Board Members: Get-to-Know Thread

[TreyMachine 398]

I talked to CT and it seems like we haven't had one of these in a few years: A Board Member Get-to-Know Thread, where board members can share some fun facts about their real selves and Magic history as much as they desire, understanding and accepting that some people may want to stay anonymous to some level.

I'll share a few standard prompts that can be reused by others (feel free to add / subtract and others can use this as a template if desired):

Name: 

Current Location: 

Industry You Work In: 

The Origin of Your Username: 

How You Became a Fan: 

Favorite All-Time Magic Player: 

Favorite Magic Memory:  

Most Visceral Magic Memory: 

Worst Personal Magic Take: 

Other Interesting Facts: 

 

[TreyMachine 398]

My responses: 

Name: Austin

Current Location:  Orlando

Industry You Work In: Commercial Real Estate 

The Origin of Your User Name: I shot a lot of 3's in high school lol

How You Became a Fan: I moved to Orlando in 1995 from NJ and let's just say the entire area was on fire for the Magic. 

Favorite All-Time Magic Player: Jameer Nelson

Favorite Magic Memory: Watching in person the Hedo-to-Dwight Ally-Oop at the buzzer against the Spurs. 

Most Visceral Magic Memory: Courtney Lee's Missed Layup in Game 1 of 2009 NBA Finals 

Worst Personal Magic Take: We would regret drafting Paolo over Jabari Smith 

Other Interesting Facts: 

- Have 2 young kids - and so excited to turn both of them into big Magic fans
- My wife and I have been on 3 TV Game Shows. Wild times those were. 

[harryfromphilly 75]

5 minutes ago, TreyMachine said:

I talked to CT and it seems like we haven't had one of these in a few years: A Board Member Get-to-Know Thread, where board members can share some fun facts about their real selves and Magic history as much as they desire, understanding and accepting that some people may want to stay anonymous to some level.

I'll share a few standard prompts that can be reused by others (feel free to add subtract and we'll use this as a template for other good new points):

Name: Harry

Current Location: Orlando 

Industry You Work In: Lighting design for stage, film, TV

How You Became a Fan: Grew up in Philly, so as soon as we got an NBA team, transferred my alliegence from the 6'ers  lol

Favorite All-Time Magic Player:   I think that I will; be the only one to say this, but Ronnie Siekley

Favorite Magic Memory:  Finals run

Most Visceral Magic Memory: Shaq leaving

Worst Personal Magic Take: Shaq leaving

Other Interesting Facts:  Once flew my brother down from Philly to show him how a real team works. Sadly we lost that night, lol

 

See Above

[CTMagicUK 1,482]

Sure,

Current Location: England

Industry You Work In: It's boring office work, I'm actually procrastinating from right now but the industry isn't exciting enough to care about (nor is it an industry I'm commited to in any way)

How You Became a Fan: I've been to Orlando on 6 separate occasions for Disney World etc (though I've never been to a Magic game on those trips), on one of those occasions it was, I believe 2009 (March/April time) and I watched a Magic game on TV thought it was fun. Then bought NBA 2K9 on PS3, Dwight Howard was awesome in that game and I always played as the Orlando Magic. I didn't really become a serious fan or anything at that time in a real sense though. 

Then in the early part of 2012 (I'm 17/18 at this point) we got a new TV package that showed NBA basketball and the playoffs were on so I watched a few games. I have vivid memories of watching Heat/Celtics game 2 of the ECF, Rajon Rondo put up this otherworldly 44 point performance, the game went to OT, it was just an awesome game of basketball and that's when I really decided this sport was great. 

But I couldn't in good faith just be a fan of the best team I always hated that stuff (as a kid in England, not anywhere near Manchester, the number of Man Utd fans I knew  infuriated me) so I remembered my 2k9 game and all my trips to Orlando and went with them. 

As it happened it was kind of a weird time to become a Magic fan given they were just about to trade Dwight Howard and get a new front office, new coach etc but I quite liked that to be honest. Felt like starting a show at the beginning of a new series rather than midway through.  

Favorite All-Time Magic Player: This is going to be wild to all you longer time fans but it's Nikola Vucevic. I've been back and watched plenty of games from the Dwight Howard era and even some from earlier than that TMac and Shaq/Penny etc but because I already knew the end of season outcomes I was never invested in those games like I was for teams I witnessed in my fandom. Vuc wasn't the best player. But he was the best we had for a long time and I witnessed all his big moments, 29 boards against Miami, that Pau dunk against the Bulls, those couple of fadeaway game winners he hit etc

Favorite Magic Memory:  Probably the DJ Augustin game winner against Toronto. Although I obviously have a soft spot for the game I saw live in London against (funnily enough) Toronto... Even if that one ended badly (Oladipo made a jumper to take it to OT but we eventually lost). 

Most Visceral Magic Memory: Struggling with this one to be honest. First thing that came to mind is that double over time heartbreaker against the Thunder. KD makes a 3 to tie the game. Oladipo went up the other end and made a step back 3 to give the Magic a 3 point lead, then Westbrook makes that crazy long banked 3 to take it to OT. Then in OT Oladipo makes a 3 to send it into double OT and the Thunder outlast us in that by a couple points. Felt brutal, especially for me who stayed up until like 4am to eventually see us lose. (Side note: we had some crazy fun games with those Thunder teams around that time. There was that fun one we won on the Tobias/Harkless/Oladipo run out in the last second also)

Worst Personal Magic Take: So many, most of my takes about that Hennigan rebuild in the early days of my fandom aged like milk. I thought Elfrid Payton was going to be the next Rajon Rondo at one point (possibly hope based on the memory I described above).

[OnlyFranz 291]

Name: Jaime

Current Location:  Chattanooga, TN

Industry You Work In: Sales Agent/Urban farming

The Origin of Your User Name: My current displeasure with this front office, although I do give them credit for the Paolo and Franz picks.  

How You Became a Fan: I moved to Orlando in 1991 from NY and fell in love with the Magic a little while after. 

Favorite All-Time Magic Player: Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway

Favorite Magic Memory: Watching Tmac and rookie Lebron go at it on Christmas Day in 2003 with the game going into OT, Magic pulled it out with the win too! 

Most Visceral Magic Memory: Courtney Lee's Missed Layup in Game 1 of 2009 NBA Finals 

Worst Personal Magic Take: Convincing myself Elfrid Payton would turn the corner and be the answer to our PG woes. 

Other Interesting Facts: 

- I Have 1 kid he’s 11 and I’m only 35 so at this stage we get to bond over sports- I’m also happy to say he’s a big Magic fan! 

 

[A Better DJ & Photographer 457]

Name: Michael

Current Location: Port St John

Industry You Work In: Wedding/party/event DJ-photographer-videographer

The Origin of Your Username: Part of my company name

How You Became a Fan: I lived in L.A. and knew I would be moving to Florida sometime in the future. Became a fan since day 1 in 1989 and at still have a 1st year jacket. Moved here in '94.

Favorite All-Time Magic Player: Armstrong

Favorite Magic Memory:  Ending the Celtic's unbeaten streak

Most Visceral Magic Memories: Fisher's 3 pointer, drafting Fran, drafting Bamba over SGA or Sexton when we needed a PG, drafting  and keeping EP for way too long, drafting an injured Chuma when there were so many good players that went after him..

Worst Personal Magic Take: 

Other Interesting Facts: I own possibly the largest wedding DJ-photo-video company in the country. We are budget friendly and we've done over 15,000 weddings. We offer big discounts to forum members. I played organized basketball until I was 55. I shot long range 3s much better than free throws LOL. I once got hot and hit 12 in a row in a game, all from half court or more.

[orlandoholic 134]

Current Location: Germany

Industry You Work In:  Social Worker and Couch GM

The Origin of Your Username: I wake up thinking about the Magic and go to sleep thinking Magic lol

How You Became a Fan: I really disliked MJ and Penny Hardaway came into the scene and challenged the Bulls. 

Favorite All-Time Magic Player: Penny Hardaway, T-Mac, Shaq

Favorite Magic Memory:  Magic beating MJ Bulls

Most Visceral Magic Memory: cap hell situation and D12 screwing this franchise (those years were terrible)

 Worst Personal Magic Take: Vucevic is a terrible defender. (at the time i got fooled by EP pretending to be a good defender)

Other Interesting Facts: 

[MagicMan1979 105]

Name: Mark

 Current Location: Lake Mary

Industry You Work In: Healthcare Provider

The Origin of Your Username: Age

How You Became a Fan: Moved to Orlando in 1989  I got to go to a lot of games as a kid  

Favorite All-Time Magic Player: Tracy McGrady and Penny

Favorite Magic Memory:  Nick stealing the ball from MJ.  

Most Visceral Magic Memory: Lewis over Ben Wallace.

Worst Personal Magic Take: Fournier fits better than Dipo lol

 Other Interesting Facts: I’m 44 with 2 kids that I’m getting into watching The NBA. 

[All Eyes On Me 1,210]

Thanks for putting this together Trey! Good to get to know fellow Magic addicts better!

Name: Chris

Current Location: Denver, CO

Industry You Work In: IoT/Structural Health Monitoring

The Origin of Your Username: Jameer’s tattoo across his shoulders. I’m a big Jameer fan.

How You Became a Fan: Born into it in 87. Grew up in the O and lived there 30 years and how could an 8 year old kid not get hooked on the Shaq/Penny Magic making it to the Finals. Been a diehard my entire life.

Favorite All-Time Magic Player: Ugh, how do you pick one. Darrell Armstrong, Jameer Nelson, T-Mac, Penny

Favorite Magic Memory: Not sure how to pick one again, but I think I’m between the Hedo to Dwight alley oop game winner against San Antonio, and the game 1 ECF beating the Cavs in Cleveland and Sweet Lew hitting clutch shot after clutch shot.

Most Visceral Magic Memory: Shaq leaving was my first heartbreak, so I think it’s gotta be that.

Worst Personal Magic Take: It took me way too long to give up on Elfrid Payton, and I might or might not still have his jersey. lol

[fan for too long 2 531]

name: Jeff

location: Orlando since 86. Elsewhere now moved last summer. 

industry: golf business all facets

username origin: the frustration of being a fan of the Magic. 
 

how you became a Magic fan: lifelong Illini fan and had recently moved to Orlando when the Magic became an NBA team and the first draft pick is Illini Nick Anderson. I was hooked. 
 

favorite All time Magic player:  still Nick even though his choke job in the finals crushed me for a while. 

favorite Magic memory: being at the eastern conference finals game and beating Lebron and Cav’s  loudest I’ve ever heard the Arena  Epic!!

Most visceral moment. See above^ 
 

worst Magic take: i don’t think I’ve had one. Lol EP of course. Too bad basketball was not as important as his ridiculous hair when we had him. I’m talking to you AB. 

[Mauro Pedrosa 1,031]

Name: Mauro

Current Location: Lisbon, Portugal

Industry You Work In: Graphic Design

The Origin of Your Username: Take a guess!

How You Became a Fan: I started following the NBA very early for a European kid. Born in 94, so the big stars at the time were Shaq and Kobe. I've always been a bit of a hipster so I didn't want to root for them, the Spurs or the Pistons who were good at the time. Vince Carter became my favorite player and it took me a long time to connect with a team. He was washed and lacked mental fortitude by the time he joined the Magic, but those seasons still felt special in a way.

Favorite All-Time Magic Player: Jonathan Isaac, because VC doesn't really count.

Favorite Magic Memory: Going to Amway for the first time to watch us play the Cavs with LeBron on his second stint. We got demolished but it was still an unbelievable experience. I was just worried he'd get load managed and miss the game. It happened during an action-packed week. I went to Florida to try out for some soccer teams, got to watch a UFC event and took a picture with Ariel Helwani who's also starting to cover the NBA.

Most Visceral Magic Memory: I guess this counts: Aaron Gordon's dunk when he jumped over Stuff. I feel like I don't enjoy dunks as much as most people (I prefer other aspects of basketball like teamwork and shooting) but that one had me jumping out of my couch.

Worst Personal Magic Take: Mario Hezonja. Even writing it down has me feeling some type of way. Had all the tools to be a Jason Richardson / Terrence Ross level player.

Other Interesting Facts: I got to meet a member of this forum in person. Babir, who's also crazy about basketball. I love the way the internet can connect people with similar interests. Also got to meet a buddy from the UFC forum. Oh, and Trae Young's dad played for the team that I support in Portugal (FC Porto).

[jmmagicfan 302]

Name: J Michael

Current Location: Orlando

Industry You Work In:  Property management accounting

The Origin of Your Username: Name

How You Became a Fan: Moved down from New England in 1991, and the only Celtics games I could really find were when they played the Magic, and as a lifelong NBA fan, I got drawn in. Plus there were a couple former Celtics on the team at that point.

Favorite All-Time Magic Player: Hard to pick just one, but going back to those early teams, I probably have to go with Nick Anderson and 3D (Dennis Scott)

Favorite Magic Memory:  Anderson stole the ball! 

Most Visceral Magic Memory: The Magic being up 2-0 over Miami in the first round, and then losing the next 3 to be eliminated in the first round, back when it was best of 5.

Worst Personal Magic Take: probably too many to count, but being happy we kept Bo Outlaw and let Ben Wallace go instead is probably up there on the list.

Other Interesting Facts: favorite teams in order - Orlando, Boston, whoever is playing (hopefully beating) Miami, whoever is playing (hopefully beating) LA Lakers.