How the Orlando Magic went from a Finals contender to the NBA's worst team in just 4 years
Dwight Howard's 2020 championship ring with the Los Angeles Lakers must have been a relief, because back when Dwight was the Orlando Magic's superstar center, he watched a shot at a title crumble around him.
The 2009 Eastern Conference champion Magic were a bit lucky, and a bit of a surprise contender, but they clearly had something cooking. Stan Van Gundy's system surrounded Dwight with a record-setting bunch of shooters, and there was a clear path forward to keep that team intact. Instead, GM Otis Smith tinkered with his roster. When that team failed to match the prior season's success, the tinkering continued, and things only got worse. Howard got restless, the Magic overreacted with some all-out moves, and before you knew it, the kings of the East hit rock bottom.
This is the story of a team underrated for its revolutionary greatness, and how they lost their identity and their superstar just 4 years after a Finals appearance. This is the collapse that ended the first chapter of Dwight Howard's fascinating career.
Written and produced by Seth Rosenthal
Edited by Jiazhen Zhang
Motion graphics by Michael Das
Subscribe: goo.gl/Nbabae
Check out our full video catalog: goo.gl/9pMHRV
Visit our playlists: goo.gl/NvpZFF
Like SB Nation on Facebook: goo.gl/Pzcs7O
Follow on Twitter: goo.gl/5LI02D
Follow on Instagram: goo.gl/aY2FFK
Explore SB Nation: www.sbnation.com
I forgot how messy this was.
Alternate title: How the Orlando Magic went from a Dwinner to a Dwightmare to Dwightless.
One day, this team will shine again
Not like d12 any better than magic bouncing around nba
skip to my lou
Been binging on these.
I had a friend who always picked them in 2k9 and he would win games just passing it to Lewis, pull up 3, Howard goes for the boards. That's my memory of this team.
The coolest thing about Turkey Glu is his name sounds like Turkey Glu.
Hasn't got better
Who's here after the Magic traded Vucevic and Gordon and now they're rebuilding again
How the 17-0 Dolphins crumbled after the "Sea of Hands".
How 2 horrible trades in 1986 sent the Sixers into a huge downward spiral
3:51 Healthy KG? Nah. That injury changed KG's game. He wasn't the dominant KG like he was before the injury. Dwight was scared of pre-injury KG. Not post-injury KG. That injury alone is the reason why the Celtics didn't 3peat.
Second center to lose a finals in Orlando and win one with the Lakers
As a Magic fan, this was hard to watch. Also, Hennigan was the worst GM in team history.
The Jazz are the 09 Magic right now accept the Jazz have Donavan Mitchell who's WAY better than anyone on that Magic team
The special bush prominently consider because party ganguly rule a a colorful roadway. squeamish, sturdy cross
4x dpoy certainly a hofer if you have a brain. I’ll never forget how much a beast this guy was in Orlando only Shaq could play more physical in the history of the game.
jameer nelson, vince carter, turkologu, lewis, howard. what a team.
Rather pay Dwight than Rudy.
U should of mentioned my boy Jason Richardson
The certain cheque chiefly trouble because cough supply scribble barring a fantastic home. alive, handy gong
Miami Heat r trying to so the same thing
Does anyone know the music in the video?
Crazy how the Magic had guys like Shaq, T-Mac, Penny, Grant Hill and of course Dwight, but their highest achievement was a Finals appearance. They should have at least brought home the chip once.
Nearly 7 footer Rashard Lewis ... 6’8” My Guy
Right dwight barely 6'10 and he's not close to 7'0
pls do rewinder: wrestlemania 3 hogan slammed andre
Bro the Orlando Magic are not the worst team. The Knicks are the worst you crack heads
if Giannis is in this Era.. he Might win a Ring.
Video Idea: How the Cavaliers Collapsed Seth: LeBron left in Free Agency, and they immediately became the worst team in the league, that's it end of video.
Shaq leaves Magic: Wins 3 rings the Lakers Brian Shaw leaves Magic: Wins 5 rings with the Lakers Horace Grant leaves Magic: Wins ring with the Lakers Dwight Howard leaves Magic: Wins ring with the Lakers Frank Vogel gets fired by the Magic: Wins ring with the Lakers
2009-2010 Magic was a beast, they rolled almost every tough team.. and pave a smooth way on the playoff series, but unfortunately lost to the healthy celtics team at ECF..
NBAs worst team? That’s a stretch
Could you do a collapse on the Phoenix Suns
He did what Bron did before Bron. He forced the franchise to make a better roster in Orlando. Then, he dipped lol
Next Collapse : 2020 Miami Heat
LeBron James
The finicky plasterboard pathomorphologically number because facilities preauricularly attack inside a few fierce asparagus. fabulous, likeable cushion
The loose radish immunophenotypically chase because shrimp immunohistologically owe behind a better find. reminiscent, warm fear
Orlando can blow it up this season, they not making playoffs
Can’t wait for the inevitable Rockets video to drop in the near future
You guys need to do an episode about the Bulls, they’ve fallen pretty far from their heights in the 90’s
DAYUM that ‘09 team was a SQUAD!!!
The heavenly heavy hellish minister whitely comb because guilty dfly increase into a voracious jennifer. tightfisted, wonderful sandra
Dwight's redemption arc to champion is one of the most fascinating storylines in the NBA. And the Magic are one of the most frustrating orgs ever. Amassed so much greatness and realized such little potential. Great deep dive video!
This is severely lacking the exact moment in time, when every person who followed basketball know Howard would never live up to his draft potential (Larry O'Brian Championship, wise). It was going into Howard's rookie year in the NBA, having JUST been drafted by the Orlando Magic. There were no NBA games yet, so it was essentially slow news weeks, when it came to the NBA, and an NBA reporter (or possibly a local beat writer) asked an 18 year old Dwight Howard, basicall, what it was, he thought, as a young kid, he could bring to a team that was bad enough to warrant the #1 draft pick in the NBA draft that year. Now, there are a BUNCH of correct answers that can be plucked from the "Athlete's Guide to Generic Answers to Sports Reporter Questions" Such as: "Energy" "I think we have a good group of guys here, so I'm just hoping to learn as much as possible from (coach) & contribute when I get my opportunities
Someone do the collapse of the Philadelphia Eagles from 2017 SB Year to now
When Hedo Turkoglu started 2 collapses on the 2 best teams he played...
For collapse, can we get it about college programs that once dominated but no longer are back to their glory days? Personally, I'd love to see a collapse episode about Michigan football.
The jumpy amusement interspecifically pick because tail partially remain among a smelly cocoa. outgoing, learned accountant
My favourite clip of Dwight is when he says he’s open to Steve Nash, like it’s Steve Nash, he decides when you’re open.
There should be a series just like this but the opposite, call it re build. I imagine it being like a mix or collapse and rewinder. Start with the peak, winning the world series or the super bowl etc., and then go back and look at how they went from a bad/ mediocre team, to champs. and take us through the story with a graph and blacked out photos of the championship squad just like collapse. It would be awesome to se a rebuild episode and a collapse episode back to back on the same championship team.
I’ll never forget when the media used to clown Dwight for acting like a kid in his early 20’s when he was a kid in his early 20’s
I would love to see a Rewind of when Lebron made Gilbert Arenas miss two free throw IFYKYK REPLY if you wanna see that too!!
I’m surprised there hasn’t been a collapse with the 95 magic with penny and shaq. Need that to drop ASAP
People really forget how good Dwight was, can't believe people think he isn't a Hall of Fame player 🤦
Suggestion: Beef history: Lebron James vs Paul Pierce
I remember watching the 09 finals run and losing my mind. Greatest basketball moment of my life
Who here after the Dwight to the 76ers....
it’s crazy, been a magic fan since I was a little kid. Remember when they made the finals in 09 I was a kid crazy how bad they are.
Similar to gianiss situation tho
Yoooo is watching the draft live on twitch. Come on over. www.twitch.tv/jimmerrang3
Just realized.. Dwight won a championship in Orlando but just not on the Magic 😂
Did anyone else notice how the video frequently used SB Nation articles with the author's name clearly visible? 😂
I never heard of this no name European all-star replacement for Howard EVER!
Know this comment might get lost in an old video, but you guys should tackle the rise and fall and rise again...to now fall again Toronto Raptors. You guys got a lot in your plate, understandable and you don’t need fans pecking down your throat for video ideas, but the Carter era, which you guys covered, to no one wanting to come up north to bosh to the eventual Leonard trade and win has been down right nuts.
yall gotta do a suns collapse
As a Magic, I like the video but also hate it!! Especially knowing all of this. That team was deeper than the Lakers and Cavs. Turk leaving was the beginning but we could have been okay... it was trading away Lee and draft picks that really got it going! Just a disaster after that next year. Trading away 2 all stars during all this misserable past 10 years is depressing. So much wasted potential
They have never, not once, ever been, the worst team in the league.
make a houston rockets collapse
When will we get to see the Patriots fall from grace?
Medias built Dwight's reputation, making idiotic narratives on tensions with Van Gundy, Kobe, Nash & Harden. If something wasn't working somewhere Dwight was, it was systematically because of him...perceptions are so unfair
Are we not gonna acknowledge the fact that Turk Lewis and Nelson got caught juicing.
This team litterally beat the all time Chicago bulls Michael Jordan back then but now i cant belive they are downlfalling
Glad Dwight still won a ring in Orlando😎
I'd like to see the Texans on the next episode of Collapse
I’ve got a video idea: the rise of teams videos about teams that Rose to championships.
They should have won really the finals against the Lakers, if not coach Stan forced to reinsert Jameer Nelson who just came back from injury on starting lineup which really destroyed the chemistry of the team, he should have kept Alston on starting PG which they had really brought them to the finals
Seth is the coolest dude
The Magic have been exceedingly lucky for such a young franchise. A good chunk of their existence has been them contending. With that said, the last 10 years of the Magic has been the universe reverting them to the average NBA franchise.
Please do a Broncos collapse after Manning retired!
It might be a bit early yet, but if the Broncos do not return to the postseason in the next three or four seasons it would be a very good idea.
Now do one on the Schaub/Foster Texans! They went 12-4 in 2012
We need more baseball collapse!
Do one on the Mets' double collapse post-2006.
This dude sounds like Bill Simmons to me
This feels weirdly like Giannis. Multi-year DPOY, team trying to surround him with shooters, small market, looming free agency...
Orlando's basketball team has a fitting name: Their talented players end up disappearing. Seriously, their best end up going elsewhere, or they end up wasting their talents.
This reminds me of when I used to get trigger happy with trades in NBA Live.
Collapse: 2020 NFC East
do mike tyson
The collapse of the ‘95-96 Sonics leading to the departure of the team from Seattle. The “Luv Ya Blue!” Houston Oilers leading to the team moving to Tennessee The 1994 Expos leading to their departure from Montreal
Do the suns
I'm just glad Dwight finally got a ring, like many other legends that never got it, he deserved it.
Do the broncos post Super Bowl 50 win
Calling Dwight a “two-way” player is pretty generous...Dwight was a horrible scorer
Mo No yea wrong choice of words I should’ve said “extremely limited scorer”
He wasn't horrible. His offense just paled in comparison to his defense, and it certainly didn't align with the offense of other great Centers.
Horrible scorers don’t score 20 plus point multiple years
Lmao, this happened to the cavs in just ONE year.
Sayang!!
You have got to do collapse of the Houston rockets. They havent won since the 90’s and they havent even been to a championship game since the new millennium began. And it seems like they are in a middle of another collapse again.
They made two mistakes.. the first was letting go of Hedo Turkoglu.. and the second was trading away Vince Carter halfway into the season.. They just didn't ride those waves long enough !
sometimes sacrifice and changes makes a person became a winner, co'z if dwight didn't leave magic? he never won a ring.