The Osceola Magic will open their 2024 NBA G-League Friday at 7 p.m. at Silver Spurs Arena when they host the Austin Spurs.
The first 1000 fans will receive a collector’s edition Osceola Magic souvenir t-shirt.
It will be the first of 24 home games for the Magic as they begin Season No. 2 in Kissimmee, as they hope to build on the success of last year’s inaugural season.
“We’re really excited about our second year at Heritage Park and Silver Spurs Arena,” Osceola Magic President Hans Steinbrenner said. “Being new last year, it started a little slow but you could see the interest and support in the community increase game after game. We’re grateful for the support we received and are looking forward to growing that in Year 2.”
Steinbrenner said that the team’s community outreach program and presence in Osceola County will continue to expand.
“We had a presence at a lot of events and fundraisers last year and will continue to build off of that,” he said. “You are going to see a lot more fan giveaways this season and more cultural specific nights.”
On the court, the Magic were both successful and exciting in 2023-24. The squad posted a 10-6 record in the Winter Showcase and then won the Eastern Division with a 22-12 regular season record. Point guard Mac McClung earned League Most Valuable Player honors, and during NBA All-Star weekend he won his second straight NBA Slam Dunk Championship and was selected for participation in the G-League Futures All-Star game.
McClung, who led the G-League in scoring with 25.7 points and 6.5 assists per game last year, quickly became an Osceola Magic fan favorite. He resigned with Orlando in the off-season and went to camp with the parent club where he earned one of three Two-Way contracts, making him, along with Trevelin Queen, eligible to play up to 50 regular season games for the Magic, in addition to playing in Osceola.
“The ultimate goal and dream for every G-League player is to make it to the NBA. I had options to sign with other clubs during the off-season but I love the Magic organization and the coaches and staff; as well as the philosophy of the organization,” McClung said about his decision to resign with Orlando. “I believe this is the best place for me to pursue that dream.”
The high-flying, high-scoring McClung will have plenty of help offensively as Queen, who averaged 22.3 points per game in Osceola, also returns. Center Chris Walker, a former University of Florida standout, gives Osceola a defensive presence. He averaged almost six rebounds and 1.5 blocked shots in just over 13 minutes per game.
Osceola did lose some scoring punch, including Jett Howard, Daeqwon Plowden, D.J. Wilson and Kevon Harris off a team that averaged a league-high 120.4 points per game. Howard, a 2023 first-round draft pick and some of NBA veteran Juwan Howard, split time between Orland and Osceola last year and has become a regular in Orlando’s NBA rotation.
Wilson elected to play overseas this season, and Plowden and Harris are now with the College Park Seahawks, the Atlanta Hawks G-League affiliate.
But Osceola Coach Dylan Murphy believes his team has already replaced the lost firepower. Swingman Jarrett Culver (Rio Vipers in 2023-24) and guard Ethan Thompson (Mexico City Capitanes, 202324) are 20-point-per game G-League veterans who signed with Osceola. Robert Baker also joins the team after averaging 14.7 points per game with College Park last season.
“The G-League preseason is shorter than I would like it, but I am absolutely excited to get things going Friday night,” Murphy said. “We have some outstanding talent coming back and Kevin (Tiller, Osceola Magic GM) did a great job bringing filling out the roster.
“The hardest part may be juggling playing time for these guys.”
