How Popular were the 90s Orlando Magic? (Shaq & Penny ERA)

[EliteSmarts]

Im 90s baby so I didn't grow up and watch this team but just watched some highlights of 90s Magic and story of how they built their team from drafting Nick Anderson and Dennis Scott, winning the lottery back 2 back and drafting Shaq and trading Webber for Penny picks. Then they're awesome run to the 95 finals by beating Bulls in 6, Reggie Miller Pacers in 7 and then facing the defending champions Rockets in the NBA finals

I know Bulls were most popular team because of Jordan, Pippen in early 90s and then Rodman in the late 90s. Charlotte Hornets were cool with 3 interesting characters in Mugsy, Larry Johnson and Zo Mourning.

But how popular were the Magic? You had 2 superstars in Shaq and Penny, they played in the East so more people could watch them, they were young and flashy team so young people liked them and Shaq and Penny had hella commercials so NBA casuals fans knew them.

To me, I get the vibe Magic from 94-96 were close 2nd to Bulls. Obv Bulls were #1 but I believe young NBA fans liked seeing new upstart with cool jerseys, fun gamestyle and two very makertable players. Also Jordan was retired during that time, so when Jordan wasn't playing I get the vibe Magic were the most popular team in 94/95.

So people who lived through the 90s, how popular were the Magic?

[JimmyPlopper]

Very popular. I had a Shaquille O'Neal hat, Penny Hardaway shoes, and a Penny black pinstripe jersey without having any reason to support Orlando

[My Main Man]

Everyone in my school had the Hornets Starter jacket but we all had Shaq or Penny jerseys on underneath. I only bought 3 jerseys as a kid and Shaq and Penny Magic jerseys were two of them. I also had the white w/ shiny blue and silver Shaq pumps and the Air Pennys.

[Ducklett]

All you need to say is Lil' Penny.

[RoundMoundOfRebound]

[Jersey Generals]

I tell you, if Shaq and Penny were on the Hornets, and Gradmama was on the Magic, I'm not sure Grandmama would have been as big. It's really a toss up between those teams, basically thanks to the players, the pinstripes, and the Starter jacket.

[-Sammy-]

They were my favorite non-Spurs team and the only non-Spurs NBA team I owned gear and posters for. I caught a ton of Texas heat by cheering for them to beat a Texas team in '94.

[Hellcrooner]

the nba did all that was humanly possible in their hands to market the Magic.
Hornets too but in a lower level.
If you went to a sports shop in spain around 1994 you would ONLY find Bulls/magic and hornets merchandise.
Previously you also had Lakers/celtics merchandise on store but dissapeared fast once bird and magic were no more, were explayers, cesed to be active players,berreft of game, joined the hof chore invisible.

[dockingsched]

Lakers fan here who’s first ever favorite player was Penny, first two jerseys I ever owned were Shaq’s 32 and Oenny’s 1. That was my team before there was ever a Kobe or Shaq ever came to LA.

[Fade_awayJ]

[HomoSapien]

They were extremely popular, especially when Jordan was retired. They were young, brash, athletic, had a high-octane fun offense, Little Penny and Shaq were all over TV commercials, Grant's blue goggles were iconic, and those jerseys were dope as hell.

If you weren't alive in the 90s, I'm not sure if it registers how scary they were. It just seemed like a certainty that they would become a dynasty. In all honesty, it still feels remarkable to me that the Bulls were able to sweep them in 96. I've never feared an opponent as much as I feared the Magic. They very easily could have been the team that ended the Bulls championship run at 3.

[Sixersftw]

The magic were wildly popular. The Magic were a new expansion with dope jerseys and 2 absolute stars. Penny had the full force of Nike pushing him and lil Penny and Shaq was literally inescapable in pop culture. Hell, Shaq had multiple movies and albums. I'm not saying they were high art but no one batted an eye at the concept of giving this gargantuan man a motion picture or 3 in his first handful of years in the league.

I'd say the Magic only trailed the bulls in popularity.

[CumberlandPosey]

it was shaq-fu all the way.diesel doing his lil b-boy routine before games was the epitome of 90s ball.worldwide phenom!!!

[Sothron]

I started watching the NBA in 1979 so I definitely remember that team. Those Magic were the most popular team in the league once Jordan retired. The Hornets weren't that far off with great players and gear.

[gavran]

Jordan wore Penny's shoes one game. That's how popular they were.

[rilamann]

The 90's magic were probably the most perfectly constructed team for that that era.

Dominant big man in Shaq. 6'7 PG who could score 20-30 a night, but always kept his teammates involved. I don't know if anyone who either wasn't born or old enough to follow the league at that time will ever realize how good Penny Hardaway was before the injuries. You had your dirty work guy in Horace Grant, didn't complain if he didn't get a ton of shots but could knock down the mid range jumper with consistency. Nick Anderson, really good scorer who played really well off Shaq and Penny. Dennis Scott, automatic 3pt shooter if you left him open and playing with Shaq and Penny, he got a ton of open looks.

They looked unstoppable in the 1995 playoffs until they ran into Hakeem in the Finals, who was in an all-time zone. Goes to show how good Hakeem was.

Then Jordan regained his form in 1995'96 and the Bulls added Rodman. Then Shaq left after the '96 season and Penny got hurt and the potential Magic dynasty got totally derailed really quick.

[somerandomdude]

One of the best things about being a kid in the 90s was Shaq. Larger than life personality, funny guy, amazing player.

[Kurt Heimlich]

When I saw the title I thought, they weren't as popular as Jordan Bulls, but they were a top 3 cool team with the Bulls and Hornets. Then I laughed that the Hornets were in the OP/poll as well. So yeah, top 3 popular team easy. If you were a kid back then you had hats and/or starter jacket of one or more of those 3 teams.

[dhsilv2]

Man, I still remember some of my Penny cards and thinking they were future gold. Hornets I remember feeling like the nba wanted me to be a fan. The magic felt like EVERYONE was just a FAN. And frankly, that team was simply great. Big point guard, dominate big, and filled in with shooters. They were the 76ers we all hoped for lol.

And then Lil Penny was a thing lol.

[trueballer7]

I had some Reebok shoes of him (I believe it was the Shaq Attacks), which I liked very much, and I still remember the song from the cd they gave away with (''shoot, pass, slam''). Pivotal to my emotional development was a quote of his about how he handles a relationship once he gets bored, the great man, wise beyond his years at that time, said ''I fart and burp in front of her, so she gets disgusted by me''. Mind you, I grew up a million miles away from the States, so you can say the 90s Orlando Magic and Shaq were a global phenomenon.