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Orlando Magic: 3 reasons they may be cursed

By Luke Duffy

LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA - AUGUST 02: Jonathan Isaac #1 of the Orlando Magic is helped off the court in a wheelchair after an injury against the Sacramento Kings in the second half of a NBA basketball game at HP Field House at ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on August 2, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kim Klement-Pool/Getty Images)
LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA - AUGUST 02: Jonathan Isaac #1 of the Orlando Magic is helped off the court in a wheelchair after an injury against the Sacramento Kings in the second half of a NBA basketball game at HP Field House at ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on August 2, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kim Klement-Pool/Getty Images) /
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Orlando Magic
Orlando Magic Mandatory Credit: Andy Lyons /Allsport /

The Orlando Magic have had their fair share of bad luck since entering the NBA in 1989, to the point where we can now ask: Are they in fact cursed?

Do you believe in curses? The answer to that is probably no, because if you did then you’d also have to believe in all manner of other far more outrageous outcomes. Then again, the last 12 months have done enough to test us all. In the case of the Orlando Magic though, they may be about as “cursed” as a professional sports team can be.

On the surface, however, that’s not quite the case. Rather, if we’re being honest, it could be seen as something of a charmed existence in the 30 plus years since they were allowed entry into the NBA as an expansion franchise. In that time they’ve made the NBA Finals twice, and although they’ve never won a championship, they’ve gotten further than many other, more established, organizations.

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They have also had their fair share of NBA lottery success, getting the first overall pick in 1992, when they were able to select all-time big man Shaquille O’Neal. One year later they were back in the top spot again, despite having the lowest odds to be there. On that occasion, they chose Chris Webber and flipped him immediately for Penny Hardaway, the third pick in that draft.

O’Neal and Hardaway were supposed to be the Magic’s ticket to contention for a decade-plus, but we know now things didn’t go that way. Despite the sad end to their time together, there were still great times ahead with Tracy McGrady. The franchise nearly even got Tim Duncan, and before long were top of the draft lottery again.

On that occasion, they selected Dwight Howard and went on another long period of sustained relevance in the Eastern Conference. He left for the Los Angeles Lakers in 2012, and it has not been an easy ride since. So despite all of this, on the surface level good luck and fortune, is it time to finally acknowledge that there isn’t a more unlucky organization in the league today?

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