Central Florida ’ s Puerto Rican Community welcomes el boricua , CARLOS ARROYO , to the Orlando Magic !
Rican community , and once again , the Hispanic community will give testimony to the fact that we are a market to be reckoned with , when it comes to the almighty dollar .
SPORTS ROOM
Fernando Medina / NBA Photos
Central Florida ’ s Puerto Rican Community welcomes el boricua , CARLOS ARROYO , to the Orlando Magic !
By : Már / Ló
Carlos Arroyo has parted with the Detroit Pistons and joins the Orlando Magic basketball team . This is a little bit of history-in-the-making for the Puerto
What testimony , you ask ? The testimonials will be televised for all to see . I predict that attendance records for the Orlando Magic home-games will soar with the proud Puerto Rican community showing their support in masses at the home games . This is just what Orlando needed , already being deemed by some as “ Little Puerto ” for the large ingestion of Puerto Ricans relocating to this part of Central Florida .
The Magic are getting a point guard already known for his solid playmaking ability , in Arroyo , who is from Fajardo , Puerto Rico . He now becomes the fifth point guard on a 15-man roster , but the Magic ’ s first point guard with that old-fashioned mentality of orchestrating an offense by passing first and scoring second .
“ His greatest asset is , he will run your basketball team as a true point guard ,’’ said Magic Coach Brian Hill . “ He ’ s not a scoring guard . He ’ s not a shooting guard . He ’ s a point guard to run a basketball team .’’
“ We ’ re getting a point guard now who can do things that some of our others don ’ t do ,’’ said Magic Assistant General Manager Otis Smith .
Arroyo , 6 feet 2 and 202 pounds , also is a betterthan-average defender . He led Puerto Rico to a surprising sixth-place finish at the 2004 Summer Olympics and to a third-place finish at the 2003 Olympic qualifying tournament . It beat the USA at the 2002 Pan American Games .
Arroyo , who became the sixth player from Puerto Rico to play in the NBA , is extremely popular in his homeland . The Magic would love for him to be successful here because he could become a big draw at the ticket window with Central Florida ’ s burgeoning Puerto Rican population and , according to a Magic spokesman , the team unexpectedly sold 150 single-game tickets just on the morning of Thursday , February 16 ; Arroyo was drafted by the Magic the previous evening , Wednesday , February 15 !
Yes , it ’ s time we add a little adobo , sazon y sofrito to the Magic ... If only we could get Daddy Yankee to sing the National Anthem at one of the home games .... and have El Gran Combo perform during half time !
1st . Fridays R 4 Networking Socials !
Latin Times Mar Apr to size 21
3 / 9 / 06 , 8:37 AM