10 Greatest Magic Players of All-Time

There has been a lot of talk about the greatest of all-time with this new Jordan documentary, The Last Dance. To me its clear that Jordan is the greatest, but there was one team that ran the East after Jordan's 1st retirement and that team was the Orlando Magic. When I think of the best ever, I like to look at my teams and their greatest. So here is your answer to that. Here are the greatest 10 players in Magic history.

First, the ground rules. The only thing that will be considered is their tenure with the Magic. No counting what Shaq did in LA or what Grant did in Detroit. Only contributions to the Magic will be considered. Additionally, players will be ranked based on their entire body of work and what they brought to the Magic over their respective tenures. Steve Francis for example certainly had one of the top 10 seasons in Magic history, but he was only with the Magic for just over 1 season. The Franchise therefore misses out on this list. Finally, this site likes to celebrate players who do things the right way. Players suspended for steroid use can't be included. Hedo Turkoglu had an amazing career with the Magic spanning 8 seasons, but his positive steroid test in 2013 prohibits his inclusion from this top 10. So who will be included on this list. The Magic have only been around since 1989, but this team has a rich history and has had some great players. Here is the list.

10. Aaron Gordon

Years With the Magic (2014-Present)

How does Aaron Gordon make this list? The active player most associated with the team makes the list for many reasons. Aaron Gordon has become one of the better players in the NBA and one of the absolute best on the defensive end. He is much more than just a slam dunker. Gordon helped end a multi-year playoff drought last year, which at the time was the longest in the Eastern Conference. The forward has averaged 12.7 points per game, 6.4 rebounds per game, nearly a steal per game, and nearly a block per game in his Magic tenure. None of that tells the entire story though. Gordon, who is still only 24 years old, has had at least 14.4 points a game and 7.4 rebounds a game since becoming a full-time starter at age 21. Gordon is young and getting better and could end up much higher on this list in a few years.

9. Dennis Scott

Years With the Magic (1990-1997)

Dennis Scott was with the Magic for 7 seasons before he was eventually traded. He was one of the better players on those great Magic teams in the mid-90s. Scott averaged 14.8 points per game while he was with Orlando. His production did not disappear in the playoffs as he still averaged 13 points per game. Scott only started every game once during his Magic tenure, but he was a great player with the Magic and really filled the role he had. 

8. Jameer Nelson

Years With the Magic (2004-2014)

Jameer Nelson gave 10 glorious seasons to the Magic. He was a large contributing factor on the team that would make the NBA Finals in 2009 and was even an all-star that season. Had he been healthy that NBA Finals, its quite possible the Magic win more than 1 game. With the Magic, Nelson averaged 12.6 points and 5.4 assists per game. He was a solid defender with the Magic as well, tallying one steal per game. He was never the same when he left Orlando, but Nelson was a solid player with the Magic.

7. Nikola Vucevic

Years With the Magic (2012-Present)

Another current player comes in at #7 on the list. The 2019 all-star has really come into his own for this team. During his 8 seasons in Orlando, Vucevic has averaged a double-double. This big man has averaged 17 points and 10.7 rebounds per game for the Magic. His best season was last year, where he averaged 20.8 points and 12 rebounds while being named an all-star. Vucevic played a large part in ending the playoff drought and got paid for doing so. His production continued this year too. Nikola has averaged 19.5 points and 11 rebounds per game so far this season. 

6. Grant Hill

Years With the Magic (2000-2007)

Grant Hill was such a special basketball player. It is a dang shame that his Orlando career and his basketball career was riddled with injuries. He was still special despite the injuries, but man what could have been with Grant. The guy was that good, he could have been the best in the game if he stayed healthy. Hill, was only healthy enough to make the all-star game twice with the Magic, but he had a great impact on the franchise. The forward would average 16.4 points per game with the Magic. Hill also averaged 5 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.1 steals. This guy was a complete player, its a shame that so many won't realize just how good he was.

5. Nick Anderson

Years With the Magic (1989-1999)

Nick Anderson was the first draft pick of the Magic and was an excellent producer for them for 10 seasons. He was never near the best player during his tenure, but he was consistent and he was solid. Anderson was a solid number three on the title contending Magic teams of the mid-90s. We won't talk about those free throws, but other than that, he was great for the team. He averaged 15.4 points per game and helped the team contend. 

4. Tracy McGrady

Years With the Magic (2000-2004)

Had his career with the Magic been longer, McGrady would have a real claim to the number 1 spot on the list. Seriously. During his time with the Magic, McGrady twice led the league in scoring and he was the best player on the Magic. McGrady was an all-star in all 4 of his seasons with the Magic. People wrongly focus on McGrady not having teams that won in the playoffs and not on how great McGrady was. The guy averaged 28.1 points per game with the Magic and 26 points per game in the playoffs. Not just that, McGrady led the league in playoff points per game during the 2001 and 2002 playoffs. It was never McGrady's fault that his teams struggled in the postseason. Had Hill been healthy during his Magic tenure, I have no doubt that McGrady would have been a Finals champ. Again, what could have been. Magic fans just remember the brilliance of Tracy McGrady.

3. Dwight Howard

Years With the Magic (2004-2012)

Don't let his past few seasons fool you, Dwight Howard is one of the best centers of all-time. He was the best center in the game for a period of time while he was with the Magic. The 2009 squad that he carried is arguably the worst roster to ever make an NBA Finals. Don't forget that they made it that far with the second best player (Jameer Nelson) being injured during the playoff run. They also were able to win a game in those finals. Howard made 6 all-star teams while in Orlando. He also averaged a double-double as the Magic center. With Orlando, Howard averaged 18.4 points and 13 rebounds per game.

2. Shaquille O' Neal

Years With the Magic (1992-1996)

You are probably shocked to see Shaw here instead of #1. The person who is #1 on my list just did it for a bit longer, but there is no disputing how great Shaq was. While it was only 4 seasons, Shaq had the Orlando Magic near the top of the basketball world. They quite possibly could have won an NBA title if the Magic would have just paid Shaq. The 1994-1995 scoring champ lead the Magic to an NBA Finals and was simply dominant with the club. He was actually statistically better with the Magic than with the Lakers. Diesel averaged 27.2 points per game with the Magic to go with 12.5 rebounds per game.

And the #1 Player in Orlando Magic history is.....

1. Anfernee Hardaway

Years With the Magic (1993-1999)

To those of you still here, thank you for giving me the chance to make the case for Penny. First, Penny was with the Magic for 6 seasons to Shaq's 4. He was productive for all of those seasons. The Magic made the playoffs for 5 seasons during the Penny and Shaq era. Those 5 seasons were the 5 seasons where Penny Hardaway was healthy. Shaq's rookie season without Penny was not a playoff team. Penny comes and they are title contenders. Shaq leaves and the team is still a playoff team with a healthy Anfernee Hardaway. The guy wasn't as glorified as Shaq, but he was just as special. Hardaway averaged 19 points, 6.3 assists, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.9 steals per game with the Magic. He was a complete basketball player. Hardaway was even better in the playoffs, as he averaged 21.8 points per game in the postseason. This guy would be known as one of the greatest point guards of all-time if he stayed healthy. During his Magic tenure, he was everything the Magic needed and more. He was the best point guard in the game while with the Magic. The Penny era was special for the Magic. Maybe it was the shoes.

- Noland