The 1989-90 season marked the Orlando Magic’s inaugural campaign in the NBA. As an expansion team, the Magic faced the usual struggles typical of a new franchise, finishing the season with a record of 18-64. This performance placed them last in the Central Division and among the bottom teams in the league standings.
Orlando’s roster was a mix of young talent and seasoned players. The team was coached by Matt Guokas, who had the challenging task of molding a cohesive unit from a group of players with limited experience playing together. Standout performances came from Terry Catledge, who led the team in scoring, averaging 19.4 points per game, and Reggie Theus, a veteran guard who added leadership and experience to the backcourt.
The Magic played their home games at the Orlando Arena, also known as the “O-rena,” which quickly became a local focal point for basketball. Despite their struggles on the court, the team managed to build a solid fan base, which was instrumental in setting the foundation for future success. The 1989-90 season was ultimately an essential building block in the franchise’s history, setting the stage for growth and development in the years that followed.
While the inaugural season was challenging in terms of wins and losses, it provided invaluable experience and highlighted areas for improvement. The team’s management used these insights to make strategic decisions in subsequent drafts and trades, shaping the future direction of the franchise.
- Regular Season Record: 18-64
- Playoff Result: Did not make playoffs
Orlando Magic Roster and Stats for 1989-90 Season
| Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% |
| Terry Catledge | 74 | 19.4 | 7.6 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 25.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Reggie Theus | 76 | 18.9 | 2.9 | 5.4 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 24.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Otis Smith | 65 | 13.5 | 4.6 | 2.3 | 1.2 | 0.9 | 25.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Jerry Reynolds | 67 | 12.8 | 4.8 | 2.7 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 7.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Nick Anderson | 81 | 11.5 | 3.9 | 1.5 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 5.9 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Sam Vincent | 63 | 11.2 | 3.1 | 5.6 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 7.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Sidney Green | 73 | 10.4 | 8.1 | 1.4 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 33.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Michael Ansley | 72 | 8.7 | 5.0 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Scott Skiles | 70 | 7.7 | 2.3 | 4.8 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 39.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Morlon Wiley | 40 | 5.7 | 1.3 | 2.8 | 1.1 | 0.1 | 37.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Jeff Turner | 60 | 5.1 | 3.8 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 20.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Mark Acres | 80 | 4.5 | 5.4 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 75.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Dave Corzine | 6 | 3.7 | 3.0 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Jawann Oldham | 3 | 1.3 | 5.0 | 0.0 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
Orlando Magic 1989-90 Regular Season Game Log
Here is the game log for the 1989-90 season for the Orlando Magic.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 04, 1989 | vs. New Jersey Nets | L 111-106 | |
| Nov 06, 1989 | vs. New York Knicks | W 118-110 | |
| Nov 08, 1989 | @ Cleveland Cavaliers | W 117-110 | |
| Nov 10, 1989 | vs. Detroit Pistons | L 125-121 | |
| Nov 11, 1989 | @ Atlanta Hawks | L 148-109 | |
| Nov 13, 1989 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | L 112-104 | |
| Nov 14, 1989 | @ Charlotte Hornets | L 130-116 | |
| Nov 16, 1989 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | L 132-113 | |
| Nov 18, 1989 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | W 116-103 | |
| Nov 21, 1989 | @ Sacramento Kings | W 115-113 | |
| Nov 22, 1989 | @ Utah Jazz | W 119-97 | |
| Nov 24, 1989 | @ Phoenix Suns | L 121-94 | |
| Nov 28, 1989 | vs. Miami Heat | W 104-99 | |
| Nov 30, 1989 | vs. Minnesota Timberwolves | W 103-96 | |
| Dec 01, 1989 | @ Indiana Pacers | L 125-110 | |
| Dec 04, 1989 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | L 121-95 | |
| Dec 06, 1989 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | L 118-110 | |
| Dec 08, 1989 | @ Miami Heat | L 122-114 | |
| Dec 10, 1989 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | W 108-103 | |
| Dec 12, 1989 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | L 106-103 | |
| Dec 14, 1989 | @ Chicago Bulls | L 124-113 | |
| Dec 16, 1989 | @ San Antonio Spurs | L 125-116 | |
| Dec 17, 1989 | @ Houston Rockets | L 109-94 | |
| Dec 20, 1989 | vs. Chicago Bulls | W 110-109 | |
| Dec 22, 1989 | vs. Denver Nuggets | L 137-125 | |
| Dec 23, 1989 | @ Detroit Pistons | L 106-100 | |
| Dec 26, 1989 | @ Indiana Pacers | L 98-90 | |
| Dec 27, 1989 | vs. Indiana Pacers | L 106-101 | |
| Dec 30, 1989 | @ New York Knicks | L 113-107 | |
| Jan 02, 1990 | vs. Detroit Pistons | L 115-113 | |
| Jan 05, 1990 | @ Chicago Bulls | L 127-116 | |
| Jan 06, 1990 | vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | L 123-112 | |
| Jan 08, 1990 | vs. San Antonio Spurs | W 111-102 | |
| Jan 10, 1990 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | L 121-106 | |
| Jan 11, 1990 | @ Denver Nuggets | L 141-105 | |
| Jan 13, 1990 | @ Golden State Warriors | L 138-127 | |
| Jan 17, 1990 | vs. Boston Celtics | L 133-111 | |
| Jan 19, 1990 | vs. New Jersey Nets | W 120-105 | |
| Jan 22, 1990 | vs. Phoenix Suns | L 126-103 | |
| Jan 24, 1990 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | L 125-103 | |
| Jan 25, 1990 | @ New Jersey Nets | W 117-112 | |
| Jan 27, 1990 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | L 114-96 | |
| Jan 30, 1990 | vs. Indiana Pacers | W 129-111 | |
| Feb 01, 1990 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | L 129-111 | |
| Feb 03, 1990 | vs. Los Angeles Clippers | L 113-110 | |
| Feb 06, 1990 | vs. New York Knicks | L 117-110 | |
| Feb 08, 1990 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | W 101-99 | |
| Feb 14, 1990 | vs. Chicago Bulls | W 135-129 | |
| Feb 15, 1990 | @ Atlanta Hawks | L 130-123 | |
| Feb 17, 1990 | @ Dallas Mavericks | L 135-108 | |
| Feb 20, 1990 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | L 117-102 | |
| Feb 21, 1990 | @ Detroit Pistons | L 140-109 | |
| Feb 23, 1990 | @ Cleveland Cavaliers | L 123-96 | |
| Feb 24, 1990 | @ Washington Bullets | L 141-124 | |
| Feb 26, 1990 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | L 129-110 | |
| Feb 27, 1990 | vs. Charlotte Hornets | W 115-109 | |
| Mar 01, 1990 | vs. Sacramento Kings | L 114-100 | |
| Mar 03, 1990 | vs. Washington Bullets | L 132-128 | |
| Mar 06, 1990 | vs. Utah Jazz | L 111-101 | |
| Mar 07, 1990 | @ Miami Heat | L 122-105 | |
| Mar 10, 1990 | @ Los Angeles Clippers | L 112-101 | |
| Mar 12, 1990 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 130-105 | |
| Mar 13, 1990 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | L 142-117 | |
| Mar 16, 1990 | vs. Boston Celtics | L 130-127 | |
| Mar 18, 1990 | vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | L 120-103 | |
| Mar 20, 1990 | @ New York Knicks | W 121-118 | |
| Mar 22, 1990 | vs. Dallas Mavericks | L 116-106 | |
| Mar 24, 1990 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | L 109-101 | |
| Mar 28, 1990 | vs. Miami Heat | L 109-104 | |
| Mar 30, 1990 | @ Washington Bullets | L 143-115 | |
| Apr 01, 1990 | @ Boston Celtics | L 133-125 | |
| Apr 03, 1990 | vs. Golden State Warriors | L 127-126 | |
| Apr 05, 1990 | @ Chicago Bulls | L 111-104 | |
| Apr 06, 1990 | vs. Indiana Pacers | L 123-115 | |
| Apr 08, 1990 | vs. Houston Rockets | L 146-123 | |
| Apr 10, 1990 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | L 130-127 | |
| Apr 13, 1990 | @ Minnesota Timberwolves | L 117-102 | |
| Apr 14, 1990 | @ Detroit Pistons | L 111-107 | |
| Apr 17, 1990 | vs. Washington Bullets | L 129-127 | |
| Apr 18, 1990 | @ Boston Celtics | L 133-112 | |
| Apr 20, 1990 | vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | L 118-104 | |
| Apr 22, 1990 | @ New Jersey Nets | W 110-102 |
