The Orlando Magic officially entered a rebuild during last season’s NBA trade deadline. Orlando dealt Evan Fournier, Aaron Gordon and most notably, All-Star center Nikola Vucevic.
Vucevic is one of eight players for the Magic ever to be selected to the NBA All-Star Game. A two-time All-Star, Vucevic joins Shaquille O’Neal, Anfernee Hardaway, Grant Hill, Tracy McGrady, Dwight Howard, Jameer Nelson and Rashard Lewis.
There are however, several other players for the Magic who played in All-Star games before or after their Orlando tenures. In a two-part series, we look back on some former All-Stars that you might have forgot played for the Magic.
We wrap up the series with the forwards and centers:
Patrick Ewing, C
Tenure with Magic: 2001-02
All-Star Appearances: 11. (1986, 1988-97, New York Knicks)
Overview: The face of the New York Knicks’ franchise for more than a decade, Patrick Ewing was one of the most dominant centers of his era. After 15 years with the Knicks, Ewing concluded his career with one-year stops with the Seattle SuperSonics and ultimately, the Orlando Magic. In his lone season with the Magic, Ewing played in 65 games and made four starts. He averaged six points and four rebounds.
Chris Gatling, F/C
Tenure with Magic: 1999-00
All-Star Appearances: One. (1997, Dallas Mavericks)
Overview: For a player who played for eight teams, many may even forget that Chris Gatling was an All-Star, but that was the case during a 1996-97 season where he spent time with the Dallas Mavericks and New Jersey Nets. Gatling spent less than one season with the Magic as part of the 1999-2000 “Heart and Hustle” team, but he did produce. In 45 games, he averaged 13.3 points and 6.6 rebounds before being traded to the Denver Nuggets.
Juwan Howard, F/C
Tenure with Magic: 2003-04
All-Star Appearances: One. (1996, Washington Bullets)
Overview: After three straight first-round playoff exits, Juwan Howard was signed in the 2003 offseason as a player expected to help take Orlando to the next level. The Magic finished just 21-61 in Howard’s lone season – 2003-04 – but he was hardly to blame. Howard averaged 17 points and a team-high seven rebounds per game. Howard made just one All-Star Game, but had a solid career, playing 19 seasons for eight different franchises.
Shawn Kemp, F/C
Tenure with Magic: 2002-03
All-Star Appearances: Six (1992-96, Seattle SuperSonics; 1997, Cleveland Cavaliers)
Overview: Once the face of a Seattle SuperSonics franchise that was a perennial contender and reached the NBA Finals in 1996, Shawn Kemp was known for superior athleticism and ability to jump out of the gym. Kemp spent his final season in Orlando where he played in 79 games and made 55 starts. Kemp wasn’t nearly as athletic and had put on a couple extra pounds, but his basketball savvy and midrange shot kept him in the lineup. Kemp averaged 6.8 points and 5.7 rebounds with the Magic.
Ben Wallace, F/C
Tenure with Magic: 1999-00
All-Star Appearances: Four (Detroit Pistons, 2003-06)
Overview: Ben Wallace would go on to be one of the NBA’s premier rebounders and interior defenders with the Detroit Pistons, but spent one year with the Magic before making his way to the Motor City. Wallace played in 81 games — all starts — for rookie head coach Doc Rivers during the 1999-2000 season. Wallace averaged just 4.8 points, but led the team with 8.2 rebounds per game and ranked second on the squad with 1.6 blocks per contest. During a five-year stretch with Detroit, Wallace was named NBA Defensive Player of the Year four times.
Dominique Wilkins, F
Tenure with Magic: 1999
All-Star Appearances: Nine (1986-94, Atlanta Hawks)
Overview: Known as “The Human Highlight Reel”, Dominique Wilkins was most of the exciting players and prolific scorers during his prime with the Atlanta Hawks. A one-time scoring champion, Wilkins played for five teams over his final four seasons in the NBA. Sandwiched around two seasons overseas, his stellar career ultimately concluded in Orlando. During the 1998-99 season, Wilkins was signed late in the year and played in 27 games with two starts. He averaged just five points and 2.6 rebounds while shooting just 38% from the field.
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September 30, 2021 at 07:31PM
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All-Stars you may have forgot played for the Magic — Part II: Forwards and centers - Orlando Pinstriped Post
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