“You go all the way back to the start and you can’t begin a Hall of Fame without Pat Williams,” said Anderson, who played for the Magic for 10 seasons.
“He was the leader and the one who made this all possible. He has to be the
first one in (the Hall of Fame).”
The Magic will honor Tracy McGrady, a four-time All-Star and a two-time
NBA scoring champion during his four seasons in Orlando from 2000-04, on
Friday night during the home-opener against the New Orleans Pelicans. The
Magic also announced on
Friday that they will hold
a similar ceremony next
week for Anderson, the
second-leading scorer in
franchise history.
Anderson said he is still
honored today at all of the
respect and support that
the Magic and fans in Central Florida have shown
him since he joined the
team in 1989.
“I didn’t expect any of this,
but it is an honor and a
privilege and I’m thankful
and grateful,” said Anderson, who is a lock to also
be in the Magic’s Hall of
Fame someday. “When I
was drafted, it was to come
down here and play basketball and didn’t expect any Orlando Senior Vice President and Magic co-founder Pat Wilaccolades. But all that has liams, Magic Community Ambassador and the team’s first ever
happened shows me the re- draft pick Nick Anderson and Magic CEO Alex Martins at the
Magic's 25th anniversary tip-off event in the Amway Center.
spect that the fans and organization have given me for
so long. They’ve given me inspiration and drive.”
Martins was also a part of the Magic as the public relations director for the
inaugural squad in 1989. He’s been with the Magic franchise for more than
20 years and said he has his own list of personal favorites who he hopes will
someday be inducted into the Magic Hall of Fame.
“I would imagine someday that someone like (FOX Sports Florida’s) David
Steele would be there as the only voice of the Magic for 25 years,” Martins said.
“It will just be a great place over the course of time for fans who come along
during the next 25 years who didn’t see certain players or coaches and get an
opportunity to recognize the contributions that they made to our team.”
Martins acknowledged that there is a difference between a Hall of Fame induction and the retirement of a player’s number. In its history, Orlando has
only retired the No. 6 jersey as a nod to Magic fans being the team’s Sixth Man.
Martins said the franchise is still considering what numbers for individual
players could be retired in the coming years.
“Jersey retirement for a player is the highest of honors for a player and a franchise,” Martins said. “It’s to celebrate the players, who over the course of time
have made the most impact on the team and the league. That will always be a
consideration and we’ll continue to evaluate who and when we do those kinds
of things. We have a list of criteria that we will always use as the measuring
stick, and we’ll go from there.”
Pictured left to right: CEO of Marriott Vacation Club Steve Weisz, Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs, City of Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and Magic CEO Alex Martins at the Magic’s
tip-off event to announce the new Magic Hall of Fame that will take shape this season. The
event also gave a sneak peek into the Magic’s pregame festivities as the team gets ready for its
home opener (Nov. 1) vs. the New Orleans Pelicans. Photo taken by Gary Bassing.