Last Updated on July 17, 2024 by Mathew Diekhake
Here’s the timeline of notable events between the Miami Heat and Orlando Magic.
1988: The Miami Heat established the NBA as an expansion team.
1989: The Orlando Magic established the NBA as an expansion team.
1990: The Miami Heat and Orlando Magic join the NBA as expansion teams at the same time.
1995-1996 Season: Shaquille O’Neal was drafted by the Orlando Magic in 1992 and stayed with the franchise until his first contract is up. He then left the Magic for the Los Angeles Lakers in 1996 to join Kobe Bryant and compete for championships.
2003-2004 Season: Shaquille O’Neal was traded to the Miami Heat for Lamar Odom, Caron Butler, and Brian Grant. In 2006, Shaq won a championship with the Heat.
2003-2004 Season: Dwight Howard is drafted by the Orlando Magic. Howard’s rookie season was the first year after Tracy McGrady left the Magic.
2006 NBA Finals: The Miami Heat defeat the Dallas Mavericks in the 2006 NBA Finals. Shaquille O’Neal and Dwyane Wade were cornerstone players for the Heat.
2008-2009 Season: The Orlando Magic make it to the NBA Finals but lose to the Los Angeles Lakers.
2009-2010 Season: Lebron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh are each free agents at once. They planned on teaming up in New York but later decided to form a big 3 in Miami for the team Wade was already playing for, the Miami Heat.
2010-2011 Season: The Miami Heat make it to the NBA Finals but lose to a Dirk Nowitski-led Dallas Mavericks team. Though the big 3 of the Heat were strong, it was their first year together. They would come back stronger the following season.
2011-2012 Season: The Miami Heat defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Finals. The Thunder made it to the Finals because they had Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant, and young James Harden before he left for Houston.
2012-2013 Season: Once teammates on the Sonics Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis join the Miami Heat for another title run. Allen was already playing for the contender Boston Celtics with Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce but was unhappy with contract negotiations. When the Clippers signed Jamal Crawford, Allen chose to join the Heat. The Heat won the NBA Finals after defeating the San Antonio Spurs.
2013-2014 Season: Dwyane Wade’s health is in decline and Lebron decides to go back to Cleveland and play for the Cavaliers again.
2019-2020 Season: The Miami Heat make it to the NBA Finals but lose to the Los Angeles Lakers. The Heat had Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and Goran Dragić as notable players. It was also Tyler Herro’s rookie season.
2021-2022 Season: The Miami Heat and Orlando Magic continue to compete in the regular season. The Heat continued with the Jimmy Butler era while the Magic tried to rebuild. The Magic have a new rookie, Franz Wagner, who they hope will become a star player.
In conclusion, the Miami Heat and Orlando Magic are rivals because they share a state and joined the NBA during the same year. But this rivalry is more friendly than most others.