Orlando Magic’s Most Popular Player: Breaking down the fan vote

The Final Results

It is probably worth noting that there are no wrong answers here. The way I voted looked more at the unsung heroes of Orlando Magic history. But others took a more holistic approach and looked at how fans felt at the time or even how fans feel now.

The question was left intentionally vague to try to capture all of these perspectives.

The fan vote was a reflection of this. It was interesting to watch and see how everything came together. Fans had their preferences. I wanted it to influence the ultimate standings because popularity is ultimately about the fans.

The fan vote ultimately did skew toward the star players. That might be expected. Anfernee Hardaway and Tracy McGrady were undoubtedly the most popular players among fans no matter what the poll was or who was voting.

Nick Anderson, Hedo Turkoglu and Jameer Nelson were the most popular players among the non-star or non-pillar players. They each contributed in major ways to NBA Finals runs during the Magic’s heyday.

The fan votes certainly skewed more toward these kinds of players. The players who helped support and define the team’s best years.

That does, unfortunately, leave a lot of fan-favorite role players like Darrell Armstrong and Bo Outlaw off to the wayside.

Still, the fans helped support some of those players in the final poll rise up. The support for Jeff Turner was solid and helped him rise into the top 30 when he otherwise might not have made it.

Recency bias was always a risk when polling fans. There are a lot of fans who simply did not see Armstrong play and may only know of him through stories of older Magic fans.

It might also explain the support for more recent players like Victor Oladipo and Aaron Gordon, who both polled well. It probably also explains why the nationally relevant players like Vince Carter and the four pillars for the franchise performed so well.

Ultimately, this was your vote. Fans ultimately determine popularity. And that was what I wanted to capture. It is why I skewed the poll as fairly as I could in favor of the fan vote. I wanted the fans to have a big voice in the proceedings.

No matter what you think of our list, it is clear fans have a good understanding and fond memories of the Magic’s history. This list highlights not only what made the great players so great but also highlights the role players who endeared themselves to fans.

What do you think of our list and the fans’ vote? Let us know in the comments below or join the conversation on Twitter @omagicdaily.