Voting for the greatest moment in Magic history is still ongoing at OrlandoMagic.com until the end of January. I actaully am planning on doing a greatest moments in team history podcast with fellow Magic history nerd Adam Papageorgiou before the New Year. So look forward to that.
This post is about my vote for the greatest moment in Magic history. That would be 'The Steal' or as David Steele called it on WDBO at the time 'Nick Anderson stole the ball!'
In Game One of the 1995 Eastern Conference Semifinals, the Magic trailed by one point and needed to get the ball back with time winding down. Nick Anderson snuck behind Michael Jordan and tipped the ball away from Jordan to Anfernee Hardaway who fed Horace Grant on the fast break for a one-point lead and an eventual win.
Even though the Magic had homecourt advantage, it was easy to doubt this young team going up against Jordan and teh seasoned Bulls. Especially considering Chicago would go on to win the next three titles and Jordan used the embarrassment of that moment to feed a sweep in the Eastern Conference Finals in 1996.
That is right, Anderson embarrassed Jordan. And Nick Anderson seems to know that too.
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It is a pretty great conversation with Nick and, as you can see, Nick can still shoot the ball. Although I doubt his lateral mobility at this point.
Eller is undergoing a pretty cool project. If you have ever seen the movie, My Date with Drew, he is copying that except more basketball-oriented. He is trying to set up a one-on-one game with the immortal Michael Jordan. In his post about Anderson, Anderson said he would try to set something up for him when Jordan and his Bobcats come to Orlando.
It is a fun project, go ahead and check out Eller's journey over at mevsmj.com.
