[1] Several years after local developer and banker Jim Hewitt began promoting the idea of an NBA franchise in Florida, he was awarded the "Orlando Magic".
[2][3][4][5][6] Hewitt's first move was to hire Philadelphia 76ers General Manager Pat Williams; together, the two convinced the NBA to give Orlando, Florida a franchise after local fans made $100 deposits on season-ticket reservations.
[12][13] In the 1989 NBA Expansion Draft, the Magic selected veteran players like Reggie Theus, Terry Catledge, Otis Smith, Jerry Reynolds, Sam Vincent, Sidney Green, Scott Skiles and Mark Acres.
[14][15][16][17][18] The Magic received the eleventh overall pick in the 1989 NBA draft, and selected shooting guard Nick Anderson from the University of Illinois.
[23][24] On November 4, 1989, a sold-out crowd watched the Magic lose, 111–106 to the New Jersey Nets in the first ever game played at the Orlando Arena.