Twenty years ago, downtown Orlando was famous for Horace
Grant's goggles and Shaquille O'Neal's shoes. Today, we
have Dwight Howard, and the place where Horace and Shaq once played
(the Magic O'rena) has been demolished to make way for the
new "Creative Village". Now, Orlando anxiously watches as
laptop computers, silicon chips, and miles of high speed cable
replace the goggles and the gargantuan shoes that were once in the
same place.
Construction began on the Magic O'rena in 1987 for the
purposes of providing a large facility for concert events and also
to lure an NBA franchise to Orlando. During that same year, the NBA
announced that Orlando would receive the Orlando Magic franchise,
which has been a source of pride to the community since the very
beginning. Early stars included Shaquille O'Neal, Horace Grant,
Penny Hardaway, and Bo Outlaw. As those stars retired, the Magic
re-loaded with stars like Tracy McGrady, Vince Carter and current
franchise player, Dwight
