HBO milked four seasons and 39 episodes out of the drama of a family business trying to figure out who would take control of a media company when its patriarch retired. It was one of the best television shows, winning awards and getting a lot of pop culture ink spilled over it.
People are always interested in the palace intrigue of the rich and powerful.
That certainly exists in real life, where ownership changes have been met with plenty of drama -- from the Buss family drama after Dr. Jerry Buss' death with the Los Angeles Lakers a few years ago to the recently concluded battle by Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore to buy the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Even in the most calm of times, change brings some level of chaos. It brings uncertainty to everything.
The Orlando Magic are entering into that uncertainty. But their succession plan has been years in the making. And there is no drama.
It seems this was merely the time to enact it.
Longtime Magic CEO Alex Martins announced in late June that he would be stepping down from his day-to-day role to become a vice chair, advising the team's board of directors as well as anyone in the business or basketball operations that needed guidance or a sounding board.
In addition to those changes came the announcement that Ryan DeVos and Cole DeVos, Rich DeVos' grandchildren, would become more involved in the franchise.
And with that change came another critical promise that cements the Magic's future and gives the team more permanence: The Magic are not going anywhere with a renewed commitment from the next generation of the DeVos family taking a larger role in the franchise.
"This has been a cherished family asset for the DeVos family now for over than 30 years," Martins said in June. "They have no intention to sell. This is about transitioning ownership to the third generation, who has really embraced it. They are into it. They love the business. They want to get more involved."
There is no drama. But it is still a new day for the Magic. One that solidifies its place in Orlando.
Changes at the top
Fans will likely notice little difference on the court from the Magic's changes. Alex Martins stepped down, and president of business operations Charlie Freeman will step into an expanded role heading the team's business operations. President of basketball operations Jeff Weltman will still run the basketball side, with the two leaders reporting to the team's board of directors.
As part of this change, the Magic announced they would begin the handoff to the team's third generation. If the Magic are a family business, then this is part of the succession as Rich DeVos handed the team to his children, they will now hand it to his grandchildren.
Ryan DeVos, who has been with the team for eight years in various roles (including running the Magic's 2K League team and the professional pickleball team, the Orlando Squeeze) and has become a fixture in Orlando, will be taking on a larger role within the organization, learning all aspects of the team's business. Martins said DeVos would be tied to Freeman's hip, learning every facet of the team's business structure.
Cole DeVos will also be moving to Orlando full-time to begin going through what Alex Martins described as the team's management training program.
Martins said they will not be the only third-generation DeVoses to get involved with the team. There are deep roots within the family and particularly this generation who want to be a part of the Magic in some way.
The details of this succession plan may not matter to everyone. But it says something undeniable: The Magic have ownership that is invested in the team and in Orlando. It gives the entire organization a stable place to keep growing.
The DeVos family solidifies its presence in Orlando
Orlando Magic fans and the DeVos family have a relationship that is a bit difficult to define.
Rich DeVos purchased the Magic in 1991, giving the team a more solid financial and ownership backing in its early days. His family has owned the team since.
But the DeVos family has largely remained based in Michigan. They had a figure like Bob Vander Weide or Alex Martins as the day-to-day representation of ownership. There was sometimes a lack of connection between ownership and the city. It made for a wide gulf -- especially with high-profile stars leaving and the struggles of the last decade.
The team went up for sale in the early 2000s, at a particular low point in terms of attendance for the team. And they were nearly sold and relocated. But Rich DeVos had his famous "change of heart" and took the team off the market, keeping them in Orlando.
The DeVos family, now led by chairman Dan DeVos, is moving to have more family involvement with the team. The DeVos family is more present in Orlando than they have been in their ownership history.
That is spurred by Rich DeVos' grandchildren like Ryan and Cole, who are aiming to be more involved with the team. They are not alone. It has become a family business.
"The DeVos family has always invested in our staff, in our facilities," Charlie Freeman said in June. "They invest in our community as community partners and obviosuly in our business and basketball team. I'm so fired up and excited about the future and energized."
As if to put it any more clearly. The Magic's shift in leadership is a sign of transition, but it is also a sign the Magic will remain a permanent presence in Orlando. Martins said that the generation of the family has attended more games in the last few years than they have.
They are engaged and they want to be involved with the team.
There is no uncertainty about which direction the Magic are going. And there is no uncertainty about the foundation ownership is bringing to the team now.