The Orlando Magic have celebrated three of their own entering the Hall of Fame the last three years. Here are the next Magic alums to get the call.
The Orlando Magic are turning 30 years old this year.
They have already enjoyed quite the history with a strong collection of former players who have worn their uniform. It is a surprisingly deep history especially considering the Magic have yet to win a championship.
In the last three years, especially, Magic fans have gotten the chance to celebrate three of their all-time great players entering the Hall of Fame. They have even had a chance to celebrate some of the players who have made a cameo with the Magic entering Springfield.
Shaquille O’Neal entered the Hall of Fame in 2016 as the first true Magic player to enter the hall. True, his best days were in Los Angeles with the Los Angeles Lakers, but he had four incredible years with the Orlando Magic too. His time with Orlando was iconic for the franchise and he was the first truly impactful Magic player to get the call to Springfield.
Officially, the first Magic alumnus to make the Hall of Fame was Dominique Wilkins in 2006. But Dominique Wilkins spent one largely forgettable season in Orlando. We still count him though — although, do not expect a podcast on him. Patrick Ewing also had a forgettable retirement year in Orlando and entered the Hall of Fame in 2008.
No one remembers those players as Magic players. Not like they do with Shaquille O’Neal.
Or with 2017 inductee Tracy McGrady. He was the first player Magic fans truly could say was known mostly as a Magic player to enter the Hall of Fame.
And then there was Grant Hill entering the hallowed halls in Springfield this year. A moment of reflection on his time with the Magic and what could have been. But also an honor very well deserved.
Looking at Magic history, it seems like the next major time for Orlando fans to celebrate a Hall of Fame induction might end up being Dwight Howard‘s induction five years after he retires.
Fans will argue at this time of year that Anfernee Hardaway should get in. They may have an argument (one we will explore some here).
And the thoughts of who will get the call in 2019 as a finalist at All-Star Weekend in Charlotte and then the final nomination at the Final Four in Minneapolis started almost immediately after last Friday’s Hall of Fame ceremonies ended.
The class for next year includes first-time balloters Shawn Marion and Andrei Kirilenko. It will be a relatively quiet year next year that might help some longtime waiters like Chris Webber (he is kind of a former Magic player), Tim Hardaway and Sidney Moncrief finally get the call they probably deserve.
There will be a few more Magic alums that will get consideration too. It is time to break down their chances.
Anfernee Hardaway
Years with Magic: 1994-98
Basketball-Reference Hall of Fame Probability: 28.7%
For Orlando Magic fans, there is no doubt Anfernee Hardaway was a key piece to the team’s history. If Orlando retired jerseys, his No. 1 would be hanging in the rafters as one of the first players to receive that honor. He is a firm member of the team’s Mt. Rushmore.
Plainly put, there is no Magic history without Hardaway.
It was a shrewd move from general manager Pat Williams to trade down to take him at No. 3 in the 1993 NBA Draft and pair him with their young behemoth of a center in Shaquille O’Neal. The duo proved to be killer on the court. Orlando only needed two years after picking Hardaway to reach the NBA Finals and become one of the league’s elite teams — in just the sixth year of the franchise’s history.
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In fact, Hardaway’s arrival took the Magic from 41-41 and just missing the Playoffs to holding home-court advantage in his rookie year. Not too shabby.
At 6-foot-7, Hardaway revolutionized the point guard position. His mix of speed, athleticism and size was something the NBA had never really seen much to that point. Not with the ball in his hands. He was a matchup nightmare and dominated the league in a lot of ways.
When O’Neal left, Hardaway took over the scoring load. He had two of the best Playoff performances in Magic history with back-to-back 40-point games to extend the 1997 first round series with the second-seeded Miami Heat to a decisive fifth game.
Injuries are ultimately why Hardaway is not likely a Hall of Fame candidate. Shortly after O’Neal left, Hardaway experienced knee pain and would require several surgeries to correct it. Even in the 1997 season, Hardaway played just 59 games. He missed virtually all of the 1998 season.
While Hardaway averaged a robust 19.0 points per game, 6.3 assists per game and 4.7 rebounds per game, he never really made an impact after his first six seasons in Orlando. After leaving, he had just one more season averaging more than 15 points per game and three seasons averaging more than 10 points per game.
So despite the accolades — four All-Star Games and two All-NBA First Team appearances — Hardaway probably is not a Basketball Hall of Famer. He simply did not have the longevity of greatness. And while he was a transformative player, he was not transformative enough to be necessary to tell the story of basketball.
Shawn Kemp
Years with Magic: 2003
Basketball-Reference Hall of Fame Probability: 38.4%
The Shawn Kemp who played for the Orlando Magic in 2003 was not the Hall of Fame-caliber player. It is hard to believe that it was the same person.
At his peak, Kemp was the greatest athlete in the NBA. His games were showcases of thunderous jams and insane leaping ability. Kemp was simply breathaking.
The latter half of his career was just a sad thing to watch. Following the lockout in 1999, and perhaps because of his frustration that he could not take advantage of the ballooning salaries around the league, he allowed his weight to get out of control.
After he got traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers, he still had an All-Star year. But he was well on his way to weighing more than 300 pounds and his career unraveling.
By the time he arrived in Orlando, he seemingly could barely get off the ground. Dunking in a Magic uniform was completely out of the question for him (except for maybe that photo above).
The sad decline and the way he failed to take care of his body or control his off-the-court impulses is as much a story as the power, ferocity and grace of his dunking with the Seattle Supersonics.
He was truly one of the great players of the 1990s. He made six All-Star Games and three second All-NBA teams. His Sonics teams, paired with Hall of Famer Gary Payton, were a consistent presence atop the Western Conference. The 1996 Seattle Supersonics finally broke through the gauntlet to reach the NBA Finals, only to run into the buzzsaw that was the 72-10 Chicago Bulls.
Kemp, at his peak run from 1991-2000, averaged 17.9 points per game and 10.0 rebounds per game. If YouTube or Twitter existed in his time, he would be everyone’s favorite player just for the GIFs he created. His jam over Alton Lister is still legendary.
But in Orlando, he averaged just 6.8 points and 5.7 rebounds per game.
Kemp certainly has an argument to make to enter the Hall of Fame. He was one of the iconic players of the 1990s. If someone puts together a highlight reel of the 1990s, Kemp and the Sonics would appear in it several times.
Unfortunately, he was often on the wrong side of history — including the first 8-seed upsetting a top seed in the Playoffs — and failed to make a resonant historical impact outside of his highlights.
Ben Wallace
Years with Magic: 2000
Basketball-Reference Hall of Fame Probability: 45.3 percent
The players described before this slide have scoring accolades, All-Star Games and highlights to back up their entry into the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame. They have a clear place in the narrative of NBA history.
Yet, they both may not have the same opportunity to make the Hall of Fame like Ben Wallace. Championships and individual awards have that way of changing perception and adding to Hall of Fame credentials. Wallace has an impressive resume for sure.
Wallace made four All-Star Games, four Defensive Player of the Year awards, five All-Defensive First Team selections and five All-NBA team selections. All this while rarely scoring. Wallace averaged 5.7 points, 9.6 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game in his career. That hardly seems like a big impact.
But Wallace made a huge impact as those four Defensive Player of the Year awards suggest. He was a dominant defensive player on a team that was dominant defensively. Enough to lead the Detroit Pistons to one of the biggest upsets in NBA Finals history.
The Magic, of course, got off the Wallace train right before it left the station. He was a solid player in his lone year in Orlando as part of the Heart and Hustle year. He averaged 4.8 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game in that lone year.
He was a strong defensive force, but not quite the dominant defensive force he was with the Detroit Pistons. Maybe he would have never reached it had he stayed in Orlando. The team ended up trading him to acquire Grant Hill in a sign-and-trade deal.
But Wallace was a fan favorite in his lone year in Orlando. A rugged defender the team sure could have used to grow with Tracy McGrady and give the team another identity to go with McGrady’s overall brilliance. But that was not meant to be.
Wallace has a Hall of Fame case. Maybe a better one than people think as such an important part of a championship team. But there are plenty of arguments to keep him out too.
Horace Grant
Years with Magic: 1995-99, 2002-03
Basketball-Reference Hall of Fame Probability: 15.2%
Horace Grant was a workhorse throughout his career. He did all the dirty work in the post in a NBA that was big and physical. He was a good defender and a great rebounder. And the consummate teammate.
Anfernee Hardaway and Shaquille O’Neal turned the Orlando Magic into a Playoff team and a good team. Horace Grant with his experience, grit and determination turned them into a championship team.
His arrival in Orlando in 1995 was a turning point for the franchise. He was not going to be the star on the team. But he was going to be one of the most important players on the team. Someone who could help the team get the most and be prepared for championship battles.
In his seven seasons, he averaged 11.3 points per game and 8.2 rebounds per game. Those numbers are dragged down some by his second stint in Orlando where he served as a veteran leader but with far less production.
Horace Grant’s overall resume includes just one All-Star game (in 1994 after Michael Jordan retired). He was also a four-time All-Defensive team player (twice with the Magic).
It is safe to say Grant will not be making the Hall of Fame anytime soon. He was a role player-plus at the height of his career. That is his ultimate legacy. But he was a necessary player during the Chicago Bulls’ first three-peat in the early 1990s. And a necessary player for the Magic’s Finals run in 1995.
And, of course, he had the googles. How could you resist those?
The Active Players
Dwight Howard (2005-12) — 99.3% Hall of Fame Probability
The debate about Dwight Howard’s Hall of Fame credentials has already started to pop up. His fall since he finished his eight-year run with the Orlando Magic has sullied his good name and made a lot of people forget just how good he was then. And somewhat just how good he still is.
Like Ben Wallace, Dwight Howard was feared defensively. He became a huge force that other players feared. MVPs LeBron James and Derrick Rose changed the way they played when they attacked the rim and Dwight Howard was lurking. He had that much of an impact.
Howard’s career numbers should speak for itself — 18.4 points and 13.0 rebounds per game with the Magic including eight total All-Star appearances (so far, but he is probably done) and three Defensive Player of the Year awards.
It is not a matter of if Howard makes the Hall of Fame but when. The only question is whether Magic fans will have forgiven him in that time (they should).
Vince Carter (2010-11) — 94.6% Hall of Fame Probability
Vince Carter is another player who likely will engender a lot of debate when he becomes eligible for the Hall of Fame. But he also should be a shoo-in to make it. Simply because of his cultural impact, it would be impossible to tell the story of basketball without mentioning Carter.
Carter’s lone full season in Orlando was a bit of a disappointment. But only because he did not deliver the championship to the Magic that they wanted so badly.
Carter was generally fine — averaging 16.3 points per game and 49.3 percent effective field goal percentage. But he did not take over games from the perimeter like the team needed to take the next step from their 2009 Finals run.
Carter is still a fan favorite in Orlando. Magic fans kind of want him back now to lead the young players. And they will almost certainly celebrate when he enters the Hall of Fame after his retirement.