Dwight Howard was on the court 70 minutes before tipoff of the Magic's season opener (Josh Robbins/Orlando Sentinel)
The Orlando Magic’s 2010-11 regular season will begin in about one hour, and Dwight Howard is on the court warming up.
Magic officials asked fans to be in their seats before 7:55 p.m. for the pregame festivities. The team plans to unveil a video on the scoreboard that features many of the franchise’s biggest moments, including Nick Anderson’s steal from Michael Jordan during the 1995 playoffs.
Fans in Section 105 jumped to their feet during a T-shirt giveaway (Josh Robbins/Orlando Sentinel)
About 7,000 fans already have piled into Amway Center this afternoon to watch the Orlando Magic hold an open practice. The team hasn’t hit the floor yet.
Keep in mind that the 7,000 number is a rough estimate. It could be more. It could be less. But perhaps 65 percent of the lower bowl is filled. People also are sitting in the upper deck.
Jameer Nelson and many of his Magic teammates shot baskets on Amway Center's game court for the first time this morning (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)
Just 6½ hours remain until the Orlando Magic play their first preseason game at Amway Center.
The Magic held their shootaround on the new building’s game court this morning, and for many Magic players, it was the first opportunity to shoot baskets on the floor where they’ll play 41 of their regular-season games.
“I found myself just looking around instead of paying attention to shootaround — trying to look at the new arena, looking at the scoreboard and the JumboTron,” Rashard Lewis said, laughing. “But once Stan [Van Gundy] gets to yelling and screaming, then you focus in a little bit more.”
Jameer Nelson hadn’t shot a basket on the new court until this morning.
“Today we were all looking at it out there in shootaround just trying to basically figure out where the heck we were,” Nelson said. “But it will grow on us hopefully.”
As for Van Gundy’s plans for his rotation for tonight’s exhibition against the New Orleans Hornets:
• Tonight’s starting lineup will be Nelson at point guard, Vince Carter at shooting guard, Quentin Richardson at small forward, Lewis at power forward and Dwight Howard at center.
Officials from the city of Orlando, Orange County and the Orlando Magic prepare to cut the ribbon for Amway Center's grand opening Friday morning (Red Huber/Orlando Sentinel)
Amway Center is open.
On a brilliantly sunny morning in downtown Orlando, a crowd of about 2,500 people assembled on the Church Street plaza.
They watched Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, Orange County Mayor Rich Crotty, Magic CEO Bob Vander Weide, Magic President Alex Martins and other dignitaries cut a blue ribbon and officially open the city’s $480 million arena.
“All right, let’s count it down!” the ceremony’s emcee yelled into a microphone. “10! 9! 8! 7! 6! 5! 4! 3! 2! 1!”
Snip. Snip.
Five fireworks shot up into the sky and went “Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!”
Loudspeakers blared Kool & the Gang’s “Celebration.”
The Orlando Magic and Disney announced a partnership on Friday, anointing Disney the official theme park of the team. Disney will be all over the Amway Center — among other team sponsors — most visibly at the arena’s entrance, which will be called the “Disney Atrium.”
Here’s what the team sent about it:
“Through the new agreement, the Orlando Magic and Disney Parks will seek opportunities to work together on outreach initiatives that benefit the community. The agreement also makes Disney Parks the presenting sponsor of the Amway Center atrium, gives Disney and the Orlando Magic the opportunity to develop and sell co-branded merchandise and provides the foundation for a variety of other marketing and community opportunities.”
And here are a couple videos and pictures of today’s media session, which included Magic president Alex Martins and senior vice president of Disney Sports Enterprises Ken Potrock, a man with a very long title. After the jump, there are some pictures and videos from the media session, as well as Dwight Howard and Mickey Mouse hamming it up.
Nikeria Temple, Sean Brown and Zaiyir Smith, from Nap Ford Community School, and Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard test out the plumbing at the new Amway Center in Orlando, Fla. on Wednesday, September 8, 2010. In anticipation of the opening of the new Amway Center, officials held a “Royal Flush.” Local celebrities, including Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard, flushed more than 400 toilets inside the new arena to test the bathrooms to make sure they work. (Gary W. Green/Orlando Sentinel)
Grab a handle and a plunger. It's time to flush all the toilets at Amway Center.
Grab a plunger AND a handle, Orlando Magic fans. It’s time to test the toilets at the Orlando Magic’s new Amway Center home.
In an event billed as the “Drano Royal Flush”, Orlando Magic president Alex Martins, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and students from Nap Ford Elementary school will simultaneously flush 443 toilets at the new arena at 10 a.m., Sept. 8. The team says more than 150 people will be involved in this task of tasks.
Bathroom capacity will be of primary concern for Magic fans, particularly those who’ve grown weary of standing in line to use the loo. The old Amway Arena only feature four men’s and women’s restrooms apiece. Lines were long. Bladders were challenged.
No worries. Amway Center will feature 19 women’s restrooms and 18 men’s restrooms … a change we can all believe in.
Happy flushing.
P.S. If you don’t get the “grab a handle” reference, it’s referring to the Magic’s team motto entering the 2009-2010 season. Let’s hope Otis Smith conjures up something better than “grab a plunger” for 2010-2011.
Kevin Durant, shown here during the 2009-10 regular season, is leading Team USA into the 2010 FIBA World Championship (John Raoux/Associated Press)
The 2010 FIBA World Championship will get under way today in Turkey, with Team USA opening against Croatia.
The tournament takes center stage in this morning’s NBA links.
So does the Denver Nuggets’ ongoing drama. The Nuggets have a new player personnel executive who will face plenty of challenges in the days and weeks ahead.
2. 2010 Worlds: Team USA is gold worthy, ESPN.com, Chris Sheridan
The Buzz: The Americans play their first game in the world championships at noon today.
It appears that Carmelo Anthony's days with the Denver Nuggets will end sooner than later (David Zalubowski/Associated Press)
It looks like the relationship between Carmelo Anthony and the Denver Nuggets is beyond repair.
That’s according to Yahoo! Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski, who writes that Anthony’s representatives have told Nuggets brass to go ahead and trade their client.
Here’s the important part of the story: Denver is looking for young players and draft picks, and it appears that the New Jersey Nets and the Los Angeles Clippers as the “two most probable destinations” for Anthony because the teams have good young players to offer. Wojnarowski also mentions the Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets and the Charlotte Bobcats as possibilities.
Notice that the Orlando Magic were not mentioned as a contender.
Wojnarowski’s piece occupies the second spot in our NBA links for this morning.
Here we go:
1. Single-game tickets for Amway Center preseason opener sold out, Orlando Sentinel, Josh Robbins
The Buzz: The Orlando Magic put tickets to their four home exhibition games on sale to the general public at noon Thursday. The 4,000 available tickets for the Oct. 10 preseason opener at Amway Center sold out by 4:20 p.m.
2. Anthony, Nuggets look ready to part ways, Yahoo! Sports, Adrian Wojnarowski
The Buzz: ” ‘Melo is on the market, and the bidding has begun,” Wojnarowski writes. The author also adds that the Nuggets are looking for young players and draft picks for Anthony.
