The Osceola Magic, back at the Silver Spurs Arena next week after an extended road trip, host Dominican Heritage Day on Thursday, Jan. 29 to continue their tradition of honoring the Hispanic community in Osceola County.
In the last census 56.8% of the Osceola County’s population identified as Hispanic. Almost 4% of the county’s population is of Dominican heritage “We want to embrace all cultures,” Osceola Magic General Manager Kevin Tiller said. “The Dominican community has been very good to us. For us, this is an opportunity to celebrate, merge ethnicities together, and hopefully celebrate a good basketball game.”
Osceola Magic head coach Dylan Murphy added, “The lens of the Magic is an international brand. We understand we have fans from all over the world. Many countries are represented here in Florida and in Central Florida, and so we want to celebrate that, embrace that.”
Osceola has two players of Dominican heritage in Lester Quinones and Justin Minaya, who grew up New York and New Jersey, respectively. Despite not growing up in the Dominican, both players are proud of their heritage and visit the island every summer with family and friends. They also have both played for the Dominican National team at various points in their careers.
“It’s just cool to kind of meet family, though,” Quinones said. “Last summer I met my aunt for the first time in my life. I was 24 at the time.”
Quinones said he’s excited to have his parents coming to see him play on Dominican Heritage Day.
“I will definitely have my family out here, my mom and dad, so they’ll be here to see and experience it,” Quinones remarked.
His parents will even be prouder as Quinones leads the Magic in scoring with 22.2 points per game during the 8-3 start to the regular season. He is shooting the highest percentages of his career in field goals (50%) and 3-pointers (45%).
“We’ve asked him to be more catch-and-shoot oriented, less off the dribble, and he’s done that, and, he’s having the most efficient year of his career right now,” Murphy said. “He’s bought into winning and doing what it takes to win.”
Minaya is averaging 12.2 points and a couple steals per game.
Justin is just a predator on defense,” Murphy said. “There are few guys around who can guard the ball, impact shots, play off the ball, and play passing lanes. “There’s not a tool on the defensive end he doesn’t have. Offensively, he just understands how to play, how to cut, how to move, good catch and shoot, and a good offensive rebounder.”
Basketball was not Minaya’s first love. Like many Dominicans who grew up watching the Red Sox’s David Ortiz, Minaya loved baseball— mainly the New York Mets.
“I grew up playing baseball, and I actually, it was used to my favorite sport,” Minaya said. “ Once I got into my high school, I kind of changed over, but my whole family’s kind of grown up in the baseball culture.
“Basketball, it’s kind of a newer type of thing, but you’re starting to see more players like me, Lester [Quinones], and Karl-Anthony Towns,” Minaya said. “You got a bunch of guys that are Dominican that are starting to make waves in the league as well now.”
Minaya says the Magic seems more focused on the community than other organizations.
“I haven’t played on a team that’s celebrated [heritage] like this,” Minaya said. “I feel very proud to be a part of that. And I know I know there’s a Puerto Rican night and I think the Magic do a great job of kind of celebrating the Spanish culture all around.”
Quinones is not surprised the Magic are embracing the cultures in Osceola County.
“Just seeing how they are do off the court activities and family stuff from the family room to just how they treat people at the games. Quinones said. “This is a great organization to be a part of.”
Dominican Heritage Day is just part of a homestand that will begin Monday and Wednesday against the G League Eastern Division leading Toronto Raptors 905 (record). Tip time, like for Thursday’s Dominican night, is 7 p.m.
The Magic then play three games the following week (Feb. 2, 4, 6) for a stretch of six Spurs games in 12 days before going on another extended road trip to make way for the Silver Spurs Rodeo and Osceola County Fair.
