Pat Williams ventured up to the platform to address the Orlando media. “I have uplifting news and I have terrible news,” said Williams. “We’re in the pursuit, however we’re path behind.” The possibility of the Orlando Magic was conceived in the open’s heart that morning, yet the excursion had quite recently started.
Pat Williams met Jimmy Hewitt in 1984 when Hewitt heard him talking at a capacity in Tulsa. By unadulterated good fortune, their ways crossed at the First Presbyterian Church in Orlando a year later. Williams, in his eleventh year with the Philadelphia 76ers, had heard thunderings of the potential for a NBA development. While thinking about the chance of leaving his situation as senior supervisor with an end goal to be a piece of something new and energizing, Pat had started thinking about areas in Florida, to be specific Tampa and Miami. At the point when Jimmy heard that Pat was thinking about Tampa or Miami, he stated, “The fate of Florida is here, Bubba.” Pat was questionable, particularly on the grounds that Orlando’s field was still just in its blue print stage. Notwithstanding, he was persuaded by Jimmy and Mayor Bill Frederick that the Arena could be optimized if there was a chance of getting a callings sports group in Orlando. Pat flew from the air terminal with the developing conviction that Orlando may be prepared for the NBA.
All that would need to hold up as Pat Williams was as yet under agreement to run the 76ers in the 1985-1986 season. With Coach Matt Guokas, a name each Magic fan knows about, and an elegant arrangement including Moses Malone, a youthful Charles Barkley, Julius “Dr. J” Erving, and Maurice Cheeks, Williams realized he had a decent possibility at another title run. Tragically, their shot a title finished when Dr. J missed a very late shot against the Milwaukee Bucks in the game 7 of the Semi-Conference Finals. Regardless of the way that the 76ers had the main initially round pick and an extraordinary gathering of players, Williams realized the time had come to move south.
Pat Williams traveled to Orlando and met with Jimmy Hewitt and Tip Lifvendahl, the editorial manager of the Orlando Sentinel. The following morning the primary story broke in the Orlando Sentinel that Pat Williams was turning into the pied flautist for a NBA establishment in Orlando. A couple of days after the fact, Pat called the critical question and answer session at the Expo Center. He declared that Orlando was going to anteroom to join the NBA through the reputed extension. Different groups in the running by then were Charlotte, Minneapolis, and Miami. Pat reported that they would start taking $100-per-year season ticket stores for as long as three years. Tip Lifvendahl came up to Williams a short time later and stated, “Put us down for 100 tickets and a skybox.” The following morning, Jimmy went down to the mail station to check the P.O. Box and thought that it was vacant, aside from a little note that said to address a representative. He moved toward the work area and was advised to hold up a second. The agent vanished, and before long came back with more than 400 letters brimming with vows.
In this manner, this public interview started the principal bit of contention in what might be a long and warmed competition with Miami. Pat Williams was gotten some information about Miami additionally pursuing an establishment and the opposition that may emerge. Williams replied back, “I think we as a whole know the issues Miami has.” The following morning, the Miami Herald ran the story with the feature, “Orlando Enters Chase, Williams Blasts Miami.” Just like that, the contention that Williams alludes to as the “Grapefruit Wall” had started.
One of the most necessary strides in making a games establishment is concocting a name that is illustrative of the city. The Orlando Sentinel ran a challenge, asking individuals from the Central Florida people group to send in their best recommendations. Right around 4,000 distinct names were submitted inside several days. Four finalist names were chosen as finalists: Tropics, Juice, Heat and Magic. “Tropics” was wiped out in light of the fact that it isn’t geologically precise for Orlando. “Juice” was disposed of in light of the fact that the citrus business was having an awful year. “Warmth” was excused in light of the fact that it was regarded to be one of these least embraceable features of living in Florida. Williams moved toward Disney to ensure that there wouldn’t be any contention over the name choice. Disney affirmed and the rest is history.
On July second, 1986, Williams, Hewitt, state Sen. George Stuart, and Mayor Frederick made a trip to New York City to meet with David Stern. As they introduced their store check of $100,000 for the official application correspondents were available to snap pictures. Williams came to despite his good faith and thudded a major pair of Mickey Mouse ears on David Stern’s head. Fast as a whip, Stern evacuated the cap before any photos could be taken. Williams had a subsequent pair pausing and taken advantage of the lucky break once more, this time pictures were taken before David Stern got an opportunity to expel it. Inside hours these shots were printed broadly.
The Orlando Magic had authoritatively placed their cap in the ring. The field was by and large optimized and the residents of Central Florida were humming with fervor about the chance of having their first neighborhood pro athletics establishment. The subsequent stage was making a logo and regalia. Enter Doug Minear. Doug made the famous logo with the words “Orlando Magic” spread over a dark setting with a path of stars behind a ball. At first the hues being utilized were dark and yellow, however they appeared on the least fortunate on a b-ball court and were considered to be excessively like UCF’s dark and gold. The final product was the Magic blue, mercury, and 12 PM dark.
By this point, two additional gatherings had entered the development race: Toronto and Anaheim. Agents from the six urban areas were booked to meet in Phoenix on October nineteenth, 1986 to pitch their cases to the NBA front office and the proprietors of the current groups. The morning after the gathering the board gave and called all the agents into a space for the gathering. It was reported that a development board of trustees was being framed and that it had been concluded that up to three groups would be incorporated. One correspondent, Bob Ryan, later alluded to this as “the most significant non-game occasions throughout the entire existence of the NBA.” Among the excitement, Lewis Schaffel, head supervisor of the Miami Heat considered Orlando a “below average city” and scrutinized the respectability of the ticket include in Orlando. He later apologized, yet the pressure was at that point substantial and a contention was expanding before the groups at any point met at the inside circle.
