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4 things Orlando Magic fans want to see in the 35th anniversary season

By Philip Rossman-Reich

ORLANDO, FLORIDA - APRIL 02: Wendell Carter Jr. #34 of the Orlando Magic looks on during the first half of a game against the Detroit Pistons at the Amway Center on April 02, 2023 in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)
ORLANDO, FLORIDA - APRIL 02: Wendell Carter Jr. #34 of the Orlando Magic looks on during the first half of a game against the Detroit Pistons at the Amway Center on April 02, 2023 in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images) /
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Shaquille O'Neal, Orlando Magic
BOSTON, : Shaquille O’Neal of the Orlando Magic drives past Eric Montross of the Boston Celtics 20 March, in Boston, Massachusetts. O’Neal finished with 28 points, with the Magic winning 112-90. AFP PHOTO John MOTTERN/jm (Photo credit should read JOHN MOTTERN/AFP/Getty Images) /

5 things Orlando Magic want to see in the 35th anniversary season

Time to Retire a Jersey

The Orlando Magic have drawn a pretty clear line in the sand about retiring jerseys. Magic CEO Alex Martins said when the team introduced the Orlando Magic Hall of Fame 10 years ago that they discussed retiring jerseys internally and wanted to reserve it for after the Magic win their first title.

After 25 years, it did seem like honoring the team’s history like with the Orlando Magic Hall of Fame was a good first step. And it has been good to include players who were great for the Magic through the years, but maybe not elite enough to retire jerseys.

But it is getting to be time to do something more. And there are certainly some Magic greats who are agitating for it:

If Shaquille O’Neal is serious about buying the Magic, we know what the first thing he would do is. Hopefully, No. 25 would go up before No. 32. But beggars cannot be choosers.

The Magic are right to have whatever criteria they want to bestow honors to their legends and great players. And setting a high bar for jersey retirement is not a bad thing. It should be a high bar.

But the Magic are working hard to re-establish and reconnect ties to their legends and greats. And there is a certain amount of peer pressure to fall in line and retire jerseys like everyone else has — O’Neal is right, the Miami Heat have retired his jersey already and the team he literally made in the Orlando Magic have not done so yet.

So. . . do not expect a jersey retirement this year. Although an anniversary season would be a good time to kick off the program — and Nick Anderson’s No. 25 should be first.

My understanding is that the committee that discusses the Hall of Fame selections has broached the subject of relaxing the jersey retirement requirements. There is as much internal pressure to start hanging jerseys as there is external — and there are plenty to hang already with Nick Anderson’s No. 25, Shaquille O’Neal’s No. 32, Anfernee Hardaway’s No. 1 and Tracy McGrady’s No. 1 already worthy of retirement and Dwight Howard’s No. 12 deserving once he hangs it up.

Then again, in response to O’Neal’s video, fans are still kind of divided on it.

Either way, for the 35th anniversary season, expect the Magic to bring back several of their former greats and stars for recognition in front of the fans.

And expect a strong group for the Orlando Magic Hall of Fame — although the list is getting thin of big names if the team does not want to put any of the 2009 team in until Howard goes in first. Among the players who could get the Hall of Fame call this year are Jameer Nelson, Rashard Lewis, Hedo Turkoglu, Horace Grant, Jeff Turner (as both player and broadcaster) and Alex Martins (self-congratulatory but probably deserved even if fans disagree).