" Why was Matt -- a good coach for an expansion basketball and I knew Matty and I have worked with him as a friend as a player. Until about in Chicago very early in my career that we hired as a broadcaster and assistant coach and a head coach -- the 76ers. I'm you know impeccable pedigree as a basketball man and I also knew that those early years of expansion -- we're going to be tough. You're not going to win a lot of games. Matty was not only familiar his good friend of ours. -- it could still is a great basketball mind and it was one of the best choice is kind of remains."

" You couldn't have a guy who would be on the ledge all day after every loss. You're talking about 64 losses the first season you need a guy who's who's pretty grounded stable knows what this is all about and that was many groups."

" When Justin offer but to come down and talk about it I wanted to move. -- and you know that's it this is tough enough job. When you're in a good situation as far as having. Talent players and winning your fair share games. You gonna take your lumps you don't know for how many years. Normally -- coach shuttle history pretty long anyway but the fact that I knew somebody different people who were here. And the challenge of annoying getting involved with trying to put some again -- kind of said. You know he's going to take your lumps but forget about it just have fun."

" With Matt Duke is in place as head coach that next step was securing players. The majority of the roster would arrive via the NBA expansion draft there was very exciting in the building tonight that. But the named bounce back and forth Minnesota picked he picked the magic facing -- And when you look at the team the magic were able put together from that you thought payment on this team should be able to score some points."

" You think when that first team and if you talk to the guys who played on it. -- ought to chip on their shoulder because they were doing misfits. They were the guys obviously can't. Who were expendable who were thought to be expendable by their teams. And some pretty good players actually. First pick Sidney green Ford played for the New York Knicks kind of the guy you really want to start a franchise where the -- Lucas did rough and tumble guy. Your score -- Reggie fierce rush street Reggie another cast off Sam Vincent. Scott Skiles I mean we can go on and on and these guys that's something to prove."

" For Jacksonville native Otis Smith being selected by Orlando -- the opportunity to play in front of family and friends. It also meant a farewell to his current teammates."

" I was at a wedding of one of the team if we're all my other team -- we're. There's Karl Watson and on the through voting came across so there was -- bittersweet because we were relatively close group of guys. And I was with the regular. Whether it and all of a sudden it. -- failures and off Orlando's close look -- with me."

" So was either Minnesota or to Orlando. And I was praying for Orlando didn't want to go to Minnesota. Unfortunately the magic chose me and you know rest is history Pat Williams also let me know that I will be the answer to a trivia question. Twenty years later which would be who was the first player ever signed Orlando Magic contract and and that was me the NBA's collegiate draft followed on June 27. With the magic selecting Illinois junior nick Anderson with the eleventh --"

" It's important that we picked a player that could play ten years remember. Minnesota went ahead of us who -- who Richardson. Boy had a cup of coffee in the league we play we picked nick who end up anchoring us for a long long time. It was now time for the business of basketball and the challenge for this -- team was events. You know you have guys. Thrown together for the first time not one new player but well. And a young player and a rookie not even his senior Vicki Anderson in my corner influence and you just hope that they would jail where."

" competitive. One of the blue. I -- those -- those people. Nice to -- and their personal time when I was always you know three to says that preclude. It's what Jeff turner always give a hard time about it --"

" The most fun times on had a as a basketball player because. It was it was great because as you move and there's no pecking order there's a group of free agents and large a couple of draft picks. Let's see what we got so every practice was a war. Because guys felt like they had a chance to -- you may not play in one game. Get a chance to play at the end of another game in and our big winner big blow up probably a big blow out. And they were starting the next night because Matty Lucas was just kind of pulling the strings and seeing what he can come out --"

" One of the memorable players on the Orlando Magic expansion team was Terry countless big cat man was one of Orlando's first true celebrity athletes. -- that swashbuckling. Player who was around town people liked him you know Terry's expressions his emotions wasn't that great of a player couldn't jump us but this time off the ground ever could jump. But he was his military where it is double or triple or quadruple pump -- he get the opponent up near he'd open score that you always."

" Call me young fellow young Fella just relax everything will be all right. There's a squad played -- just like any other today so he knows he's a calm guy data kept everybody in place enough. It is not only that he's a funny guy and I just love being around because. -- was like there was no no worries no problems that you just have fun. And that's the way I want to be I knew it was about business when he stepped out on the fourth play beginning but. He had fun every time he stepped on the floor."

" It was a fun team to watch they score a lot of points and they were entertaining I think pat you know -- his feel back background. That's what he wanted to break bring some entertainment. It's supposed to Orlando to the NBA with some with some pretty solid guys due -- character guys."

" Things that missed both his -- on that bus and being in a lot for what those guys. Come from different backgrounds and everybody's saying that we weren't good enough and you know just kind of molded them altogether like in big gumbo."