Rashard Lewis

Dwight Howard

Dwight David Howard (born December 8, 1985, in Atlanta, Georgia) is an American basketball player for the Orlando Magic of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Howard, who usually plays center but can also play power forward, had an outstanding high school career. He chose to forgo college and entered the 2004 NBA Draft. He was selected first overall by the Magic, and has since emerged as one of the top rebounders and players in the NBA. A three-time NBA All-Star, two-time All-NBA member and one-time NBA All-Defensive member, he has been ranked consistently as one of the best in the league in field goal percentage. In the 2008 Olympics, he was the starting center for Team USA which went on to win the gold medal. Howard's overall play and his spectacular dunks have gained him prominence as one of the brightest young prospects in the NBA and the team leader of the Magic. Additionally, Howard, the winner of the NBA 2008 Slam Dunk Contest, is a devout Christian who contributes substantially to philanthropic causes.

Howard was born to Dwight Sr. and Sheryl Howard and into a family with strong athletic connections. His father is a Georgia State Trooper and serves as Athletic Director of Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy, a private academy with one of the best high school basketball programs in the country, while his mother played on the inaugural women's basketball team at Morris Brown College. A devout Christian since his youth, Howard became serious about basketball around the age of nine; in eighth grade, he resolved to be selected as the number one pick in the NBA Draft one day. Despite his large frame, Howard was quick and versatile enough to play the guard position. He elected to attend Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy for high school, and in his four years he played mostly as power forward, averaging 16.6 points per game (ppg), 13.4 rebounds per game (rpg) and 6.3 blocks per game in 129 appearances. As a senior, Howard led his team to the 2004 state title. He averaged 25 points, 18 rebounds, 8 blocks and 3.5 assists per game. That same year, Howard was widely recognized as the best American high school basketball player, and he was awarded the Naismith Prep Player of the Year Award, the Morgan Wootten High School Player of the Year Award, Gatorade National Player of the Year and the McDonald's National High School Player of the Year honor. He was also co-MVP (with J. R. Smith) of the McDonald's High School All-American Game that year.

Following his high school successes, Howard chose to forego college and declared for the 2004 NBA Draft—a decision partly inspired by his idol Kevin Garnett who had done the same in 1995—where the Orlando Magic selected him first overall over UConn senior Emeka Okafor. Howard joined a depleted Magic squad that had finished with only 21 victories the previous season; further, the club had just lost perennial NBA All-Star Tracy McGrady. Howard, however, made an immediate impact. He finished his rookie season with an average of 12.0 ppg and 10.0 rpg, setting several NBA records in the process. He became the youngest player in NBA history to average a double double in the regular season. He also became the youngest player in NBA history to average at least 10.0 rebounds in a season and youngest NBA player ever to record at least 20 rebounds in a game. Howard's importance to the Magic was highlighted when he became the first player in NBA history directly out of high school to start all 82 games during his rookie season. For his efforts, he was selected to play in the 2005 NBA Got Milk? Rookie Challenge, and was unanimously selected to the All-Rookie Team. He also finished third to fellow center Okafor of the Charlotte Bobcats and guard Ben Gordon of the Chicago Bulls for the Rookie of the Year award.

Howard reported to camp for his second NBA campaign having added 20 pounds of muscle during the off-season. Orlando coach Brian Hill—responsible for grooming former Magic superstar Shaquille O'Neal—decided that Howard should be converted into a full-fledged center. Hill identified two areas where Howard needed to improve: his post-up game, and his defense. He exerted extra pressure on Howard, saying that the Magic would need him to emerge as a force in the middle before the team had a chance at the playoffs. Even though the big man played tentatively at times, he was able to build on his strong rookie year with an impressive sophomore season. On 15 November 2005, in a home game at against the Charlotte Bobcats, Howard scored 21 points and 20 rebounds, becoming the youngest player ever to score 20 or more points and gather 20 or more rebounds in the same game. He was selected to play on the Sophomore Team in the 2006 Rookie Challenge during the All-Star break, and on 15 April 2006, he recorded a career-high 26 rebounds against the Philadelphia 76ers; his 28 points in that game also brought him close to an NBA rarity, a 30-30 game. Overall, he averaged 15.8 points and 12.5 rebounds per game, ranking second in the NBA in rebounds per game, offensive rebounds, and double doubles; and sixth in field goal percentage. Despite Howard's improvement, the Magic finished the season with a 36–46 win-loss record and failed to qualify for the playoffs for the second consecutive season since Howard's arrival.

Howard took another step forward as the franchise player for Orlando in the 2006–07 season, and for the third consecutive season he played in all 82 regular season games. On 1 February 2007, he received his first NBA All-Star selection as a reserve on the Eastern Conference squad for the 2007 NBA All-Star Game. Howard finished the game with 20 points and 12 rebounds. Less than a week later, he recorded a career-high 32 points against the Toronto Raptors. As the push for playoff spots intensified, Howard was instrumental, recording another career-high 35 points against the Philadelphia Sixers on 14 April 2007. Under his leadership, the Magic qualified for the 2007 NBA Playoffs for the first time since 2003 as the number eight seed in the Eastern Conference. However, the Magic were swept by the eventual Eastern Conference finalist Detroit Pistons in the first round. Howard averaged 17.6 points and 12.3 rebounds per game, and finished first in the NBA in total rebounds, second in field goal percentage, and ninth in blocks. He was further recognized as one of the best players in the league when he was named to the All-NBA Third Team at the end of the 2006–07 campaign.

Howard continued posting impressive numbers in the 2007–08 season; with free agent Rashard Lewis added to the ranks to provide an extra offensive spark, this was the Magic's best season yet. Howard's strong and consistent play ensured that he was named as a starter for the Eastern Conference All-Star team, and by the time the mid-season break arrived, he was leading the league in double doubles (he concluded the season with a league-high 69) and had recorded 20 points and 20 rebounds in a game on five occasions (eight by the season's end). On February 16, 2008, he won the 2008 Slam dunk contest by receiving 78% of the fan's votes via text messaging or online voting; in that contest, he performed a series of innovative dunks said to have rejuvenated the contest, including donning a Superman cape for one of the dunks. Howard led the Magic to their first division title in 12 years and to the third seed for the 2008 NBA Playoffs, and in the first-round match-up against the Toronto Raptors, he was dominant, posting three 20 point/20 rebound games in a series which Orlando prevailed over five games. His series total of 91 rebounds was also greater than the total rebounds collected by the entire Toronto frontcourt. In the next round against the Pistons, the Magic lost the first two road games before Howard's 20 point/12 rebound performance in Game 3 salvaged a home win. In that same week, the center was named to the All-NBA First Team for the first time, and subsequently, the NBA All-Defensive Second Team. Detroit played without their star point guard Chauncey Billups for Games 4 and 5, but Orlando were unable to capitalize on that and lost the series 4–1 to the veteran playoffs team.

The 2008–09 campaign began well for Howard. Ten games into the season, the center was leading the league in blocks per game (4.2) and even recorded his first triple-double: 30 points, 19 rebounds and 10 blocks. At the halfway point of the season, Howard was leading the league in rebounds and blocks, and was among the league leaders in field goal percentage. He garnered a record 3.1 million votes to earn the starting berth on the Eastern Conference team for the 2009 NBA All-Star game.

Howard was named on 5 March 2006, to the 2006–2008 USA Basketball Men's Senior National Team program. As the team's regular starting center, he helped lead the team to a 5–0 record during its pre-World Championship tour, and subsequently helped the team win the bronze medal at the 2006 FIBA World Championship. During the FIBA Americas Championship 2007, Howard was on the team which won its first nine games en route to qualifying for the finals and a spot for the 2008 Olympics. He started in eight of those nine games, averaging 8.9 ppg, 5.3 rpg and led the team in shooting .778 from the field. In the finals, he made all seven of his shots and scored 20 points as the USA defeated Argentina to win the gold medal.

On 23 June 2008, Howard was named as one of the members of the 12-man squad representing the United States in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. With Howard starting as center, Team USA won all of its games en route to the gold medal, breaking their drought of gold medals dating back to the 2000 Olympics. Howard averaged 10.9 points and 5.8 rebounds per game in the tournament.

Howard is the current franchise player and leader of the Magic. He is one of the NBA's best rebounders (his 14.2 rebounds per game in 2007–08 meant he became the NBA's youngest rebound champion); in a game against the Golden State Warriors on 10 January 2007, his 25 rebounds for the Magic outnumbered the total number of boards grabbed by the starting five of the Warriors. Howard's rebounding is in part facilitated by his extraordinary athleticism; his vertical leap is estimated at almost 40 inches, rare for a player of his size (6'11", 265 pounds). He demonstrated this skill memorably in the 2007 Slam Dunk Contest during the NBA All-Star Weekend, during which he completed an alley oop dunk from teammate Jameer Nelson and slapped a sticker onto the backboard which reached 12 ft 6 in (3.81 m). The sticker showed an image of his own smiling face with a handwritten "All things through Christ Phil: 4:13," a paraphrase of Philippians 4:13. As of April 2008, Howard's 12.2 rebounds per game (in the regular season) places him 15th in NBA all-time leaders. The center has also remained largely injury-free in his NBA career; he played in 351 consecutive games before missing his first game.

Howard's abilities and powerful physique have drawn attention from fellow NBA All-Stars. Tim Duncan once remarked in 2007: " is so developed... He has so much promise and I am glad that I will be out of the league when he is peaking." Kevin Garnett echoed those sentiments: " is a freak of nature, man... I was nowhere near that physically talented. I wasn't that gifted, as far as body and physical presence." In December 2007, ESPN writer David Thorpe declared Howard to be the most dominant center in the NBA. In addition, the center did not miss a single regular season game in his four years in the NBA.

While many sports pundits rate Howard as one of the top young prospects in the NBA today, Howard has some weaknesses in his game. Offensively, his shooting range remains limited; he is also mistake-prone, having led the NBA in total number of turnovers in the 2006–07 season. Like many centers, he has a low free throw conversion percentage. As a result, he is a target of the so-called Hack-a-Shaq defense. During the 2007–08 regular season, Howard led the NBA with 897 free throw attempts while shooting only 59% from the free throw line. Also in that season, outside of layups and dunks, his shooting percentage was only 31.6%.

Howard has stated he believes in reaching out to his community and fans and thus contributes substantially in the field of philanthropy. An avid listener of Gospel music, he attends the Fellowship of Faith Church when he is back home in Atlanta and is involved and active with the youth programs at the church. Together with his parents, Howard also established the Dwight D. Howard Foundation Inc. in 2004. The Foundation provides scholarships for students who want to attend his alma mater, Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy, and grants to Lovell Elementary School and Memorial Middle School in Orlando, Florida. The Foundation also organizes summer basketball camps for boys and girls, and together with high school and college coaches and players, fellow NBA players are invited to be on hand at the camp. For his contributions in the Central Florida community, Howard received in 2005 the Rich and Helen De Vos Community Enrichment Award. Within the NBA itself, Howard has participated in several NBA "Read to Achieve" assemblies encouraging children to make reading a priority.

Elsewhere, Howard appeared as a special guest on an episode of the ABC series Extreme Makeover: Home Edition that aired 2 April 2006, in which Ty Pennington and his team built a new home and ministry offices for Sadie Holmes, who operates a social services ministry in the Orlando area.

Howard and Royce Reed, a former dancer for the team, have a son Braylon.

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Orlando Magic

The Orlando Magic is a professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and are currently coached by Stan Van Gundy. The franchise was founded in 1989 as an expansion franchise and has had such notable NBA stars as Shaquille O'Neal, Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway, Nick Anderson, Grant Hill, Tracy McGrady and Dwight Howard throughout its young history. The franchise has also been in the playoffs for more than half of their existence (10 playoff appearances in 19 years).

The Orlando Magic officially entered the NBA as an expansion franchise in 1989. A contest sponsored by Orlando Magic team officials and the local Orlando Sentinel newspaper allowed the community to suggest names for their new franchise. The contest of a total of 4,296 submitted entries subsequently narrowed the names to the "Heat", the "Tropics", the "Juice" and the "Magic". On July 27, 1986, it was announced that the committee chose the Magic to be the new name of the Orlando franchise in the NBA. The Magic were one of the four new expansion franchises awarded by the NBA along with the Charlotte Hornets, Miami Heat and Minnesota Timberwolves. Initially, the NBA was planning to expand by three teams, with one franchise going to Florida; however, when both Miami and Orlando ownership groups made successful pitches, the expansion committee decided to expand by four teams, allowing both to have a franchise. The Magic became the first ever major-league professional sports franchise in the Orlando area, led by William duPont III, joined with two brothers, James and Robert Hewitt, as general partners and former Philadelphia 76ers general manager Pat Williams. The expansion fee was reportedly $32.5 million.

The Magic hired Matt Guokas as the team's first coach, who helped the Magic select twelve players in the NBA Expansion Draft on June 15, 1989. On June 27, 1989, the Magic chose Nick Anderson with the 11th pick in the first round, who became the first draft pick of the franchise. The first game the Magic played on November 4, 1989, at the Orlando Arena (O-Rena) against the visiting New Jersey Nets, who won 111- 106 in a hard-fought game. The Magic's first victory came two days later, as the Magic defeated the New York Knicks 118–110 in Orlando. The inaugural team compiled a record of 18–64 with players including Reggie Theus, Scott Skiles, Terry Catledge, Sam Vincent, Otis Smith, and Jerry Reynolds.

In the 1990 NBA Draft, the Orlando Magic selected Dennis Scott with the fourth overall pick. On December 30, 1990, Scott Skiles racked up 30 assists in the 155-116 victory over the Denver Nuggets, breaking Kevin Porter's NBA single-game assists record (29). Skiles was named the NBA's Most Improved Player at the end of the season, as the Magic heralded the NBA's most improved record that season. Forward Dennis Scott set a team mark with 125 three-point field goals for the season, the best long-distance production by a rookie in NBA history. He was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team. Despite a 31–51 record, there were 40 sellouts out of 41 home games.

On September 19, 1991, the DeVos family purchased the franchise for $85 million and the family head Richard DeVos became the owner of the franchise. The 1991-92 season was disappointing for the Magic as various players missed games with injuries. Dennis Scott played only 18 games, Nick Anderson missed 22 games, Stanley Roberts, Jerry Reynolds, Bison Dele, Sam Vincent and Otis Smith all missed at least 27 games each. With a shortage of healthy players the team struggled through a 17-game losing streak and finished with a 21-61 record. The Magic still managed to have all 41 home games soldout.

The Magic history was changed on May 17, 1992, when the franchise won the first pick in the 1992 NBA Draft Lottery. The Magic selected big-man Shaquille O'Neal from Louisiana State University, the biggest prize in the draft since the Knicks won Patrick Ewing. O'Neal, a 7-foot 1 inch center, made an immediate impact on the Magic, leading the club to a 41–41 record. The Magic again became the NBA's most improved franchise, as they improved by 20 games. O'Neal was the first rookie to be voted an All-Star starter since Michael Jordan in 1985. He also became the 1992-1993 NBA Rookie of the Year. Despite Shaquille O'Neal's presence, the Magic missed the 1993 NBA Playoffs because they were tied with the Indiana Pacers for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with the Pacers holding the tiebreaker.

Despite barely missing out on the playoffs and thereby receiving the least chance of gaining the top draft pick with only one ball in the lottery machine, the Magic won the first pick in the 1993 NBA Draft Lottery. Prior to the draft, Guokas stepped down as head coach, and Brian Hill was promoted to become the Magic's second head coach. In the draft, the Magic selected Chris Webber, but traded him to the Golden State Warriors for the number three pick, guard Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway and three future first-round draft picks. With the combination of O'Neal and Hardaway, the Magic became a dominant team in the NBA, compiling the first 50 win season in franchise history with a 50–32 record. The Magic were in the playoffs for the first time, ranked the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference; however, the underdog Pacers team swept the Magic 3–0 in the first round, thus ending the Magic's season.

In the 1994-95 season, the Magic's sixth season, an All-Star forward Horace Grant was acquired as a free agent from the Chicago Bulls. Orlando Magic compiled a 57–25 record, best in the East and winning the Atlantic Division title, becoming the second-fastest team to advance to the NBA Finals in league history. In the playoffs, the Magic defeated the Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls, and the Indiana Pacers, advancing to the NBA Finals. The Houston Rockets, though, ended Orlando's dream of a championship by sweeping Orlando 4–0 in the Finals to take the crown.

In the 1995-96 season, the Magic again were near the top of the Eastern Conference and the Atlantic Division with a 60–22 record, led by O'Neal and Hardaway; however, the Magic were seeded number two, behind the NBA all-time best 72-10 record of the Chicago Bulls. In the meantime, General Manager Pat Williams was promoted to Senior Executive Vice President and replaced by the Vice President of Basketball Operations John Gabriel on April 29, 1996. In the playoffs, after the Magic defeated the Detroit Pistons and the Atlanta Hawks, Orlando met the Bulls in the Eastern Conference finals. The combination of Jordan, Scottie Pippen and rebounder Dennis Rodman was too much for the Magic, and Orlando was swept 4-0 in the Eastern Conference finals.

In the offseason, O'Neal left as a free agent to the Los Angeles Lakers, dealing a huge blow to the Magic franchise. In the middle of the season, though, urged by player discontent, management fired coach Brian Hill and named Richie Adubato as interim coach for the rest of the season. Under Adubato, the Magic went on a 21-12 streak to compile a 45–37 record, led by Hardaway, Darrell Armstrong, the team's emotional leader, and Rony Seikaly acquired in a trade with Golden State. In the playoffs, the Magic came close to stunning the heavily favored Miami Heat in the first round, extending the series to a decisive game five, even after losing the first two games.

The Magic then hired Chuck Daly to be head coach for the 1997-98 season. In addition, Hall of Famer Julius Erving joined the Magic's front office, giving Orlando immense hope for a successful season. However, the season was hampered by injuries, as Hardaway sat out the majority of the season. Anderson, combined with newly acquired free agent Bo Outlaw, led the team to a respectable 41–41 record, just out of reach of the NBA playoffs. In addition, Rony Seikaly was traded during the season to the New Jersey Nets for three role players and a future draft pick.

In 1998-99, with the acquisition of Matt Harpring and Michael Doleac and a healthy Hardaway and Anderson, the Magic tied for the Eastern Conference's best record in the lockout-shortened season, 33–17. Armstrong again led the team emotionally, winning the NBA's Sixth-Man and Most Improved Player awards. In addition, Orlando also acquired NBA great Dominique Wilkins, along with brother Gerald, who were past their primes but were both still very good. In the playoffs the Magic were seeded number 3 because of tiebreakers and faced the Philadelphia 76ers. The 76ers, led by Allen Iverson, upset the Magic 3–1 in the first round.

In 1999, the Magic, under General Manager John Gabriel, who was later named Executive of the Year, hired rookie-coach Doc Rivers. Gabriel dismantled the previous team trading their only remaining superstar Anfernee Hardaway to the Phoenix Suns for Danny Manning (who never donned a Magic uniform), Pat Garrity and two future draft picks. The Magic were then a team composed of virtually all no name players and little experience which included team captain Armstrong, Bo Outlaw and a young Ben Wallace, along with Coach Rivers led the Magic to a 41–41 record, barely missing out on the playoffs. At the end of the season Rivers was named Coach of the Year by the NBA. This year was characterized by the slogan "Heart and Hustle", as the team was known for its hard-working style.

In the following offseason, Gabriel, with millions of cleared salary cap space, attempted to lure three of the NBA's most prized free agents: Tim Duncan, Grant Hill, and Tracy McGrady. Despite Duncan opting to remain with the San Antonio Spurs, the Magic acquired Hill, a perennial All-Star, and McGrady. With McGrady and Hill together, the Magic were expected to be a force in the East. However, Hill was limited to 4 games because of an ankle injury. McGrady blossomed into a star during this season, becoming one of the NBA's top scorers. With the addition of Mike Miller from the draft, the Magic compiled a 43–39 record, which included a nine-game winning streak, and once again made the playoffs. McGrady made the All-Star Team and All-NBA 2nd Team Miller won the Rookie of the Year that season. In the playoffs, the Magic faced an upstart Milwaukee Bucks team in the first round. The Bucks won the series 3–1.

In 2001-02, McGrady led the Magic to a winning record of 44–38. However, Hill was still severely limited by his ankle injury and did not play for the vast majority of the season. McGrady, combined with Armstrong, Miller, and 3-point sharpshooter Pat Garrity, formed the core of the team that season. McGrady made the All-NBA for the first time and made his second consecutive All-Star Team. However, the Magic were defeated 3–1 in the first round of the playoffs by the Charlotte Hornets led by Baron Davis (the team has since relocated, becoming the New Orleans Hornets).

In 2002-03, with the acquisitions of Gordan Giricek and Drew Gooden from the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for Mike Miller and Ryan Humphrey, McGrady once again led the Magic to a 42–40 record. McGrady led the league in scoring with 32.1 ppg, made his second All-NBA 1st Team, and his 3rd All-Star Team. Despite still not having Hill due to injury, the Magic entered the playoffs for the third straight year. However, after taking a 3–1 lead in the best-of-seven first round series, the Magic faltered and fell to the Detroit Pistons 4–3 in the now infamous heartbreaker in which McGrady was quoted "It's nice to finally be in the second round" after still needing one more win to advance.

The Magic's 15th season in 2003-04 proved to be one of its toughest ever. Even with the acquisition of veteran free agents Tyronn Lue and Juwan Howard, the Magic struggled early. After winning its first game, the Magic lost 19 consecutive games, setting a franchise record. The Magic finished with a disappointing 21–61 record, the worst in the NBA. Despite this, McGrady led the league in scoring with 28.0 ppg, made the All-NBA 2nd Team and his 4th consecutive All-Star Team. In the middle of the 19-game losing streak, coach Doc Rivers was fired, and assistant Johnny Davis was promoted. In addition, general manager Gabriel was replaced by John Weisbrod.

In the offseason, Weisbrod completely dismantled the team. Though he kept Davis as coach, he shook up the player roster, only keeping a few players from last season. The most significant trade was that of Tracy McGrady. McGrady, discontent with the Magic, wished to move on; Weisbrod accused McGrady of "slacking off" and not attending practices (McGrady later admitted that he did not give 100% percent during the 2003-2004 season and he wanted the team to bring him some help, he never wanted to leave Orlando). The Magic traded McGrady along with Reece Gaines, Tyronn Lue, and Juwan Howard to the Houston Rockets for Steve Francis, Kelvin Cato, and Cuttino Mobley. In addition, the Magic acquired center Tony Battie and two second-round draft picks from the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for Drew Gooden, Steven Hunter, and the draft rights to Anderson Varejao. The Magic then signed free agent Hedo Turkoglu. With the number one draft pick, the Magic selected high-school phenom Dwight Howard and traded for point guard Jameer Nelson. Nelson, who most scouts speculated to be a top-10 pick, fell to the 20th pick, and the Magic traded a future first-round draft pick to the Denver Nuggets for Nelson.

After a promising 13–6 start, the Magic began to fall apart. First, Weisbrod traded Mobley for Doug Christie from the Sacramento Kings. Christie, because of his emotional ties to the Kings, at first refused to play for the Magic. Later on, Christie claimed he had bone spurs and was placed on the injured list after playing only a few games for the Magic. Near the end of the season, with a playoff-push faltering, Weisbrod fired Davis after leading Davis to believe he was going to be the team's head coach for the entire 2004-05 NBA season. He then promoted Chris Jent to interim head coach.

Throughout the season, bolstered by Hill's return, the Magic played spectacularly, defeating top NBA teams such as the San Antonio Spurs, Dallas Mavericks, Miami Heat, Phoenix Suns and the Detroit Pistons. However, led by the erratic play of Francis, the Magic also lost to league bottom-feeders, such as the expansion Charlotte Bobcats and the Atlanta Hawks. However, Howard showed great promise, becoming one of the few players to average a double-double. Howard was a consistent rebounder and scorer, becoming the first rookie to start and play all 82 games in a season. In addition, Nelson, after a slow start, developed into a talented player, taking over the starting point guard position. Hill also returned and averaged 19 points a game. Hill was chosen an All-Star starter by NBA fans for the 2005 All-Star Game, and Dwight Howard and Jameer Nelson were named to the All-Rookie first and second teams, respectfully. Howard was a unanimous selection.

The Magic finished the season with a 36–46 record, disappointing after a strong start. Their playoff push was hampered by injuries in the last quarter of the season: a season-ending broken wrist for sixth man Hedo Turkoglu, a shin injury to Grant Hill, a rib cage injury to Nelson, and a three-game suspension to Francis for allegedly kicking a photographer. In the end, the Magic ended a few games out of the playoffs.

On May 23, however, the Magic's plans were disrupted by the abrupt resignation of General Manager and Chief Operating Officer John Weisbrod. In addition, the Magic announced the following day that Brian Hill, the coach who led the Magic to the NBA Finals under O'Neal and Hardaway, would return as head coach.

The Magic drafted Spaniard Fran Vazquez with the 11th pick in the 2005 NBA Draft. On July 28, Vazquez stunned the team after announcing that he will remain in Spain to play for Akasvayu Girona, getting ridiculed by media after he was quoted that the decision to stay was made by his girlfriend.

Owner Rich DeVos announced on October 21 that he was transferring ownership to his children, with the official owner role moving to son-in-law and team President Bob Vander Weide. The transfer was supposed to be complete by the end of the year.

The 2005-06 season opened with high hopes for the Magic despite not being able to add first round draft pick Vasquez. Grant Hill was supposedly finally healed from his multiple ankle surgeries. Dwight Howard and Jameer Nelson showed excellent progress during summer-league play. Kelvin Cato was in shape for training camp. Second round draft pick Travis Diener showed excellent shooting and decision making during the summer. And the free agent signing of Keyon Dooling showed that the club was going to continue making progress.

Then the trouble began. Grant Hill, despite his ankle apparently being healed, suffered a painful sports hernia injury that would hamper his play throughout the entire season. After playing in three preseaon games, he underwent surgery to correct the hernia and would not appear during the regular season until mid-December, to which he lasted a month before attempting to make another comeback in February and early March, however only playing sporadically. Then a foot injury to Nelson forced him to sit out over a month.

Then rays of hope came shining down on the season. On February 15 the Magic announced that they had acquired Darko Miličić and Carlos Arroyo from the Detroit Pistons in exchange for Kelvin Cato and a 2007 top-five protected first-round draft pick. One week later on February 22 Orlando announced that they had traded Steve Francis away to the New York Knicks in exchange for Anfernee Hardaway (whom they waived two days later) and Trevor Ariza. With a set starting rotation of Battie, Howard, Turkoglu, DeShawn Stevenson, and Nelson, the Magic mounted a surprising run at the eighth playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, including an 8-game winning streak and twelve consecutive home wins. The streak included wins against NBA powerhouses Detroit, San Antonio, Dallas and Miami, as well as a game against the Philadelphia 76ers in which Howard recorded 28 points and a career-high 26 rebounds. Unfortunately, not only did a win by the Chicago Bulls over the Miami Heat on April 16 eliminate the Magic from playoff contention, but the Bulls also ended both Magic winning streaks with a 116–112 overtime victory in Orlando on April 17.

With the 11th pick in the NBA Draft the magic took the former Duke star J. J. Redick. Even with the fan support to get him playing time he averaged just over 11 minutes a game. After beginning the season strong with a 13–4 record, the Orlando Magic began to suffer in the standings as the result of multiple losses, due in large part to the injuries of Tony Battie, Trevor Ariza, Keyon Dooling, and Grant Hill. The Magic were also hampered with the sporadic play of many of their young stars, who on multiple occasions showed their propensity for streaky shooting and the team's lack of a solid scoring two-guard. Despite the team's poor play, Dwight Howard continued to develop and blossom in his third year in the league, culminating in his first selection to the Eastern Conference All-Star team, the 1st Magic All-Star since McGrady. The final few weeks of the season saw the Magic build momentum and confidence with an impressive late push towards the Playoffs. On April 15, 2007, with an 88–86 victory over the Boston Celtics, the Magic secured its first berth in the NBA Playoffs since 2003 by locking up the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference. This marked the first time that the team had made the playoffs while posting a losing record. Nevertheless, their Playoff run ended on April 28, 2007 after they were swept in the first round by first seeded Detroit Pistons whose experience, veteran leadership and ability to consistently make the clutch basket proved far too much for the undermanned and overwhelmed Magic to overcome. It was announced on May 23, 2007, that Brian Hill had been fired as head coach of the Magic.

On June 1, 2007, Billy Donovan was named the new head coach of the Magic, agreeing to a 5-year, $27.5 million deal with the team. Donovan had previously led the University of Florida basketball team to back to back NCAA National Championships in 2006 and 2007. However, on June 3, 2007, Donovan decided to return to the Gators (according to ESPN's Andy Katz). The Magic can decide whether or not to release his contract as early as the 4th, even though he has been under contract for only two days. On June 5, 2007, multiple sources reported that Donovan and the Magic have agreed upon a non-compete clause, requiring Donovan to refrain from coaching in the NBA for five years as one of the terms of his release from the contract. The clause would address Orlando's concerns that Donovan could accept another NBA job in the near future. Also on June 5, the Magic made a formal offer to former Miami Heat coach Stan Van Gundy to become the head coach. On June 6, 2007, the Magic released Donovan from his contract. According to ESPN and the Orlando Sentinel, the Magic have signed Stan Van Gundy as the new head coach. The deal is reportedly for 4 years, $16 million.

On July 2, 2007 it was reported on an Orlando television station that Rashard Lewis agreed to a 5-year, $75 million deal with the Orlando Magic. He ultimately went to the Magic on July 11 in a "sign and trade" with the Seattle SuperSonics, who got a mid-level salary cap exemption and a 2008 second-round draft pick in exchange. Lewis signed a six-year league-maximum contract believed to be worth over $110 million.

At the NBA China Games, the Magic swept the three games in China, twice against the Cleveland Cavaliers and once against the Chinese national team in games held in Shanghai and in Macau.

On November 15, 2007, Bob Vander Weide, the son-in-law of Richard DeVos, officially took over as owner of the team.

The Magic started the 2007–08 NBA season with an impressive 16–4 record in their first 20 games, which included wins over the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers. Through the next few months, the Magic were not so successful, splitting their next 36 games with 18 wins and 18 losses.

Dwight Howard was voted as starting center at the 2008 NBA All-Star Game in New Orleans, Louisiana, where the previous night, he won the 2008 Slam Dunk Contest.

At the start of March, the Magic seemed to pick up speed again, finishing the month with 10 wins, the first time since November that they won 10 or more in a month. The Magic clinched the Southeast Division title when the Washington Wizards were routed at Utah 129-87 on March 31, 2008. It was the Magic's third division title, but only their first since 1995-96 season, as well as their first since the Southeast Division was formed. They also won their 50th game against the Chicago Bulls on April 13, which had not happened since the 1995-96 season. The Magic finished the regular season 52–30, their best season since 1995-96. With the 3rd seed in the Eastern Conference, they were matched up in their first round playoff series against the Toronto Raptors. The Magic had home court advantage for the first time since the 1998-99 season.

On April 28, 2008, at Amway Arena, the Magic eliminated the Raptors with a 4-1 series victory in the first round. It was the first playoff series victory for the Magic in 12 years after 6 straight first round exits. The run of success didn't last long as they fell 4-1 to the experienced Detroit Pistons in the second round. With the Magic already down in the series, controversy erupted after the Pistons' Game 2 victory. At the conclusion of the 3rd quarter, Chauncey Billups of the Pistons made a three point shot giving the Pistons a three point lead. However, the clock had stopped just as the play began. NBA rules prohibit officials from using instant replay or any timing device to determine how much time has elapsed when a clock malfunctions, nor is a replay allowed to be viewed from the time of the malfunction to when the play ends, when the game clock has not expired. Because of the rule, the officials then estimated that the play took 4.6 seconds, and because there were 5.1 seconds remaining when play began, the field goal was allowed to be counted. The NBA later admitted that the play actually took 5.7 seconds and the basket in question should not have counted. The Pistons went on to win Game 2. The Magic were able to win Game 3, with the Pistons' Chauncey Billups out for most of the game with an injury, but were unable to take advantage of his absence and defeat the Pistons in Games 4 and 5, which ended the Magic's playoff run in 2008.

The first half of the 2008-09 season went very well for the Magic. After 41 games, the Magic were 33–8, leading the Southeast Division, as well as having one of the top four records in the league. On January 13, 2009, they scored an NBA record 23 three-pointers against the Sacramento Kings. Nine of the twelve Magic players who played that night scored at least one three pointer.

Amway Arena opened in 1989 and has served as home to the Orlando Magic since their inception. It was originally known as the Orlando Arena, or the "O-Rena", during its first ten years. In 1999, TD Waterhouse purchased the naming rights and named the venue the TD Waterhouse Centre. In December 2006, the naming rights were purchased by Amway for four years. It is also home of the Arena Football League's Orlando Predators, the Orlando Sharks of the Major Indoor Soccer League, and various sporting and entertainment events. Amway Arena is one of "The Orlando Venues" owned and operated by the City of Orlando. The other facilities include the Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre, Tinker Field, the Florida Citrus Bowl, Harry P. Leu Gardens, and Mennello Museum.

On September 29, 2006, after years of on-and-off negotiations, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and the Magic announced an agreement on Orlando Events Center, a new arena in downtown Orlando. The arena received its final approval on July 26, 2007. The new 18,500-seat arena will be located at the southwest corner of Church Street and Hughey Avenue, with construction starting in early 2008 and is estimated to cost around $480 million.

The Magic will be contributing $114 million in cash and up-front lease payments and guaranteeing $100 million of the bonds to be used to pay for the facility. It is part of the "Triple Crown For Downtown", a $1.05-billion plan to redo the Orlando Centroplex with a new arena, a new $375-million performing arts center, and a $175-million expansion of the Citrus Bowl. The Magic are anticipating that it will be completed prior to the 2010-2011 regular season opener. City officials said once the new arena is complete, the Amway Arena probably will be torn down.

NBA Commissioner David Stern promised Orlando would host an All Star Weekend once the arena is built. He cited the city's agreeable year-round climate, the presence of theme parks and other tourist destinations, and an abundant supply of hotels.

Up until the current uniform revision, Bo Outlaw was the only Magic player to have worn all of the Magic jersey designs, and during 2005-2006 "Hardwood Classics," he was the only player on the roster to wear the home pinstriped jersey when it was still the current uniform, having joined the team in 1997 (last season of the pinstripes.) He repeated the same feat in 2006, wearing the black pinstriped jersey.

The current television announce team for the Orlando Magic is play-by-play announcer David Steele and color analyst Matt Guokas. Guokas was the first head coach of the Magic. Whit Watson and Paul Kennedy serve as courtside reporters. Television broadcasts will be split in 2007-08 between FSN Florida and Sun Sports. In previous years, broadcasts were split between Sun Sports and local television stations, originally WKCF and, later, WRBW. Select broadcasts will be available in HDTV.

There was a controversy with moving broadcasts to Fox Sports Florida since Orlando's largest cable provider, Bright House Networks, did not carry the network. Pressure increased for the cable provider to pick up FS Florida in time for the 2007–08 NBA season but this did not happen. The Magic persisted with airing games on FS Florida into the 2008-09 season despite Bright House's refusal to pick up the channel in all of its affiliates. Recently, Bright House and FS Florida came to an agreement on January 1, 2009 and have begun airing the channel as part of its standard cable package. However, Bright House airs the channel using a digital signal that only allows customers who own the Digital cable box to receive the channel. The customers do not have to pay any additional costs to get the channel with their Digital cable box.

The current radio announce team for the Orlando Magic is play-by-play announcer Dennis Neumann and color analyst Richie Adubato, another former Magic head coach. Games are produced by Magic Radio Network flagship AM 580 WDBO in Orlando, and also broadcast on AM 1380 WELE in Daytona Beach, 99.5 FM WBXY "The Star" in Gainesville and Ocala, AM 920 WMEL in Melbourne, AM 1290 WPCF in Panama City, AM 1590 WPSL in Port St. Lucie and AM 1450 WSTU in Stuart. The Tampa Bay area currently does not have a radio affiliate.

Joey Colon and Ramon Rivas do Spanish-language commentary on AM 1030 WONQ "La Grande" in Orlando.

The official Orlando Magic website features a collection of podcasts available on iTunes, including "Dante and Galante Show".

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2008 NBA Playoffs

The 2008 NBA Playoffs was the postseason for the National Basketball Association's 2007–08 season which ended with the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics defeating the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers 4-2.

There were four rounds of postseason action, all of them in a best-of-seven format, with teams seeded on a bracket. The team with the better record was not necessarily the basis of seeding teams in the playoffs. Nevertheless, the team with the better record in a match-up had home court advantage.

The theme songs for the Playoffs were "Nine Lives" by Def Leppard and Tim McGraw for the Eastern Conference and "We Made It" by Busta Rhymes and Linkin Park for the Western Conference.

The playoffs were noted for the return of the Atlanta Hawks into postseason action after nine years of absence, taking the #1 seed Boston Celtics into a game seven before bowing out. Also notable was the race for the Western Conference home court advantage, eventually won by the Los Angeles Lakers who emerged as the Western Conference champions; the debut of the Chris Paul-led New Orleans Hornets in the playoffs after Hurricane Katrina and their 7-game series against defending champions San Antonio Spurs; and the Lakers' and Celtics' revitalization of their franchises, most especially after key trades during the pre-season and regular season. The Celtics ended up playing in 26 postseason games (2 games short of a full length postseason of 28), breaking the 25 game record of the 1994 New York Knicks by one game for the record of most postseason games in a single season played by a single NBA team.

The two number one seeds, the Lakers and the Celtics, disputed the NBA championship, reviving their old rivalry, last played in the 1987 Finals. Also, it marked the first time since 2000 that both top seeds from each Conference met in the Finals.

The 2008 format is the same as 2007's format.

This was the outlook for the 2008 NBA playoffs. Teams in italics had home court advantage. Teams in bold advanced to the next round. Numbers to the left of each team indicate the team's original playoffs seeding in their respective conferences. Numbers to the right of each team indicate the number of games the team won in that round. The division champions possess an asterisk (*).

Both Game 1 and Game 2 were Celtic routs, keyed by great team defense (Atlanta averaged 79 points in the first two games) and balanced Celtic scoring (six players were in double figures in Game 1, five in Game 2). The most buzz was generated by Mike Bibby stating that Celtic fans were bandwagoners after Game 1, prompting lusty boos every time he touched the ball in Game 2.

In Game 3, Atlanta showed its athleticism with an array of dunks from Josh Smith (27 points) and a strong interior performance by the rookie Al Horford (17 points, 14 rebounds, 6 assists), who also jawed with Paul Pierce near the end of the game. There would be more jawing in Game 4 between Zaza Pachulia and Kevin Garnett, but the outcome was a surprise: Thanks to fourth quarter heroics by Joe Johnson and Smith, who combined to score 32 of Atlanta's 34 4th quarter points, the upstart Hawks rallied from a 10 point third quarter deficit in Game 4 to tie the series going back to Boston. Boston dominated Game 5, but in Game 6, six Hawks players finished in double figures to edge the Celtics to force a winner-take-all Game 7. The Hawks were no match for the Celtics in Game 7, as the Celtics held them to 26 points in the 1st half. 3 minutes into the 2nd half, the series' tensions finally boiled over when Marvin Williams was ejected for committing a hard foul on Rajon Rondo.

Misses down the stretch by Tayshaun Prince and Rasheed Wallace kept the Pistons from beating the Sixers at their home floor as Andre Iguodala grabbed clutch defensive rebounds to seize the home court advantage. The Pistons responded with a blowout in Game 2. Game 3 was close at halftime, but Samuel Dalembert and Andre Miller helped to break it open with strong overall performances. Detroit was behind by 12 in Game 4 at halftime and in danger of falling behind 3–1 going back home, but three second-half 3s by Rasheed Wallace and strong showings by Tayshaun Prince and Chauncey Billups keyed an eighteen point 3rd quarter turnaround which helped even the series. Detroit dominated Game 5 behind Billups's 14 points and 5 first quarter assists, jumping out to a fourteen point lead and never looking back. Richard Hamilton keyed a similar such start in Game 6, scoring 13 points, as the Pistons took an eighteen point first quarter lead and eventually rolled into the second round.

Scoring 25 points and grabbing 22 rebounds, Dwight Howard gave the Magic their first playoffs win since 2003 as they practically led the entire game. Howard would put up a 29–20 in Game 2, as Hedo Turkoglu scored the final four go-ahead points to give the Magic a 2–0 lead. The Raptors would respond with a strong Game 3 victory keyed by great point guard play from T. J. Ford and Jose Calderon. But Jameer Nelson, Rashard Lewis and Keith Bogans keyed strong three point shooting in Game 4 and overcame Chris Bosh's 39 points and 15 rebounds to bring the Magic out of Toronto with a 3–1 lead. Howard would finish off the series in Game 5 as impressively as he started–21 points, 21 rebounds, 3 blocks.

LeBron James, labeled as "overrated" by Wizards guard DeShawn Stevenson, scored 20 of his 32 points in the second half to help the Cavs draw first blood in their third first round meeting in as many years. The Cavs and Wizards traded blowouts in Games 2 and 3, but Cleveland took a 3–1 lead in the Verizon Center off of Delonte West's last second three pointer. Washington stayed alive by winning Game 5 when Caron Butler converted a running shot with only seconds left, capping off his 32 point performance. However, James would lead the Cavs to a dominating Game 6 victory in Washington with a triple double (27 points, 13 rebounds, 13 assists); he also received crucial outside shooting from Wally Szczerbiak and Daniel Gibson, who combined for 48 points.

This series was marked by several harsh physical plays on LeBron James, with Brendan Haywood, Stevenson, and Darius Songaila picking up technical and flagrant fouls for hard contact on James.

Although the Celtics had a quick turnaround from their unexpected seven-game series with Atlanta, they managed to hold off the Cavs by winning the first two games in Boston. Kevin Garnett scored 28 points and 8 rebounds and made the go-ahead shot in Game 1. LeBron James would only shoot 8 for 42 from the field in the first two games.

Cleveland would come back to win the next two games, Game 3, a blowout where five Cavs scored in double figures, and Game 4 where James would punctuate the victory with a dunk over Garnett. James's shooting improved in the return to the Garden in Game 5, but received minimal help from his teammates as Rajon Rondo, Garnett, and Paul Pierce all scored over 20 points to push Boston over the top. Game 6 was an ugly affair, with both teams shooting under 40 percent, but a 32-12-6 performance by James was enough. Boston, the best road team in the regular season, fell to 0–6 on the road.

Game 7 would end in a duel between Pierce (41 points) and James (45 points) that some compared to the great Bird-Dominique duel in the Garden 20 years ago. But timely offensive rebounding (10 in all), 18 second chance points, and a few key shots from the Celtic veteran P.J. Brown helped push Boston into the Eastern Conference Finals.

The Detroit Pistons opened up with a rout in Game 1, as Detroit's big men keyed in on Dwight Howard and forced him to playoff lows 12 points and 8 rebounds, with five Pistons scoring in double figures. After being quiet in Game 2, the Magic's 3 point shooting picked up (11 for 26, Jameer Nelson making five for eight), but could not overcome 19 turnovers and fell down in the series 2-0. There would also be a controversial call at the end of the third quarter where Chauncey Billups would make a 3 near the end of the 3rd quarter when the clock froze and approximately 0.5 seconds remained, but TNT clocks would later reveal that Billups could not have gotten the ball off in time.

The Magic would take a 24-6 lead at home in Game 3 and use a 38-17 4th quarter to blow out Detroit; they were paced by 33 points by Rashard Lewis. Billups would injure his right hamstring early in the game and miss the remainder of the series, but they would not need him for Game 4 as Richard Hamilton scored 32 points and the Pistons came from 15 back in the 3rd quarter. Tayshaun Prince would make the go-ahead basket with 8.9 seconds left and Hedo Turkoglu missed a layup as time ran out.

Billups's starting replacement, Rodney Stuckey, struggled in Game 4, but came back with a strong Game 5. The Magic would outshoot the Pistons 48 to 36 percent, would make 36 percent of their 3s compared to 21 percent for Detroit, and outrebound them 46 to 38, but turned the ball over 21 times while Detroit had only 3. Rip Hamilton again led Detroit with 31 points, and Prince made the crucial defensive play by blocking Turkoglu's layup in the waning seconds. Detroit advanced to their sixth straight Eastern Conference Finals, the longest Conference Finals streak since the Los Angeles Lakers went to eight straight in the 80s.

Detroit walked into the NBA Eastern Conference Finals for the sixth straight season. Boston held off the Pistons in Game 1 on 79–88, but let Detroit rally a strong performance in Game 2 to win it 103-97 (marking Boston's first home court loss in the post-season). However, they let the Celtics win their first road playoff game 94-80 in Game 3. Game 4 saw the Pistons win 94–75, however they lost Game 5 106-102 despite a scoring run late in the game. In Game 6, the Pistons strolled into the fourth quarter leading 70–60, but a lack of focus, a poor game from Rasheed Wallace, and a rally-destroying turnover by Tayshaun Prince ultimately led to their demise, as the Pistons would end their season losing 89-81. With that, the Celtics moved on to the NBA Finals, and they will face the Los Angeles Lakers for the 11th time.

In Pau Gasol's playoff debut with the Lakers, he scored 36 points, 16 rebounds, 8 assists and 3 blocked shots as the Lakers beat the Nuggets in Game 1. Kobe Bryant gave the fans a vintage performance in Game 2 by scoring 49 points and adding 10 assists in a blowout at Staples Center. The Nuggets were routed at home in Game 3, with Carmelo Anthony stating the team quit in the second half. Game 4 was closer, but Bryant led the Lakers with 14 points in the last five and a half minutes to close out the Nuggets at the Pepsi Center. It was the first time the Lakers advanced to the second round since the 2003-04 NBA season.

In his playoff debut, Chris Paul scored 35 points, dished out 10 assists, and stole the ball 4 times to lead the Hornets to a comeback home win against the Mavericks. He would replicate that type of performance in Game 2 with 32 points and 17 assists. Dallas would come out with a dominant Game 3 performance at home after inserting Jason Terry into the starting lineup, but New Orleans would win the final two games of the series, keyed by David West in Game 4 and Paul's triple-double in Game 5.

Michael Finley made a game-tying three in regulation, Tim Duncan scored 40 points, including a rare three-point field goal to force a second overtime, and Manu Ginóbili clinched victory with a drive to the basket to break the 115-all deadlock with 1.8 seconds left to win a classic Game 1. Tony Parker would then pace the Spurs to their next two victories in the series, scoring 32 and 41 in Games 2 and 3 respectively. At the brink of elimination, Phoenix responded with a strong Game 4. But costly missed free throws by Shaquille O'Neal and key turnovers by Steve Nash helped San Antonio to prevail in Game 5, led again by Parker's 31 points.

Also notable was Gregg Popovich's use of the Hack-a-Shaq throughout the series to disrupt the Suns offense when Shaquille O'Neal was on the floor. O'Neal would shoot 64 free throws in the five games, making 32 of them.

The Jazz had a balanced game from Andrei Kirilenko, Carlos Boozer and Deron Williams to steal the home court advantage away from the Rockets. A similar such performance in Game 2 put Utah in a commanding 2–0 lead going back to Salt Lake City. Rafer Alston's return to the Houston lineup after injury, along with Tracy McGrady's 27 points and Carl Landry's key block of Deron Williams on the crucial possession helped Houston to steal Game 3 on the road. Williams responded with a strong performance in a Game 4 victory, plus got some help from Mehmet Okur with his offensive rebound off of his two missed free throws. The Rockets controlled Game 5 to stay alive, but despite getting 40 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists from McGrady in Game 6 and 15 pts from Luis Scola, the rest of Houston's team shot 10 for 39 from the field and could not overcome losing Alston to an ankle injury as the Jazz blew the game open with a 27–11 3rd quarter.

The Lakers, who came out with nothing to lose, took Game 1 in Staples Center winning by 11 against the Jazz. After being awarded this season's NBA MVP in Game 2, Kobe Bryant celebrated with his team as he led the Lakers to victory with 34 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists. Unfortunately, the Jazz cut the party short as they headed back home where the Jazz won both Games 3 and 4 to even up the series with Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer, who bounced back after having two terrible games at L.A., leading the team. The Lakers came back with authority as they took Game 5 with Bryant, Pau Gasol, and Lamar Odom scoring 20 plus points each. The Jazz looked to force a Game 7 but the Lakers did not trail and closed out the series in Game 6 with a 108-105 win at Utah where the Jazz were 37-4 during the regular season. Bryant led the team with 34 points as the Lakers advanced to the Western Conference Finals where they haven't been since 2004. This was the first playoff meeting between the two teams since the 1998 Western Conference Finals.

The Hornets, who earned the home-court advantage via winning the Southwest division, were able to gain a quick 2-0 lead in the series over the veteran Spurs. But when the series shifted to San Antonio the Spurs regained their edge, returning the favor in games 3 and 4. Game 5 back in New Orleans shocked many as the Hornets played off the home crowd to a 22 point rout. The home teams were clearly dominating in this series as Game 6 was more of the same in San Antonio. However, that all changed when a much anticipated Game 7 saw the Spurs erect a 15 point lead after 3 quarters, which proved to be enough (even after the Hornets cut the deficit to 3 with 1:35 left) to send them to another Western Conference Finals.

The series pitted the two best teams in the Western Conference over the last 10 years. Having the home court advantage, the Lakers started out as a favorite and did not disappoint their home crowd as they overcame a 20-point deficit in Game 1 and won behind Kobe Bryant's 27 points, 25 of which were scored in the second half. Game 2 was a cruise for the Lakers as they made a 9-0 run before halftime, led all game and built the lead to 30.

The Spurs easily took Game 3 at home with Manu Ginobili carrying the Spurs after two terrible games at L.A, making 5 3-pointers and finishing with 30 points; Tony Parker and Tim Duncan added 42 more. In Game 4 the Lakers never trailed (the Spurs missed several opportunities to take the lead) and led comfortably late, but a furious run by the Spurs and several mistakes by the Lakers (Bryant attempting a running fallaway with plenty of time on the shot clock, Gasol missing two free throws) gave San Antonio a chance to tie or win with seconds left. On a disputed no-call, Derek Fisher fell into Brent Barry's path, but no foul was called and Barry missed a last second 3-pointer.

Heading home up 3-1 in the series, the Lakers trailed in the first quarter by 17 but was able to cut the lead to six by halftime. Again, Bryant stepped up by scoring 17 of his 39 points in the fourth quarter, enabling the Lakers to surge ahead and seal the series, helping them to reach the NBA finals for the 5th time in 9 seasons and the first time in the post-Shaq era.

The Lakers were able to reach the NBA Finals again as the no. 1 seed. The last time this happened to the team was during the 2000 NBA season, where they beat the Indiana Pacers 4-2. They also improved to 4-0 against San Antonio in the Western Conference Finals. The Lakers will look to renew their rivalry with the Boston Celtics as the two match up for the 11th time in the NBA Finals.

TNT's coverage of the 2008 NBA Playoffs was strong in audience delivery, with the playoff averages showing year-over-year growth among households (+15%), viewers (+14%), adults 18-34 (+25%), adults 18-49 (+22%), adults 25-54 (+24%), men 18-34 (+30%), women 18-34 (+5%), men 18-49 (+23%) and men 25-54 (+22%).

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Damien Wilkins

Damien Lamont Wilkins (born January 11, 1980 in Washington, North Carolina) is an American professional basketball player currently with the Oklahoma City Thunder of the NBA. He attended Dr. Phillips High School in Orlando, Florida and then enrolled at North Carolina State University. After two years at NCSU he transferred to the University of Georgia. He is the son of retired 13-year NBA veteran Gerald Wilkins and nephew of nine-time NBA All-Star Dominique Wilkins.

After a quick and promising start to his NCAA career at North Carolina State, Wilkins entered the 2001 NBA Draft but decided to withdraw and transfer to Georgia. There, he had two solid but unspectacular seasons and went undrafted in 2004. A renewed diligence in the weight room helped Wilkins have a big summer league and shine in preseason action for the Sonics, allowing him to make the team. After biding his time and working after practice, Wilkins got his shot in late March of his rookie season and came through, scoring a career-high 21 points, including a few game-saving baskets, at Portland on March 24, 2005. Wilkins would start seven games the rest of the way as the Sonics battled injuries. He proved himself in the 2005 Playoffs when injuries struck again, finishing with 15 points, six rebounds and five steals in the Sonics' Game 4 win over San Antonio. A restricted free agent in the summer of 2005, Wilkins received an offer from the Minnesota Timberwolves in August 2005, which the Sonics matched within 7 days.

In the 2007 season, the departure of Rashard Lewis and Ray Allen gave way to start Damien Wilkins. On November 16, 2007 he scored a career-high 41 points and grabbed 9 rebounds in a game against the Atlanta Hawks.

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2007–08 Orlando Magic season

The 2007-08 Orlando Magic season was their 19th season in the National Basketball Association.

Billy Donovan was signed as head coach of the Magic on June 1, to replace recently fired Magic head coach Brian Hill. One day later however, Donovan had second thoughts about becoming head coach of the Magic, and wished to be released from his contract to return to his former team, the Florida Gators Men's basketball team. On June 5, the Magic released Donovan from his 5-year contract, under the condition that he would not be allowed to sign as head coach of another NBA team for five years. One day later, the Magic signed Stan Van Gundy as head coach.

The Magic made a splash in the free agent market by acquiring small forward Rashard Lewis on July 11. Lewis was re-signed to the Seattle SuperSonics for a six-year league maximum contract, then promptly traded to the Magic in a "sign and trade" for a second-round pick in the 2008 NBA Draft. The Sonics earned a mid-level salary cap exemption in the trade..

Then the Magic filled in a need and went after a big man after losing Darko Milicic, and signed Center Adonal Foyle who played for the Golden State Warriors and leads the Warriors in most blocks in team history.

The Magic also signed Polish center Marcin Gortat on July 17. They had acquired his NBA rights from the Phoenix Suns following the 2005 NBA Draft.

The Magic got final approval for a new arena on July 26, 2007. It is expected to be completed in time for the 2010-11 NBA season.

Point guard Jameer Nelson's father, Floyd "Pete" Nelson, disappeared on August 30, and was found dead in the Delaware River in Wilmington, Delaware, on September 2. A Chester, Pennsylvania, tugboat repairman by trade, the elder Nelson's death was ruled an accident.

Orlando's selections from the 2007 NBA Draft in New York, New York.

The Magic have been involved in the following transactions during the 2007-08 season.

In November 2007 the Magic traded Trevor Ariza to the Los Angeles Lakers for Maurice Evans and Brian Cook.

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Sam Presti

Sam Presti (born c. 1977 in Concord, Massachusetts) is an American basketball executive. Since June 7, 2007, he is the General Manager of the Oklahoma City Thunder, the team formerly known as the Seattle SuperSonics. Presti previously served as an assistant general manager to R. C. Buford for the San Antonio Spurs. He is credited with encouraging the Spurs to draft point guard Tony Parker in 2001. As GM of the Sonics he traded multiple time All-Star Ray Allen to the Boston Celtics, where he helped win the NBA title in 2008, in exchange for the draft rights to Jeff Green, who struggled in his rookie season alongside Kevin Durant. He also traded All-Star Rashard Lewis for what eventually became low first round picks to facilitate a planned rebuilding plan. He also hired P.J. Carelismo. as Head Coach. Following these moves his record as GM after his first season in charge is 20-62 with no playoffs appearance.

Presti graduated in 2000 with a bachelor’s degree in communications, politics and law from Emerson College in Boston. He's an accomplished drummer whose CDs benefited a children's hospital. Presti once took six charging fouls in one Division III basketball game. A former college professor of his calls him the hardest-working student he's had in 38 years as an educator.

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Rashard Lewis

Rashard Quovon Lewis (born August 8, 1979 in Pineville, Louisiana) is an American professional basketball player, currently with the NBA's Orlando Magic as a power forward and occasionally small forward.

Lewis was a highly touted prep player from Alief Elsik High School in Houston, Texas and also attended Killough Middle School.

Lewis bypassed college and opted for the 1998 NBA Draft, wherein he was selected by the Seattle SuperSonics with the third pick of the second round (32nd overall). At the time of his selection, he was the last player remaining in the "green room", where 15 of the top draft prospects sit until their selection. His hometown's team, the Houston Rockets, declined to select Lewis with any of their three first-round picks and instead chose Michael Dickerson, Mirsad Türkcan and Bryce Drew, much to the disappointment of Lewis and a large majority of Rockets fans.

He has since had a solid career as a forward including two All-Star berths - in the 2004-2005 season and in the 2008-2009 season. In 2001, Lewis was selected to play for the USA in the Goodwill Games in which they won the gold medal. On October 31, 2003, Lewis scored 50 points to pass Clyde Drexler (41 points) for the most points scored in a single game while playing in Japan. Lewis holds the SuperSonics' record for most three-pointers made, having passed Dale Ellis for second place on November 22, 2005 and Gary Payton for first place on March 13, 2007, when Lewis made his 918th three-pointer in the first quarter of a game against the Detroit Pistons.

After playing his first nine seasons for the Seattle SuperSonics, Lewis joined the Orlando Magic, having agreed to a six-year sign-and-trade deal worth $118 million on July 11, 2007.On May 25, he had opted out of the last two years of the 7-year, $60 million deal he signed before the 2003-04 season. The final two years of his contract were worth a guaranteed $21 million.

In his first season with the Orlando Magic, Lewis was moved into the power forward position instead of his usual small forward positions. His three point shooting was not affected with his change in position though as he scored 53 more 3 pointers than he had ever scored in his career.

Rashard was just as crucial in the playoffs for the Magic, where they got to the second round of the playoffs, including a 33 point performance in their only win against the Detroit Pistons. Rashard finished the play off run as the Magic’s top scorer in the playoffs and also claiming his highest numbers in points, rebounds and assists.

Rashard started the season brilliantly as the the teams second top scorer and for his excellent play Rashard was rewarded with only his second appearance in the 2009 All-Star and will join team mates Jameer Nelson and Dwight Howard.

Over his 10-year career, he holds an average of 16.8 points per game, with his career high of 22.4 points per game coming in 2006-07.

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