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Home > NBA News & Analysis > The Reason Why Orlando Magic Didn’t Retire Any Number In Their History Except No. 6

The Reason Why Orlando Magic Didn’t Retire Any Number In Their History Except No. 6

Titan Frey
Aug 14, 2022
8 Min Read
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The Orlando Magic have been a team in the NBA since 1989. Their blue and black pinstripe jerseys are often cited as the best-looking jerseys in NBA history, but style points don’t win championships.

Contents
  • Orlando Magic Pay Tribute To Their Fanbase
    • Next
    • Largest NBA Playoff Comeback: Clippers Stun Warriors In Game 2 Of 2019 First Round
    • The Most Accomplished Current NBA Players: LeBron James Leads With 14, Stephen Curry Chases Him With 9
    • 25 NBA Legends And Superstars Career-Highs In Points: Wilt Chamberlain Holds The Record With 100 Points, Kobe Bryant Is No. 2 With 81 Points
    • The NBA Players Who Have 20K Points, 5K Rebounds, And 5K Assists
    • Only 3 NBA Power Forwards Have Won The Finals MVP Award

The Orlando Magic, despite having good teams in the past, have never won an NBA title. They have reached the NBA Finals twice, first in 1995 and then in 2009. Both times, the team was over-matched by their opponents.

Despite never winning the chip, the Magic have bolstered some of the greatest players the game has ever seen. They drafted Shaquille O’Neal, who immediately became an unstoppable force as he won the Rookie of the Year Award in 1993.

Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway was drafted third overall by the Golden State Warriors in the 1993 NBA Draft. He was quickly traded to the Orlando Magic for the number one pick, Chris Webber.

Webber turned out to be a fine player, but he didn’t bring the excitement that Hardaway brought. Penny was a big reason why fans in Orlando and on the road came to watch the Magic play. His duo with Shaq was exciting to watch, and the two led the Magic to their first NBA Finals in 1995.

The Magic would be swept by the more experienced Houston Rockets, and despite a bright future, the team broke up after letting Shaq go to Los Angeles and when injuries derailed Hardaway’s career.

In 2004, the Magic had another successful draft night by selecting Dwight Howard with the first overall pick. Howard reminded fans of Shaq, as they both went by the nickname Superman, and they were both centers.

Unlike Shaq, Howard wasn’t a great scorer. But where he was superior to Shaq was on the defensive end. Howard would win the Defensive Player of the Year Award three straight years from the 2008-09 to 2010-11 seasons.

Howard’s play on the defensive end changed games, and it changed the culture in Orlando. In 2009, Howard led the Magic to their second NBA Finals.

The Magic, despite their great play, couldn’t overcome a hungry Kobe Bryant, who was determined to win his first title without the help of former Magic Shaquille O’Neal. The Magic lost 4-1 to the Lakers.

The Magic may never have won a championship, but their roster has been filled with stars like the above-mentioned, and they’ve had others, like Tracy McGrady and Grant Hill.

When you walk into the Amway Center, the home of the Orlando Magic, you’d expect to look up into the rafters and see a handful of retired numbers. Right? The problem is there’s only one number retired, and it doesn’t belong to any former player.


Orlando Magic Pay Tribute To Their Fanbase

The only number retired in Orlando Magic franchise history is the No. 6. They retired No. 6 in honor of their Sixth Man, which is their fans.

This is a generous gesture to the fans of the Magic, especially since the Magic’s attendance ranked 26th last season. So, the question that has to be asked is, why haven’t the Magic retired one of their former great player’s numbers if they’ve retired a number in honor of their fans?

In 2014, the Orlando Magic decided to start a Hall of Fame for the franchise, with team founder Pat Williams and the first player drafted by the Magic, Nick Anderson, being the first two selected.

The following year, Shaquille O’Neal was selected to the Magic’s Hall of Fame, and Fox Sports Florida play-by-play announcer, David Steele, had this to say about Shaq:

“Shaq put the Orlando Magic on the map – not just in the state of Florida or in the United States; he was this global phenomenon. When we traveled, it was like a traveling rock show. Everybody wanted to see Shaq.”

After Shaq’s induction, players Penny Hardaway, Tracy McGrady, and Darrell Armstrong joined the Hall of Fame. Also, announcer David Steele, co-founder Jimmy Hewitt, owner Rich DeVos, and as of March 2022, general manager John Gabriel and head coach Brian Hill are in the Magic’s Hall of Fame.

John Gabriel and Brian Hill to be inducted into the Orlando Magic Hall of Fame 💙

The 10th and 11th members to be enshrined on March 2. pic.twitter.com/FFtrbKanBx

— Orlando Magic (@OrlandoMagic) January 11, 2022

So, the Orlando Magic have created their own Hall of Fame for the best players (and personnel) ever to wear a Magic jersey, but still, they refuse to retire a player’s number and hang their jersey in the rafters.

The rumor is the Orlando Magic front office doesn’t want to retire any player’s number until a player leads the franchise to its first championship. As stated earlier, Shaquille O’Neal, Penny Hardaway, and Dwight Howard all got close by leading the Magic to the NBA Finals.

But reaching an NBA Finals isn’t the same as winning the title. This is what the franchise wants, and if Magic fans want to see a number finally get hung in the rafters, they’ll have to wait until a special player can lead them to that title.

Maybe the first overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, Paolo Banchero, can lead the Magic to their first title and have his No. 5 be displayed next to the No. 6 that honors the fans and the late great Bill Russell since the NBA has stated the No. 6 will be retired across the league to honor Mr. Russell’s legacy.

The future is bright in Orlando, and fans cannot wait to see if Banchero will rise up and be the next star in Orlando Magic history.

Next

Largest NBA Playoff Comeback: Clippers Stun Warriors In Game 2 Of 2019 First Round

The Most Accomplished Current NBA Players: LeBron James Leads With 14, Stephen Curry Chases Him With 9

25 NBA Legends And Superstars Career-Highs In Points: Wilt Chamberlain Holds The Record With 100 Points, Kobe Bryant Is No. 2 With 81 Points

The NBA Players Who Have 20K Points, 5K Rebounds, And 5K Assists

Only 3 NBA Power Forwards Have Won The Finals MVP Award

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ByTitan Frey
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Titan Frey is the editor-in-chief and a staff writer for Fadeaway World from York, Pennsylvania. Titan blends his deep passion for basketball and storytelling to oversee the content at Fadeaway World. A prolific writer, Titan has authored several novels, including the award-winning "Players Path." This experience has honed his ability to weave compelling narratives, a skill he applies to his editorial role, ensuring that every piece resonates with basketball lovers and maintains high journalistic standards. His passion for basketball was sparked by Michael Jordan's return to the NBA in 1995, and his allegiance to the Chicago Bulls often inspires his contributions to "Pippen Ain’t Easy," a website dedicated to Bulls-related content. Titan’s specialization in player biographies and retro basketball content allows him to offer unique insights, often reaching out to key sources to secure exclusive information not available elsewhere. One of Titan’s proudest achievements is the biography of Chuck Cooper, the first African American drafted by an NBA team. By collaborating directly with Chuck Cooper III, Titan was able to present a nuanced portrayal that enriched the basketball community’s understanding of Cooper’s impact on the sport. Titan also extends his storytelling prowess to his YouTube channel "HoopsHistory26", where he uses archived footage to bring historical basketball stories to life, engaging a broader audience with his vivid storytelling and authoritative content.Titan's bold predictions and memorable basketball moments also reflect his deep involvement in the sport. He boldly predicts that the Phoenix Suns will part ways with their Big 3 and focus on building around Kevin Durant. Among his cherished memories is attending the unforgettable 2004 game between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Indiana Pacers in Philly, where he witnessed Allen Iverson make his first career game-winning shot. These experiences and insights continue to enrich his contributions to Fadeaway World, connecting with readers on a deeply personal level.
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