Orlando Magic · Franchise era 3 of 7
Heart and Hustle: the Orlando Magic story
Franchise era
1996–97—1999–00
Heart and Hustle
Orlando Magic
The story in one sentence
Hardaway fought injuries, and a starless 1999–2000 team overachieved while clearing space for a major summer.
01
Penny's injuries lead to an admired reset
02
Penny Hardaway, Darrell Armstrong and Bo Outlaw gave the era its recognizable core.
03
Its ending created the conditions for the t-mac years.
Timeline
How it unfolded
Before 1996–97
What came before
O'Neal and Hardaway made Orlando an instant phenomenon and reached the 1995 Finals before the partnership ended abruptly.
1997
Eastern Conference First Round: Orlando Magic vs Miami Heat
1999
Eastern Conference First Round: Orlando Magic vs Philadelphia 76ers
After 1999–00
What came next
McGrady became one of basketball's most complete scorers, but Grant Hill's injuries denied Orlando the partnership it envisioned.
The core