Why the Orlando Magic are Unshakable
When LeBron James drained his buzzer-beating three, my immediate thought was, This is a devastating defeat. But upon brief reflection, I believe that the Orlando Magic were not only unfazed by the defeat, but also uniquely suited to weather disappointments. LeBron’s shot was traumatic, but nearly every member of the Magic has already experienced something far worse.
Hedo Turkoglu: Lost to the Lakers in the 2002 Tim Donaghy Memorial Western Conference Finals. No loss is ever going to hurt as badly as Game 7 in that series.
Stan Van Gundy: Forced out of his head coaching position by supposed friend Pat Riley, for a team that eventualy won the NBA title.
Rashard Lewis: At the 1998 NBA Draft, Lewis was the last of the 15 players picked for the “green room” to get chosen, slipping all the way to the second round. Lewis was a high school star in Houston, but the Rockets still passed on him with each of their three first-round picks.
Dwight Howard: Knocked up a team cheerleader; lost the 2009 dunk contest when Nate Robinson teabagged him.
Courtney Lee: Had his face broken by Dwight Howard in practice.
Rafer Alston: Arrested three times, including once for allegedly slashing a man’s neck, even though no evidence of his criminality ever came out.
J.J. Redick: Was the most verbally-abused college basketball player of all time.
Mickaël Piétrus: Played for the Golden State Warriors for five seasons. Enough said.
Hard fouls, chippy play, and even miracle threes are not going to faze these guys. In fact, anything short of a Keyser Söze-style family murder is not going to faze Orlando. They might be outplayed, but they won’t get spooked.
