If you’re a fan of the NBA, then you must’ve heard about Shaquille O’Neal, Grant Hill, Tracy McGrady, and Dwight Howard. Well, do you know what these legends have all in common?
Yes, you’re right, they’ve all played for the Orlando Magic. And even though they weren’t able to lead the Magic to an NBA Championship, they sure did more than enough to put this team on the map and bring fans to their seats.
But do you know where this team plays? If not, then it’s your lucky day, as we’re going to dig deep into the team’s culture, history, and the Amway Center, one of the most beautiful arenas in the Association, and a place that one day hopes to host the NBA Finals again.
Amway Center: The Finest Orlando Arena And Home Of The Orlando Magic
Every team in the National Basketball Association needs a top-notch arena to play in, and the Orlando Magic aren’t the exception to that rule. They have the Amway Center, one of the most iconic buildings in Orlando, and a treat for basketball fans from all over the world.
This arena is also home to the Orlando Predators of the National Arena League, and the Orlando Solar Bears of the ECHL.
It’s located at 400 West Church Street, Orlando, and was originally supposed to be the Orlando Events Center.
This beautiful NBA arena will also host the first round of the 2023 NCAA Tournaments. Hopefully, the Central Florida Knights will make an appearance there to please home fans. But even if Central Florida doesn’t make it, it’s expected to be a huge party at the Orlando Arena.
Also, this beautiful arena, which was built on the same arena site as the old Amway Arena, has a capacity to host 18,846 fans for NBA games; 17,030 fans at a center stage concert; 16,486 fans at an end-stage concert; 20,000 people for NCAA Basketball games; 17,192 for arena football games; and 17,353 people for ice hockey games.
That’s possible because the Amway Center features several retractable sections that permit squared end-zone corners to make room for even more people.
The design of this arena has given people a lot to talk about throughout the years. It features a rooftop sky bar, hospitality spaces, the team store, concession stands, and Gentleman Jack Terrace. It also features a food court and multiple luxury suites.
Also, people outside of the Amway Center will be delighted with its multiple video displays powered by Pixel technology.
It also has 360-degree 1,100 feet LED ring displays surrounding the entire seating bow No wonder why it’s one of the best buildings in Florida and one of the most popular in the Orlando area.
The Orlando Magic isn’t exactly the flashiest franchise in the NBA. They entered the league back in 1989 and are one of the few franchises that have never won an NBA Championship.
That has made plenty of Florida fans turn their attention towards the Miami Heat instead, but ticket prices at Orlando are often cheaper, so there’s another reason to root for this squad.
Even if they haven’t won an NBA championship, the Orlando Magic have won six division championships and two conference titles. So they also know what it’s like to rule the East Side and be the kings of Florida.
Throughout their history, ticket holders have witnessed some of the finest players ever during Magic games. They had a young Shaquille O’Neal when he first entered the league playing alongside Anfernee ‘Penny’ Hardaway.
The Orlando Magic were also the biggest entertainment in Florida sports when they had Tracy McGrady gracing the court, but perhaps no other player made as much of an impact as Dwight Howard in the post-Shaquille O’Neal era.
Howard led the Magic to the NBA Finals but they, unfortunately, lost to the Los Angeles Lakers. Even so, he managed to become one of the most dominant rim protectors in the history of the league, winning three straight Defensive Player of the Year awards.
Since Dwight left the team to try his luck on the west side, other events have taken a toll on the Magic’s ability to compete at the highest level.
And now that they’ve finally embraced a full rebuild by trading away Nikola Vucevic and Aaron Gordon, even the most loyal ticket buyers are having doubts about attending their home games.
But make no mistake, the Magic have gathered plenty of exciting and promising young prospects, so it’s only a matter of time before this becomes one of the most entertaining NBA venues in the nation once again.
Magic President Alex Martins hasn’t always made the best decisions when it comes to personnel, but General Manager John Hammond has shown true commitment to this rebuild and the future looks bright for the youngest team in Florida.
What Happened To The Amway Arena?
The Amway Arena, originally known as Orlando Arena and later as TD Waterhouse Centre, was where the Orlando Magic used to play their games. Just like the new Amway Center, it was located at 600 West Amelia Street, near church street.
This NBA venue opened its doors in 1989 but after the Magic’s fanbase drastically grew, the team pushed the City of Orlando for another new building. Clearly, they had already outgrown the Orlando Arena. Then, Amway Arena closed forever in 2006.
City officials eventually caved into the Magic’s demands in an attempt to draw even more fans to games and take revenue up, an idea the Orlando City Council approved after some deliberation.
Why Is It Called The Amway Center?
Both arenas had always been tied to Amway, as the business was co-founded by the Devos family, who owned the team. Instead, TD Waterhouse bought the naming rights in 1999 for $7.8 million for five years.
Then, in 2006 when the deal expired; Amway got the naming rights for roughly $375,000 a year, or $1.5 million over the next 4 years. That’s a big bargain if you ask me.
Amway got the first right of refusal for the naming rights of the new arena, committing 10-year, $40-million back in 2009. Then, they’ve paid over $4 million per year and their current deal will expire in 2022.
Who paid for the Amway Center In Downtown Orlando?
Following years of negotiations, the City of Orlando, and Orange County eventually reached an agreement for the new arena. The agreement included $480 in the financing, and the Magic would have to commit an additional $114 million in cash and guarantee $100 million of public money in bonds to make the new arena a reality.
Moreover, besides the new Amway Center, the City Council and Orange County have plans to demolish the rest of the Centroplex to open a ‘Creative Village’ complex there. It’s expected to be a performing arts center and sports and entertainment complex featuring digital media companies and help the city’s tough economy. All right there in Church Street.
Therefore, the City of Orlando would take ownership of the Amway Center, while the Magic would be in charge of construction and planning. They hired the Hunt Construction Group, Populous (formerly HOK Sport), and Turner Construction to get the job done.
Magic owner Rich Devos also agreed to pay $1 million per year for 30 years as a part of the team’s lease, and contribute with at least $50 million upfront, and deal with cost overruns throughout Amway Center’s construction.
The City would get paid a part of naming rights and corporate suite sales, while the Magic would get all proceeds from ticket sales for their games.
So, Orlando has way more than just Daytona Beach and Universal Studios. If you’re ver in this beautiful city, don’t ever hesitate to pay this building a visit and watch an Orlando Magic game. You could be witnessing the stars of tomorrow.
Amway Center Seating Chart
Is Amway Center Safe?
The Amway Center is a safe and secure venue, with plenty of visitors attending conferences, events, and late-night meals. Rest assured that you can enjoy your experience without worrying.
Can you bring a purse in Amway?
The Amway center rules do not allow any purses accoring to their bag policy. Guests are allowed to bring one small clutch measuring no larger than 4.5″ x 6.5″ x 1″. Medical and parent bags with a maximum size of 14″ x 14″ x 6″ are allowed, however, they will need to be X-rayed at the designated locations for entry to the Amway Center. You can always contact Amway Center to make find out if there are any new requirements.
