Waiting to Exhale

I can still remember the notes my wife Karen hid around the house that led me to my 1988 Christmas present. I had asked for 82 "pieces of paper" that year. A pair of season tickets for the Orlando Magic's inagural season in the NBA (I didn't think to count the preseason games). When I finally found the hidden box, it had 82 pieces of paper in it; strips cut and torn from notebook paper, because the season tickets would not be printed for several more months. Section 227, Row S. Nosebleed to be sure, but I was going to be there when the curtain rose on the NBA in Orlando.

The night of the first preseason game came, and we were there early (anyone who knows me knows that I HAVE to be early to everything). I remember walking down to the floor to see my friend David Steele, who was about to provide the radio play-by-play for the very first game in Magic history. I also ran into another good friend, Bob Gardner, who was lucky enough to be the courtside statistician for Sunshine Network's TV coverage that night.

I was so envious. I had been involved in sports game administration in some form or fashion since I was in high school. This was one of the few times in my life that I would be not be sitting courtside for a sporting event. Reluctantly, I let Karen lead me back up the steps so we could make our way to our upper bowl seats. We wandered around the concourse for a few minutes taking in the atmosphere. As we entered the tunnel to our section, (now) legendary PA Announcer Paul Porter barked, "May I have your attention please." I turned to Karen, laughed, and said in my best PA voice, "Would Tracy Clayton please report to courtside immediately." Not a millisecond later, Paul spoke the words that still bring chills up my spine today - "Would Tracy Clayton please report to the Sunshine Network table courtside."

Honest, those were his exact words. You can't make that kind of stuff up.

I set a new land speed record getting down to the floor. It turns out that one of the statisticians for Sunshine was not going to make the game and they were short one person. I was stunned. I was about to sit courtside for the very first NBA game in Orlando. And then I remebered that this night was about being a fan. This night was about appreciating Jimmy Hewett and Pat Williams and the DuPont family and everyone who had made this night a reality.

So I politely declined, and headed back to my upper bowl seat, wondering the whole time if I had lost my freaking mind. But once the players came out for warmups, and certainly by the opening tap, I realized I had made the right decision. As much as I enjoy being a part of the game, I realized that I also enjoy being a fan from time to time.

And so began my love affair with the Orlando Magic and the NBA. The next season I was hired by the Magic to be David's radio statistician, a gig that would eventually lead to a position in the Magic's IT department where I was still fortunate enough to work game nights. I traveled with the team for the London Games in 1993. I was there for the embarassing sweep by Indiana in the 1994 playoffs. I was there for the first game of the 1995 playoffs when we handed the Boston Celtics the worst lost in the history of their storied franchise (124-77). I personally felt the power of Shaquille O'Neal in that same series when he lost his balance while trying to jump the scorer's table for a loose ball and planted one of his Reebok's into my chest, sending me sprawling onto my back, with him on top of me.

I was there when Nick Anderson made the single greatest play in Magic history - the steal from Michael Jordan in the '95 conference semi-finals that led to a Horace Grant dunk to seal the win in game 1. (As an aside, David Steele's call of that play also goes down as the best radio call I've ever heard.) Magic fans started walking around with a swagger. We, for that moment anyway, were now among the NBA's elite. Our team was headed to the NBA Finals; a Championship banner was imminent; the parade route was being drawn.

And then came the loss that outsiders have used to define this team and the city of Orlando. You know which one I'm talking about. I was there. It was a bad loss, stunningly bad at the time. But I remember thinking a couple of hours after the game that it was no big deal. We'd regroup and get 'em back in game 2. We all know how that storied season ended, and Magic fans have been holding their breath ever since. Waiting for another chance to erase the notion that Orlando is nothing more than a "Mickey Mouse" town and that this franchise will forever be defined by the closing seconds of regulation in game 1.

(For the record, blowing a 20 point first half lead is the reason the Rockets won that game. But that's another blog for another day.)

For the past 14 years Magic fans have often felt how I imagine Cubs fans feel every year. Good teams getting beaten in the playoffs; losing playoff series after having what seemed to be insurmountable leads. Superstars bolting for brigher lights and greener pastures. Magic fans began to wonder if this team would ever regain the mojo that led them to the Finals in 1995.

Suddenly a draft choice we now call Superman, a couple of free agent signings later, and a rookie star-to-be and this Magic team has us wanting to believe again. This team became the first team ever to overcome a 3-2 deficit against the Celtics. This team DISMANTLED the Cleveland Cavaliers. This team was ready to erase 14 years of ghosts against the Los Angeles Lakers. Collectively, we started to think that we didn't need to hold our breath quite so hard. We peeked cautiously out of one eye; we dipped a toe into the water to see if it was safe to jump back in.

And then came the blow out in game 1 last Thursday night in LA, followed by the heartbreaking loss in game 2. 0-for-6. Would this team EVER win a game in the NBA Finals? Would Orlando again be defined by a missed shot? Every Magic fan took another deep breath and asked the basketball gods for just one thing - a home win in this series. A chance for the 17,000+ Magic fans in the Am plus the hundreds of thousands more watching on ABC or listening to the radio to exorcise 14 years of "what-ifs." Just one win. A chance to thank this team for their incredible heart and hustle as well as a chance to thank the hundreds of former players, coaches and staff that laid the groundwork for this season.

I know that I was on pins and needles all day yesterday. The opening tip couldn't come fast enough. I was working the Astros/Cubs game at Minute Maid Park, so I was relegated to following the score on NBA.COM until late in the fourth quater. I rushed to my car as soon as my game duties ended and found the Magic up by 4 with about 3 minutes to play. I don't remember any of the drive home, but I could probably recite Mike Tirico's play by play from memory.

Lakers trail by one, 102-101. I wondered if we'd be able to score to widen the lead? Lewis jumper from 23 feet...YES!

Could we get the defensive stop we needed? Kobe tries to split two defenders; Pietrus steals the ball and is fouled by Kobe...YES!! (Can anyone say, "Nick Anderson stole the ball! Nick Anderson stole the ball from Michael Jordan!")

Could we hit clutch free throws? Pietrus hits the second, and the Magic lead by 4 with 28.7 seconds remaining. Timeout LA...YES!!!

How much time are they going to put back on the clock? The officials huddle around the replay monitor to see how much time should go back on the clock. It looks like no more than two or three tenths of a second. Please let it be less than 0.3...PLEASE! 0.2 says Joe Crawford. All the Lakers can do now is attempt a long pass and a tip-in...Lewis hits the first free throw, and it's over because there's no way LA is going to tip-in a three point shot. YES!!!!! We WIN!!!!!

I was screaming at the radio while the celebration started at Amway Arena. At exactly 11:59 EDT, we could finally exhale. We were no longer the team that had never won a game in the NBA Finals. We were now the team that had handed LA their seventh consecutive NBA Finals road loss. We were the team that had set and NBA Finals record for field goal percentage in a game. We were the team that was within an eyelash of being ahead 2-1 in the series.

Phil Jackson's teams are 42-0 when they win the opening game of a series. So it would not be surprising to the basketball world if the Lakers won the next two games and closed this thing out at the Am. But I'm betting that we're about to see the team that defied the odds against the Celtics and the Cavs. I'm betting that this team can change that stat to read 42-1.

But regardless of the outcome, Magic fans can finally put the past behind them. WE have won a game in the NBA Finals. Breathe easy, Magic fans. This series is just getting started.