In the first half of Game 6, the Orlando Magic crowd was already in a frenzy amid a close, nerve-wracking elimination game for their team.
For the first time in a decade, the Magic had a game of this magnitude on their home floor, and the future seemed boundless. The series itself felt like a celebration, as the Magic came out of the desert as a franchise and were back on the NBA playoff scene.
The team had plenty of reminders of its past and it was never lost on anybody what happened the last time the Orlando Magic played the Cleveland Cavaliers in a playoff series.
The team made that reminder clear, airing a snippet of highlights from that 2009 Eastern Conference Finals series before cutting to the live feed. There at the corner of the court with Paul Porter delivering his booming welcome to Rashard Lewis and next to him Dwight Howard.
Welcoming one of the franchise's all-time great players back should not be a moment of controversy. The Magic may have paired Howard with his teammate in Lewis to shut down any negative or lingering reactions to Howard's bitter departure in 2012.
But Howard was there. He was home. He got a big welcome to Orlando and was back where he belonged.
Now that he is a finalist to be named to the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame, Howard is thinking about his playing legacy. And the Magic are an integral part of that story.
Before he could walk in Springfield, Howard needed to return to his basketball home once again.
The Magic announced Thursday that Howard will be the next inductee into the team's Hall of Fame. This is the next step in the team's public embrace of Howard as the Magic welcome one of the franchise's all-time great players back into the fold.
He will be inducted into the team's hall of fame in a pregame ceremony on March 24, before the game against the Los Angeles Lakers.
"Dwight Howard left an undeniable imprint on the history of the Orlando Magic," Orlando Magic CEO Alex Martins said in a press release. "From being the first overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft, to our trip to the 2009 NBA Finals, Dwight’s work helped us achieve great success during his eight seasons in a Magic uniform, both on the court and in the community. We are looking forward to inducting Dwight into the Orlando Magic Hall of Fame."
Howard was no sure thing when the Magic made him the first overall pick of the 2004 Draft. He was a still raw 18-year-old coming out of high school. His selection did not come without controversy.
Howard had a successful career with the Magic
But almost immediately he became a double-double machine and he quickly established himself as one of the best centers in the league. He averaged a double-double in each of his eight seasons in Orlando, finishing his time with the Magic averaging 18.4 points and 13.0 rebounds per game.
His emergence as the most dominant big man in the league propelled the Magic to their best run of success in franchise history, winning the Southeast Division in 2008, 2009 and 2010 and leading the Magic to the NBA Finals in 2009.
The 2009 team is one of the most beloved in franchise history. The Magic sustained that run with a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2010.
Howard peaked in the 2011 season when he finished second in MVP voting (in a controversial vote in Derrick Rose's favor) and averaged 22.9 points, 14.1 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game.
Howard won Defensive Player of the Year three times, led the league in rebounding three times and led the league in blocks three times while with the Magic.
He was an absolute force and is certainly on the Mt. Rushmore of Magic basketball. His No. 12 jersey will almost certainly join Shaquille O'Neal (and eventually Anfernee Hardaway and Tracy McGrady) in the rafters at the KiaCenter.
Howard's place in Magic history is clear. He is the team's all-time leading scorer, rebounder and shot blocker. It is impossible to tell the Magic's story without Howard.
Even after his sojourn through many teams—including winning a title with the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2020 season in the bubble—Orlando was always his basketball home.
It was never a matter of if Howard would get admitted into the team's Hall of Fame, but when.
The when would be depending on how the team thinks fans would receive Howard.
It is impossible not to mention how bitter and frustrating his exit from the team was—from his request for a trade in Dec. 2011 to his picking up his early termination option at the trade deadline that season to his ultimate trade in August 2012. It was as bitter and messy as any superstar exit from a team, as common as they may seem now.
Fans took it hard. And even mention of welcoming Howard back a decade later brought out comments saying he would never be welcomed back.
But time heals all wounds. As Howard wound down his career and became more contemplative of his career, he reflected positively on how great things were in Orlando. There was no getting that time back. And things for the Magi have never been quite as good.
Howard got his welcome back during the playoffs last year and was given the hero's welcome he deserves. Howard finally came home.
In a few weeks, Howard will have a permanent place in the building he helped open and make a reality. Howard will finally have his basketball home.