
Injuries were the story of his time in Orlando. Yet, he made two All-Star games. One came in a season he played just four games (his first year in Orlando in 2001). The other came in 2005, the first year he played more than 30 games (he finished with 67) and a year removed from missing the entire season.
Hill had a large national fan base who just loved the guy. And when the Magic signed him he was the prize, not Tracy McGrady. Hill was the better player.
There will be plenty of time to discuss Hill’s complicated legacy with the Magic when he gets inducted into the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame in September.
Hill’s time in Orlando was certainly an empty promise. And, again, there are at least a faction fo Magic fans who feel disappointed he did not stay with the team after his big contract expired on a discount. They forget the Magic were ready to part ways with him too and had little interest in bringing him back.
But, he had the national popularity that made him an impact player. And someone fans cared about… even when he was not playing.
13. Horace Grant (1995-99, 2002-03)
Horace Grant made the Orlando Magic a championship-contending team. Maybe that was inevitable with the way Shaquille O’Neal and Anfernee Hardaway were growing. But Grant helped speed the process and made title dreams a reality much sooner.
Like with other players, the fact Grant, an accomplished champion player with an All-Star Game under his belt, chose Orlando at this early stage of the franchise’s history meant something. Orlando adding him to the team in 1995 was a major step for the franchise and for the city. They were making a major statement.
It helped that he also had a calling card that made fans fall in love with him even more.
Hulk Hogan was wearing oversized blue goggles. The Statue of Liberty replica in Downtown Orlando was dressed in a Magic uniform and goggles. The Exchange Building on Church Street (across the street from where Amway Center is now) had a pair of inflatable blue googles strewn across it during the Finals run.
The goggles Horace Grant wore were a ubiquitous symbol of the franchise and one of the fan’s favorite players.
Grant earned that too with his work rate and ethic. Everyone knew the leadership and guidance he was providing. But he was a grinder too. He played strong defense and hit big jumpers.
The image of him celebrating the Orlando Magic’s series victory over the Chicago Bulls on his teammates’ shoulders felt like everyone’s victory as much as Grant’s. He was a guy that everyone was happy to see in Orlando. And everyone was thankful for what he brought to the team to help the franchise and the city grow.
12. Rashard Lewis (2008-11)
Appreciation for Rashard Lewis has grown in time.
Most fans recognized at the time and recognize today how important Lewis was in transforming the team from an interesting group to a championship-level team. Lewis’ willingness to sacrifice even after signing a max contract to make the team better speaks volumes about him.
That contract was part of the big story with him while he was with the Magic. Everyone seemed to understand the Magic probably overpaid to get Lewis. But that no longer became the storyline once the team started winning. Then it quickly became about Lewis’ production and what he did.
From the big shots he made in the 2009 Eastern Conference Finals to his strong play in the 2009 Finals, Lewis was just solid all the way around. His Game 1 game-winner against the Cleveland Cavaliers still does not get enough play.
That was just how Lewis did things. You often did not notice his impact. But it was easy to feel.
Lewis was a naturally quiet guy. There are not a lot of stories about Lewis. He just did his work and did it well. Fans certainly missed him when he was gone — even with Ryan Anderson there to replace him.
11. Aaron Gordon (2015-Present)
Aaron Gordon is the latest obsession for Orlando Magic fans looking for their next star player. Everyone knows the team needs a star to get to the next step in the franchise’s development. And it is Gordon’s turn on the wheel to get that attention.
It is good that Gordon is an extremely likable guy. He has done plenty to endear himself to Magic fans, from his humble demeanor to his hair-raising dunks.
Like Victor Oladipo, he made his mark at the Dunk Contest first. That got everyone’s attention.
Gordon followed it up with a stellar season last year that saw him average 17.6 points per game and shows signs of stardom. That was a big step in the right direction for Gordon and a good sign for his future.
And now he has the hopes of the franchise’s future in him. Magic fans believe he is ready to take the next step. The Magic certainly do after they gave him a new four-year deal.
Gordon seems ready for this responsibility.
But his popularity is in a precarious place. He has to continue to grow and continue to take steps forward. And then ultimately deliver the wins. That will only help him continue to gain popularity and skyrocket. He has the potential to be one of the Magic’s absolute fan favorites.
For now, he is the one who has everyone’s hopes pinned onto him. And that is enough to make him popular and the most popular player on the current team.
10. Bo Outlaw (1998-2002, 2006-08)
Nobody really knew who Bo Outlaw was when the Orlando Magic acquired him in 1998. He had played four years before then pretty solidly, but hardly anything impressive. Everyone knew him as a gritty defensive player and an opportunistic scavenger on offense.
That is to say, he had very few offensive skills.
That was OK in the end. Outlaw made up for it on pure hustle. He is the exact kind of player that always endears himself to fans. They just want him to do well.
Outlaw had two things going for him in the end: He was willing to dive on the floor for any loose ball. Hustle is an easy way to endear yourself to a fan base.
The other thing he had was a massive grin. One that lit up a room and lit up the court. He is one of the few players in the league that seemed to have no bit of malice in him. Even when he was getting technical fouls, Outlaw was smiling.
Even with his limited offensive skill, there was always a joy to his game. It was hard to imagine him ever upset or angry on the court.
That carries over into his work as a community ambassador for the team. Putting him in that ceremonious role as a representative of the team was an easy decision. He was someone everyone loved inside and outside the organization.
Fans may not know exactly who he is or remember him much as a player. But he remains someone everybody loves and associates with the Magic.
9. Darrell Armstrong (1995-2003)
There are a few ways to ensure a player is popular. Checking off multiple of these boxes will get you rated pretty highly in the memories of most fans. Darrell Armstrong undoubtedly checks off almost every single one of these.
First, be an underdog. Armstrong was playing in the CBA and Greece and far-flung countries when the Magic plucked him from obscurity and added him to their Finals team, even though he played sparingly. He was a famous cheerleader on the road to the Finals wearing an oversized beige suit. The fanbase began to fall in love.
Second, be a pest defensively. The easiest way to get playing time is to be strong defensively. If you play like that, fans are likely to fall in love just as much as the coaches. In the 1997 season, when Armstrong got his first real playing time, he was the best defender the team had for Tim Hardaway in the 1997 Playoff series against the Miami Heat.
Third, keep growing and give back to the community. Armstrong certainly did that. He won Sixth Man of the Year and Most Improved Player in 1999 and continued to be a great leader and scoring option for the team throughout the Tracy McGrady years. He kept up the energy and never settled.
Armstrong’s floor burns were legendary, including getting a big one to secure a steal in an important juncture against the Chicago Bulls. He seemed pretty proud of that scar after the game ended. He also had a game-winning steal and layup in a game against the Philadelphia 76ers. There were countless of those moments.
Armstrong embodied the beloved “Heart and Hustle” team. It is rare for a non-All Star to define an entire season and maybe even an era of Magic basketball.
Why is Armstrong this low then? Part of it might be recency bias. Younger fans who do their basic research on the Magic probably skip up over the years Armstrong was at his peak or only watch highlights of the Tracy McGrady era. When Armstrong was at his peak is not an interesting time in Magic history.
Longtime fans have a right to complain. Armstrong is one of the most popular players in Magic history. Probably far more than given credit in this list.
8. Dennis Scott (1991-97)
Rick Kamla of NBATV likes to tell the story of how he believes Dennis Scott changed the NBA. it is a stunning realization. But Scott almost certainly was part of the sea change in the NBA that led to the league as we know it today.
With the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, Scott got the freedom to take 3-pointers liberally. That was something few coaches, especially at the college level allowed their players to do. Scott was part of the wave of players who truly turned the 3-pointer into a weapon.
In the NBA, Scott brought that same 3-point threat. He also began showing his free-wheeling personality. The way he is on TV is absolutely the way he was in the league too.
Dennis Scott was a perfect running partner for Shaquille O’Neal. The two were the perfect duo. Scott enabled O’Neal to act like a young kid and enter the NBA with a young veteran to guide him and let him act out.
And then Scott gave O’Neal the perfect spacing on the floor with his deadly 3-point shot.
But Scott was more than his association with O’Neal and his 3-point shooting. He was just a fun-natured guy. Someone who could keep everyone loose. And those 3-pointers did not hurt. It made him a unique weapon. One who was truly unleashed with those championship-level teams.
Scott was a character in a lot of ways with a unique way of playing. And everyone ate it up.
7. Hedo Turkoglu (2005-09, 2011-13)
There really is no way Hedo Turkoglu should work as a basketball player. A 6-foot-10, unathletic forward who wants to play as a point guard. That is not a formula that should work. Even watching Turkoglu play, you were sometimes curious how the whole thing worked.
Yet, Turkoglu made it work. And in the 2009 Playoffs, he made himself a key part of Magic history and someone that only engenders warm feelings.
Turkoglu’s game-winner against the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 4 saved the season and was the stuff of legend. There was no doubt he was pulling up for three in that moment.
He always relished in the big shot. And he had plenty of game winners — a regular season shot over the Boston Celtics in the 2008 season that put everyone on notice about the Magic’s rise, a go-ahead shot in Game 2 of the 2009 Eastern Conference Finals and even a block on Kobe Bryant to set up the Courtney Lee layup in Game 2 of the 2009 Finals.
But Turkoglu’s greatness was a bit more subtle than that. He was a crafty player who found gaps. He was not going to beat many players with his speed or quickness. But he knew how to use his size to get around players and get to the basket. From there he understood arcs and angles to get his shot off.
Turkoglu was a master of the pick and roll and a perfect pairing for Dwight Howard at center and Jameer Nelson at point guard. He took a lot of the ball-handling responsibility and the playmaking responsibility. Especially late in games.
Letting Turkoglu walk after the 2009 season hurt. It is still something Magic fans debate. And absence only made the heart grow fonder. Turkoglu was someone everybody missed.
And pizza in the locker room is always a good idea.
6. Dwight Howard (2005-12)
Dwight Howard is in one sense the most popular player in Orlando Magic history.
He hosted a barbecue during the lockout that drew thousands of fans for a celebration. He there announced he was planning to stay in Orlando and build the team back to a championship team. Howard leads the team in All-Star appearances (six) and took the Magic further than anyone before him (one Finals win, but still).
In Orlando, he was truly likable. He was the guy who did not take the game too seriously (but he did) and had joy in the way he played. He dominated the league defensively and was a terror, able to blow up pick and rolls with his athleticism and then get back to block the shot or grab the rebound.
The rest of the world attacked Howard for his smile and his on-court demeanor. He was not Kobe Bryant, he did not have a scowl on his face. He beat you with a smile. Then they criticized him for his lack of post game, even though he did not need a traditional back-to-the-basket attack. What he had worked.
And Magic fans were willing to defend him to the death. They did not understand our star. Especially as the Magic kept winning and stunned the basketball world getting so close to the title.
Maybe if Howard were in a bigger market he would have won the MVP in 2011. It certainly feels like Dwight Howard had the better year than Derrick Rose that season.
On the other hand, Howard is the most hated player in Magic history.
The same reason everyone loved Howard became part of his downfall. The selling of “Loyalty” shirts when Howard opted into his contract after the Dwightmare season was a bit premature. The way he pulled and twisted with fans’ emotions hurt everyone.
Eventually, he made the decision he had to leave and it was probably the correct one. But the will-he, won’t-he killed much of the goodwill he had built in Orlando. It certainly killed all the goodwill he might have had around the league.
Howard will probably rise in this list as history gives some distance between the present and his departure from the team. The warm feelings will return, as longtime fans will likely see as this list continues.
5. Jameer Nelson (2005-14)
Jameer Nelson was probably never supposed to make it in the NBA. Listed a 6-foot, Nelson is probably not that tall. He was a scoring point guard in a league of giants. Nelson won the Naismith Award as college basketball’s top player, but doubts followed him into the league.
The Magic knew they were getting someone who was fully developed but would still have to figure out how to make it all work in the NBA.
There are plenty of stories of small players like Nelson who overcome their height. To the point, it is no longer an issue. That is what Nelson did. And he was the leader and steady hand for the Magic in their best years.
It was Nelson’s All-Star year in 2009 that made the Magic true title contenders — 16.7 points per game on 58.0 percent effective field goal percentage before a should injury ended his season. He was already beloved from there.
Nelson outworked everyone to make his mark, quickly making former All-Star Steve Francis dispensable. And the Magic knew when it was time, they could count on him to be the leader the team needed. It made letting Grant Hill walk in free agency easier.
But Nelson was more than all of that narrative. He was a strong offensive player who fit the Magic perfectly. He managed the team and made plays when he needed to. But more than that, he was the answer for the team in almost every way.
His professionalism, quiet humor and big play made him one of the most favorite players in the Magic’s entire history.
4. Nick Anderson (1990-99)
When the Orlando Magic drafted Nick Anderson in the 1989 NBA Draft, Anderson said he had to look up where Orlando was on a map. He did not even know the Magic existed.
In fairness, the team did not exist. There were not any players on the team yet. This was a brand new team in a city that did not have major professional sports before. Both the player and the city were about what the future might be one day.
Anderson did not know when the Magic made him the 11th pick of that draft that he would find a new home. A Chicago kid through and through found a home in Central Florida. He made a connection here that was deep.
It was not merely because he was the first player in team history. The first one Magic fans could truly call one of their own.
He played well, mixing his size and power with his deft shooting touch to be a unique player that was difficult for many teams to handle. He played so many roles with Orlando — he was their top scorer, a key role player and then a top scorer again. He was everything to this franchise.
Nationally, Anderson is remembered for something else. The “Nick the Brick” nickname followed him from his four missed free throws in Game 1 of the 1995 NBA Finals. That would normally make any player the all-time goat. A reason for scorn for failing to deliver in such a big moment.
That was never Anderson. The 1995 season is remembered more for his steal of Michael Jordan in Game 1 of the second round more than those free throws. He was everything for Orlando.
In his early retirement, he once told the Orlando Sentinel there was an emptiness in him that he was not involved in some way with the Magic. Everything turned around for him when he became a community ambassador for the team.
Like his partner in that role, Bo Outlaw, Nick Anderson’s smile lights up a room. It just feels like he is home.
3. Anfernee Hardaway (1994-99)
Few players capture a fan’s imagination quite like Anfernee Hardaway did. There were few players who had the athleticism, size and power that Hardaway had. There were few players who had the multi-positionality that Hardaway had. Much less at the point guard position.
He was such a unique player. A mix of Michael Jordan’s grace with Magic Johnson‘s size and passing ability. There was nothing he could not do.
That is what made Hardaway such a special and unique player. That is why he captures everyone’s imagination. And that is ultimately part of the tragedy of his career.
Even today watching old highlights of Hardaway is awe inspiring. Here was a young player with all the talent in the world to be as good as he wanted to be shining so bright immediately.
Shaquille O’Neal was great. Anfernee Hardaway made him better. The Magic made the Playoffs his rookie year and the NBA Finals his second year. This was an instant ready-made All-Star. And Magic fans absolutely ate it up.
Hardaway quickly became as marketable as his teammate — perhaps setting off an internal shoe war. No ad campaign was greater than Lil’ Penny and the Nike shoes he hawked for the usually quiet and reserved Hardaway.
That ad campaign transcended sports.
Hardaway only engenders good feelings — even though he had his own acrimonious, injury-filled exit.
That quickly dropped to the past. Fans forgave Hardaway extremely quickly and went to nostalgia with him and his career. That is what happens to the legends. Bygones become bygones at a certain point.
Hardaway always captured the imagination. His popularity when O’Neal was in town probably led to internal jealousy that ultimately led to O’Neal leaving the team. Hardaway had a heavy burden left when O’Neal left. His body broke down and he never quite lived up to them.
But history remembers him extremely fondly. History remembers him as a hero and as the great hope he always was. Magic fans remember him at his peak as the most unique player that turned the franchise into a superstar team.
2. Tracy McGrady (2001-04)
Like Anfernee Hardaway, history has allowed fans to forget the acrimonious ending that ended Tracy McGrady’s tenure in Orlando. In a lot of ways, Orlando Magic fans have forgiven McGrady and understand exactly why he left to begin with. The team simply could not put a good team around him.
That, of course, highlighted how good McGrady was. This was the one free agent the Magic plucked from obscurity and saw grow into a superstar player. All in his hometown at that — he is from nearby Auburndale.
McGrady is the best scorer in team history. For many of the first Magic generation, if they did not grow up watching the Shaquille O’Neal and Anfernee Hardaway teams, they grew up watching Tracy McGrady. He defined a lot of basketball excellence.
At least, individual excellence.
McGrady was that. He was individually brilliant in so many ways. The greatest scorer in Magic history by far. And that always attracts eyeballs.
Like so many others, you forget just how smooth and easy scoring was for him. There was no one else who could put the ball in the basket like him.
Even in a 21-61 season, McGrady was worth the price of admission. That is the power McGrady had. And that is what made him so easy to fall in love with as a player.
He had national appeal and popularity too. The T-Mac IIs are one of the great shoes in NBA history.
Nostalgia has made the heart grow fonder. And probably the recognition that the franchise never put him in a position to succeed. Everyone is in McGrady’s corner now.
And everyone was excited to have him back as a marketing tool and honorary adviser for the team last year. The more McGrady, the better.
1. Shaquille O’Neal (1993-96)
It makes sense then that the player who we will name as our most popular player in Orlando Magic history is the one who put the team on the map.
When the Magic drafted him they were nearing the end of their honeymoon phase. They knew the number one overall pick in the 1992 NBA Draft was going to absolutely change the franchise’s history. They all knew it the moment they won the Lottery.
Orlando became a happening place and a national brand all thanks to O’Neal. The team went from 21 wins to 41 wins and tied for the final spot in the Playoffs all because of O’Neal and his presence. He was the team’s first All-Star and the first player that made the team nationally relevant.
It helped he was a big kid at heart too. A guy who dominated on the court and had a good time doing it. That is always endearing.
But everyone in Orlando knows, despite how ugly his departure to the Los Angeles Lakers was, there is no Orlando Magic without O’Neal. He made the franchise what it is.
Like the other great Magic players, history has washed the way the ugly parts. And Orlando feels like it got a unique version of one of the league’s all-time great players.
There was no lithe and athletic version of O’Neal in Los Angeles. He was a bruising force that dominated the paint — like he did in Orlando. But he never ran the floor or showed the athletic skill he had in Orlando. It is hard to say which version of O’Neal was better. But the one in Orlando sure was fun to watch.
Especially for a new franchise. O’Neal introduced Orlando to the world. And that is something Magic fans will forever be grateful for.
O’Neal is worthy to be called the most popular player in Magic history.
Agree with our list? Hate our list? Let us know who your favorite Magic players are in the comments below. Do not worry! We will have plenty more commentary on how this list came together including a special look at the fan and subreddit vote!