Kia’s New Partnership with the NBA is Pure Magic

December 26th, 2023 by

The Amway Center, Orlando’s premier downtown entertainment arena – and home of the National Basketball Association’s Orlando Magic – is going by a new name. Last week, on December 20th, the team officially announced the Amway Center will henceforth be known as the Kia Center. 

The Kia Center is a fairly new arena, having opened in October 2010. It will be the first time in the Magic’s 34-year history that the complex goes by any name other than Amway; their original home venue, the Amway Arena, was built in 1989, and Amway retained naming rights when the team announced their new arena in 2009. 

In addition to the Magic, the Kia Center will host games for the Orlando Predators, a National Arena League team, and the Orlando Solar Bears of the mid-level professional ice hockey league the ECHL. The arena also hosts various concerts throughout the year, with past performers ranging from Van Halen to One Direction.

But the Orlando Magic, one of the rising teams in the NBA, is the centerpiece here for Kia. Read on to learn a bit more about the Magic’s history and why the turnaround they’re currently experiencing might not be an illusion. 

A Magical History Tour 

Between 1988 and 1989, the NBA introduced four expansion franchises: the Charlotte Hornets, Miami Heat, Minnesota Timberwolves and Orlando Magic. To date, the Heat are the only of these four teams to win a championship (actually three of them, thanks to superstars Dwyane Wade and Lebron James). The Magic, however, would win the Eastern conference twice, before losing both NBA Finals appearances. Both of Orlando’s Finals runs were powered by a dominant center: Shaquille O’Neal in 1995 and Dwight Howard in 2009. Coincidentally, both big men would later be traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. 

After trading Howard in 2012, the franchise searched for a new direction to little success. Though they made back-to-back playoff appearances in 2019 and 2020, they were quickly sent home in the first round both times. You could even argue that the franchise’s highlight during this decade was the dunk contest performance put on by star Aaron Gordon in 2016 (which Gordon still lost to the Bulls’ Zach LaVine).  

After finishing the 2020-’21 season with a record of 21-51, the Magic were compensated with the fifth pick in the NBA draft, which they used to select Gonzaga guard Jalen Suggs. The following year, after an even worse 22-60 campaign, they were awarded the draft’s top pick and walked away with Duke star Paulo Banchero. Slowly but surely, the next generation of the Orlando Magic was preparing to take center stage.

The State of the Magic 

Kia has picked an ideal time to get into business with the Orlando Magic, one of the NBA’s most exciting young franchises. After their rebuild began in 2020, Orlando’s ascent has finally, genuinvely begun. One third of the way through the NBA’s regular season, the team sits in fourth place in the Eastern Conference with a record of 17-11 – comfortably ahead of even the most optimistic projections. 

Along with Banchero and Suggs, the Magic’s young core is comprised of forward Franz Wagner (the eighth pick in 2021) and sixth man guard Cole Anthony (pick 15 in 2020). Banchero and Wagner are both averaging over 20 points per game, while Suggs is enjoying the best shooting season of his young career. Most enticingly, all four players are 23 years of age or younger. 

But the difference with this year’s Magic squad might be depth. In addition to their Core Four, Orlando also has Franz’s older brother Mo Wagner coming off their bench, alongside proven veterans such as Gary Harris and Jonathan Isaac. (Though he’s currently injured, the Magic have also taken on a reclamation project in former number one draft pick Markelle Fultz, which has started to pay some dividends.) 

Orlando is still looking up at Boston, Milwaukee, and Philadelphia in the East standings – three teams with championship aspirations and tons of playoff experience between them. In comparison, this Magic team is inexperienced, unproven… and maybe just hungry enough where that won’t make a difference. 

Time will tell whether the Magic are a year ahead of schedule or ready to compete with the heavy hitters immediately. But for the first time in over a decade, being optimistic for the Magic’s future requires no parlor tricks.

Make Your Next Vehicle a Slam Dunk 

Every trip to Jackson Kia is a no-doubt swish thanks to our comprehensive, constantly updated inventory of new and used cars. Get in today to check out the latest Kia vehicles, from the roomy 2024 Seltos to the midsize 2024 Telluride. 

The Orlando Magic may be a few years away from true championship contention, but after four straight first-round exits dating back to 2011, the crystal ball is starting to shine brightly on their future. Meanwhile, you’ll leave Jackson Kia feeling not only like a champion, but like a dynasty is imminent.

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