Orlando made their second addition to the Magic Hall of Fame this season by inducting Jimmy Hewitt, the man largely responsible for landing an NBA team in Central Florida. He joins Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway, who was inducted earlier this year. Other members include Magic legend Nick Anderson, all-time center Shaquille O’Neal, executive Pat Williams, and owner Rich DeVos.
Hewitt was honored during a small ceremony before Wednesday’s game versus the Oklahoma City Thunder, as well as during the game. At the ceremony, he and Williams shared their stories about how the NBA came to Orlando, describing a few chance meetings that eventually led to Hewitt meeting with then-commissioner David Stern, and eventually going on to assemble a group of friends and businessmen to put together the $32.