How to Collect | The Orlando Magic

From Shaq to Dwight Howard and Beyond

Just over three and a half decades ago, the NBA went Disney, awarding the city of Orlando with its own franchise. Since then, fans of the Magic have seen an all-time great, Hall of Famers, All-Stars, and elite contenders hit the hardwood.

From Shaq to Dwight and a new exciting era with young stars Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero, the story of the Orlando Magic gives collectors plenty of opportunities to put together a magical team collection. 

Collecting the Magic in 2025

Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner lead a physical Magic team that’s poised to become a major player in the Eastern Conference. The young duo bring an elite combination of size and skill and are surrounded by tough players like Jalen Suggs and recently added sharpshooter Desmond Bane. The recipe is there for a fantastic collection of the 2025 Orlando Magic.

Banchero’s early years in the league suggest the Magic may just have an MVP-level player on their hands. A major piece of the Basketball Hobby already, at only 22 years of age, Banchero’s chase cards in the 2025-26 release include his Comic Court, All Kings, and Flagship Real One Auto cards.

Franz Wagner also has a Flagship Real One Auto, and his base card parallels and variations are among the best of his 2025-26 Topps Basketball offerings.

First-round pick Jase Richardson from Michigan State and high-second-round draftee Noah Penda are the Magic rookies to chase. Both have relic and auto cards to chase. Richardson also appears in Generation Now, No Limit, and New School. Chase his throwback auto card in the 1980/81 Topps Basketball insert. All-Time big man Shaquille O’Neal also appears in this year’s release.

The pieces are in place for Orlando to put the NBA on notice. The future is bright, both on the hardwood and in The Hobby. 

Magic Mount Rushmore

One of the game’s most dominant forces, his playmaking running mate, an elite scoring machine, and a second Superman make up our Mount Rushmore for the Magic.

1992 Topps Stadium Club Beam Team Members Only #21 Shaquille O’Neal RC 

1997 Topps Basketball Rock Stars #RS6 Anfernee Hardaway 

1997 Topps Chrome Basketball #125 Tracy McGrady RC Refractor

2004 Topps Chrome Basketball #166 Dwight Howard RC Gold Refractor /99

Shaq Diesel

While the Magic entered the league in 1989, it’s not unfair to say that the story of the franchise truly began with the top pick of the 1992 NBA Draft. Generational big man Shaquille O’Neal was a no-brainer, and he set the tone from get-go. The 1993 Rookie of the Year, Shaq also finished seventh in MVP voting. A bonafide superstar had arrived in Orlando.

Shaq, both the player and the personality, was larger-than-life in Orlando, sending the Magic into a different stratosphere. Magic gear was suddenly showing up all over the country, and the world, as Shaq brought that cool factor to a franchise in need of an identity. Young, talented, hip — Shaq and the Magic had it all.

While O’Neal was a force in the league from day one, the next year, top prospect Penny Hardaway joined the fold and helped Shaq get the quality guard play needed to go to the next level. The duo was must-watch television, and suddenly, a young contender had emerged to take on the likes of the Bulls and Knicks in the East.

By 1995, Penny was First-Team All-NBA, Shaq was a contender for MVP, and the Magic won 57 games. While the team would lose to a more experienced Houston Rockets team led by Hakeem Olajuwon in the 1995 NBA Finals, the achievement by this youthful duo was remarkable. The next (and last year) of the pairing saw a 60-win season, before a loss to a motivated Michael Jordan who had returned from hiatus to take back his crown.

Shaq remains a major part of the basketball world, and he’s one of the most beloved and recognizable people in America. His place in The Hobby is unquestioned, and while he would go on to win titles elsewhere, capturing the moment of magic between Shaq and Penny is a wonderful way to start a Magic team collection.

A New Duo in Orlando

In 2000, rising star Tracy McGrady and bonafide superstar Grant Hill decided to join forces in Orlando. It was a massive statement of intent for a Magic team that had lost Shaq and Penny. 

McGrady made the leap in Orlando, winning Most Improved Player in his first year with the Magic while finishing sixth in MVP voting. He followed that up with back-to-back scoring titles and fourth-placed MVP campaigns.

The duo could never reach their potential, however, as Grant Hill dealt with injury for years. McGrady remains an important piece of Magic history on the floor and in The Hobby. 

While the pairing never had the chance to click, this 1997 Bowman dual card is a reminder of what may have been, and it’s an intriguing choice for a Magic team collection. A PSA 10 version of the card sold for $384 in February 2025.

Another Superman

A new Superman arrived in Orlando in 2004, when center Dwight Howard was made the top overall pick of the 2004 NBA Draft. By 2008, he was All-NBA First Team, and starting the next year, he won three straight DPOY awards. Playing four-out while centering the offense and defense around the powerful Howard, the Magic upset LeBron James and Cleveland on the way to the 2009 NBA Finals.

While the Magic would lose in six games to Kobe and the Lakers, the team won 59 games (and would do so again the next year). That squad featured many Magic fan favorites, including Hedo Turkoglu and two-time All-Star Rashard Lewis.

Both players can be chased in Topps Chrome offerings from the time. 2009 All-Star Jameer Nelson, who played for Orlando from 2004 to 2014, is another worthy addition to a Magic PC. 

Capturing History Your Way

With Paolo Banchero looking like a future MVP candidate and forming the newest fearsome Magic duo with Franz Wagner, the Magic look set to once again take aim at the Eastern Conference. T

The story of the Orlando Magic is not even three decades old, but it’s one of young stars, generational big men, and unquestioned potential, all providing collectors with a past, present, and future with which to craft a captivating collection.

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