This story appears in the Nov. 30, 2015, issue of SPORTS ILLUSTRATED. To subscribe, click here.
In mid-September 2007, two weeks before training camp, members of the Magic gathered at the team’s practice facility for a pickup game that was both typical and transformative. Participants included center Dwight Howard, 22 years old and coming off his first All-Star selection, and power forward Tony Battie. A 6'11" journeyman, Battie had finally discovered a home in Orlando's low post, flanking Howard for the better part of three years. The Magic hired a new coach in the summer of ’07, Stan Van Gundy, and acquired a new wing, Rashard Lewis.