NBA player Dwight Howard watches a game between the Atlanta Falcons and Los Angeles Chargers in the second half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Dwight Howard, Tracy McGrady Represent Orlando Magic On Elite List

Originally posted on Orlando Magic on SI
By Don Strouble | Last updated Aug 25, 2025 4:35 PM ET

In the last 25 years, each NBA franchise has had a marquee player(s) gracing its roster at some point. Having talent hasn’t always translated to wins for each team, but there are names deserving of recognition.

The Orlando Magic enjoyed the luxury of both talent and success despite never winning a title. Recently, Bleacher Report added four Magic greats as the Mt. Rushmore faces of the franchise.

The list consists of: C Dwight Howard, SG Tracy McGrady, PG Jameer Nelson and C Nikola Vučević.

“Dwight Howard spent nearly all of his eight years with the Orlando Magic as the NBA's most formidable big man,” it wrote. “His three Defensive Player of the Year awards trail only Rudy Gobert, Dikembe Mutombo and Ben Wallace, and he finished inside the top five of MVP voting four times. He remains the Magic's all-time leader in points, rebounds and blocks.”

Howard is also the only player in NBA history to win the Defensive Player of the Year award three consecutive times.

Next on the list is Tracy McGrady, who spent four seasons in Orlando while averaging 25-plus points during his time with the organization.

“Tracy McGrady's time in Orlando was brief and didn't feature any playoff success,” Bleacher Report added. “He still managed All-NBA honors in all four of his seasons and joined Howard and Penny Hardaway as the sole players in franchise history with multiple first-team nods.”

Dwight Howard may have been the franchise cornerstone of the pre-2010s Magic, but Jameer Nelson played an irreplaceable role as a two-way threat with a winner’s mentality.

“Nobody has played more games wearing a Magic jersey since 2000 than Jameer Nelson. In many ways, Nelson is to Orlando what Udonis Haslem is to Miami, except he played more. The 2009 All-Star is the Magic's all-time leader in assists and ranks fifth in both total points and steals.”

Completing the list is Nikola Vučević, who anchored Orlando’s frontcourt from 2012-2020. Vučević averaged a career-high 24.5 points before a trade sent him to the Chicago Bulls for Wendell Carter Jr.

"Nikola Vučević is the face most synonymous with late 2010s Magic basketball," Bleacher Report added. "McGrady, Howard and Grant Hill are the only other Magic players to make multiple All-Star teams since 2000, and he ranks fifth or better in every counting stat over that span."