1995–96 Orlando Magic season
| 1995–96 Orlando Magic season | |
|---|---|
Division champions | |
| Head coach | Brian Hill |
| President | Bob Vander Weide |
| General manager | John Gabriel |
| Owner | Richard DeVos |
| Arena | Orlando Arena |
| Results | |
| Record | 60–22 (.732) |
| Place | Division: 1st (Atlantic) Conference: 2nd (Eastern) |
| Playoff finish | Eastern Conference finals (lost to Bulls 0–4) |
Stats at Basketball Reference | |
| Local media | |
| Television | WKCF Sunshine Network |
| Radio | WDBO |
The 1995–96 Orlando Magic season was the seventh season for the Orlando Magic in the National Basketball Association.[1] The Magic were coming off their trip to the 1995 NBA Finals, where they were swept by the 6th–seeded Houston Rockets in a four-game sweep. During the off-season, the team signed free agent Jon Koncak,[2][3] and signed Joe Wolf during the first month of the regular season; Wolf was previously released by the Charlotte Hornets.[4]
The Magic started the regular season without Shaquille O'Neal, who missed the first 22 games due to a preseason thumb injury.[5][6][7] Penny Hardaway stepped up in O'Neal's absence, and was named the Player of the Month for November,[8] as the team got off to a 13–2 start to the season. The Magic posted a seven-game winning streak between December and January, and later on held a 34–14 record at the All-Star break.[9] At mid-season, the team traded Jeff Turner to the expansion Vancouver Grizzlies in exchange for Kenny Gattison; however, Gattison never played for the Magic, due to arm and neck injuries he sustained with the Grizzlies.[10][11][12] The Magic posted another seven-game winning streak between February and March, and won their second consecutive Atlantic Division title with a franchise-best 60–22 record, earning the second seed in the Eastern Conference.[13]
O'Neal averaged 26.6 points, 11.0 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game in 54 games, and was named to the All-NBA Third Team, while Hardaway averaged 21.7 points, 7.1 assists and 2.0 steals per game, and was named to the All-NBA First Team, and three-point specialist Dennis Scott contributed 17.5 points per game, and led the league with 267 three-point field goals, a single-season record since broken by Stephen Curry. In addition, Nick Anderson provided the team with 14.7 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.6 steals per game, and contributed 168 three-point field goals, while Horace Grant provided with 13.4 points and 9.2 rebounds per game, and was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team. Off the bench, Brian Shaw contributed 6.6 points and 4.5 assists per game, while Donald Royal provided with 5.3 points per game, Wolf averaged 4.6 points and 2.9 rebounds per game, Anthony Bowie contributed 4.2 points per game, and Koncak provided with 3.0 points and 4.1 rebounds per game.[14]
During the NBA All-Star weekend at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, O'Neal and Hardaway were both selected for the 1996 NBA All-Star Game, as members of the Eastern Conference All-Star team.[15][16][17] O'Neal led the East with 25 points, 10 rebounds and 2 blocks as they defeated the Western Conference, 129–118; however, despite having the best performance, Michael Jordan, who scored 20 points in 22 minutes, was named the NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player, which drew controversy and boos from the fans at the Alamodome.[18][19][17] Meanwhile, Scott participated in the NBA Three-Point Shootout for the second time,[20][21] and second-year guard Darrell Armstrong participated in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest.[20][21]
Hardaway also finished in third place in Most Valuable Player voting, behind Jordan of the Chicago Bulls, and David Robinson of the San Antonio Spurs, while O'Neal finished tied in ninth place;[22][23] Grant finished tied in eighth place in Defensive Player of the Year voting,[23] and Scott finished tied in eighth place in Most Improved Player voting.[23] Two notable highlights for the Magic occurred during the regular season. On April 18, 1996, during a home game against the Atlanta Hawks at the Orlando Arena, Scott set a then-record of 11 three-point field goals in a single game, scoring 35 points and making 11 out of 17 three-point field-goal attempts, as the Magic defeated the Hawks by a score of 119–104.[24][25][26] On February 16, in a home game against the Milwaukee Bucks, O'Neal hit his only career three-pointer at the buzzer to end the first quarter; the Magic defeated the Bucks by a score of 121–91.[27][28][29]
In the Eastern Conference First Round of the 1996 NBA playoffs, the Magic faced off against the 7th–seeded Detroit Pistons, a team that featured All-Star forward Grant Hill, Allan Houston and Otis Thorpe. The Magic won the first two games over the Pistons at home at the Orlando Arena, before winning Game 3 on the road, 101–98 at The Palace of Auburn Hills, thus winning the series in a three-game sweep.[30][31][32]
In the Eastern Conference Semi-finals, the team faced off against the 6th–seeded Hawks, a team that featured Steve Smith, Mookie Blaylock and Grant Long. The Magic won the first three games to take a 3–0 series lead, but then lost Game 4 to the Hawks on the road, 104–99 at the Omni Coliseum.[33][34][35] The Magic won Game 5 over the Hawks at the Orlando Arena, 96–88 to win the series in five games.[36][37][38]
In the Eastern Conference Finals, and for the second consecutive year, the Magic faced off against the top–seeded, and Central Division champion Bulls, who were led by the trio of Jordan, All-Star forward Scottie Pippen, and rebound-specialist Dennis Rodman, and also finished with a then all-time best record of 72–10; the Magic had eliminated the Bulls in the Eastern Conference Semi-finals in the previous year's playoffs. However, Grant suffered an elbow injury in Game 1, in which the Magic lost to the Bulls on the road, 121–83 at the United Center, as he was out for the remainder of the series.[39][40][41] The Magic suffered another painful blow when Anderson suffered a wrist injury in Game 3, in which the team lost at the Orlando Arena, 86–67, as he was also out for the rest of the series.[42][43][44] Without Grant and Anderson, the Magic lost Game 4 to the Bulls at home, 106–101, thus losing the series in a four-game sweep.[45][46][47] Thereby, the Magic became the first team to be eliminated from the NBA playoffs in a sweep for three consecutive seasons since the 1950 Chicago Stags. The Bulls would defeat the Seattle SuperSonics in six games in the 1996 NBA Finals, winning their fourth NBA championship in six years.[48][49][50]
The Magic finished 13th in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 707,168 at the Orlando Arena during the regular season.[14][51] Following the season, O'Neal signed as a free agent with the Los Angeles Lakers after four seasons with the Magic,[52][53][54] while Wolf signed with the Milwaukee Bucks,[55] and Gattison and Bowie were both released to free agency.
One notable incident of the regular season occurred on March 19, 1996, during a home game against the Pistons at the Orlando Arena. With the Magic up by 20 points, Bowie called a timeout with 2.7 seconds left to set up a play, so he could get his first career triple-double. Pistons head coach Doug Collins got upset and viewed this as poor sportsmanship, as he instructed his players off the court to not defend the final play, and then towards the locker room before the game had ended; Collins was fined $5,000 by the league.[56][57][58] Bowie posted his first ever career triple-double of 20 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, as the Magic defeated the Pistons by a score of 113–91.[59]
The Magic would not win another NBA playoff series again until the 2007–08 season.[1]
Draft picks
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | School/Club team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 25 | David Vaughn | PF | Memphis |
Roster
| Players | Coaches | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Head coach
Assistant(s)
Legend
Roster |
Roster Notes
- Power forward Kenny Gattison was acquired by the Magic from the expansion Vancouver Grizzlies in a mid-season trade, but was placed on the injured reserve list due to arm, and neck injuries he sustained with the Grizzlies, and did not play for the Magic.
Regular season
Season standings
| Atlantic Division | W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Div | GP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| y–Orlando Magic | 60 | 22 | .732 | 12.0 | 37–4 | 23–18 | 21–3 | 82 |
| x–New York Knicks | 47 | 35 | .573 | 25.0 | 26–15 | 21–20 | 16–8 | 82 |
| x–Miami Heat | 42 | 40 | .512 | 30.0 | 26–15 | 16–25 | 13–12 | 82 |
| Washington Bullets | 39 | 43 | .476 | 33.0 | 25–16 | 14–27 | 10–14 | 82 |
| Boston Celtics | 33 | 49 | .402 | 39.0 | 18–23 | 15–26 | 12–12 | 82 |
| New Jersey Nets | 30 | 52 | .366 | 42.0 | 20–21 | 10–31 | 8–17 | 82 |
| Philadelphia 76ers | 18 | 64 | .220 | 54.0 | 11–30 | 7–34 | 5–19 | 82 |
| Eastern Conference | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Team | W | L | PCT | GB | GP |
| 1 | z–Chicago Bulls | 72 | 10 | .878 | – | 82 |
| 2 | y–Orlando Magic | 60 | 22 | .732 | 12.0 | 82 |
| 3 | x–Indiana Pacers | 52 | 30 | .634 | 20.0 | 82 |
| 4 | x–Cleveland Cavaliers | 47 | 35 | .573 | 25.0 | 82 |
| 5 | x–New York Knicks | 47 | 35 | .573 | 25.0 | 82 |
| 6 | x–Atlanta Hawks | 46 | 36 | .561 | 26.0 | 82 |
| 7 | x–Detroit Pistons | 46 | 36 | .561 | 26.0 | 82 |
| 8 | x–Miami Heat | 42 | 40 | .512 | 30.0 | 82 |
| 9 | Charlotte Hornets | 41 | 41 | .500 | 31.0 | 82 |
| 10 | Washington Bullets | 39 | 43 | .476 | 33.0 | 82 |
| 11 | Boston Celtics | 33 | 49 | .402 | 39.0 | 82 |
| 12 | New Jersey Nets | 30 | 52 | .366 | 42.0 | 82 |
| 13 | Milwaukee Bucks | 25 | 57 | .305 | 47.0 | 82 |
| 14 | Toronto Raptors | 21 | 61 | .256 | 51.0 | 82 |
| 15 | Philadelphia 76ers | 18 | 64 | .220 | 54.0 | 82 |
Playoffs
The Magic opened up their playoffs campaign on April 26 against the Detroit Pistons, a game they won convincingly 112–92 at home in the Orlando Arena. The Magic would also win Game 2 at home before clinching the series, and a sweep, of the Pistons in Game 3 away from home at the Palace of Auburn Hills.
The second round put the Magic against the Atlanta Hawks. The Magic opened the series with two convincing wins at home, both with scoring margins greater than 20 points. The Magic carried this momentum into Game 3 away from home at the Omni, winning a closer fought match 102–96. The Hawks won Game 4, avoiding the sweep, but the Magic were too strong and won Game 5 at home to clinch the series 4–1.
The Eastern Conference finals saw the Magic face the Chicago Bulls and Michael Jordan, a team they had eliminated in the previous years playoffs. With Horace Grant out with an elbow injury from Game 1, the dominant Chicago Bulls would prove to be too strong for the Orlando this year, sweeping the series 4-0 and denying the Magic consecutive trips to the NBA finals.[45]
| 1996 playoff game log | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
First round: 3–0 (home: 2–0; road: 1–0)
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Conference Semi-finals: 4–1 (home: 3–0; road: 1–1)
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Conference finals: 0–4 (home: 0–2; road: 0–2)
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| 1996 schedule | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Player statistics
Regular season
| Player | POS | GP | GS | MP | REB | AST | STL | BLK | PTS | MPG | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dennis Scott | SF | 82 | 82 | 3,041 | 309 | 243 | 90 | 29 | 1,431 | 37.1 | 3.8 | 3.0 | 1.1 | .4 | 17.5 |
| Penny Hardaway | PG | 82 | 82 | 3,015 | 354 | 582 | 166 | 41 | 1,780 | 36.8 | 4.3 | 7.1 | 2.0 | .5 | 21.7 |
| Nick Anderson | SG | 77 | 77 | 2,717 | 415 | 279 | 121 | 46 | 1,134 | 35.3 | 5.4 | 3.6 | 1.6 | .6 | 14.7 |
| Brian Shaw | PG | 75 | 1 | 1,679 | 224 | 336 | 58 | 11 | 496 | 22.4 | 3.0 | 4.5 | .8 | .1 | 6.6 |
| Anthony Bowie | SG | 74 | 4 | 1,078 | 123 | 105 | 34 | 10 | 308 | 14.6 | 1.7 | 1.4 | .5 | .1 | 4.2 |
| Jon Koncak | PF | 67 | 35 | 1,288 | 272 | 51 | 27 | 44 | 203 | 19.2 | 4.1 | .8 | .4 | .7 | 3.0 |
| Donald Royal | SF | 64 | 7 | 963 | 153 | 42 | 29 | 15 | 337 | 15.0 | 2.4 | .7 | .5 | .2 | 5.3 |
| Horace Grant | PF | 63 | 62 | 2,286 | 580 | 170 | 62 | 74 | 847 | 36.3 | 9.2 | 2.7 | 1.0 | 1.2 | 13.4 |
| Joe Wolf† | PF | 63 | 8 | 1,047 | 185 | 63 | 13 | 5 | 291 | 16.6 | 2.9 | 1.0 | .2 | .1 | 4.6 |
| Shaquille O'Neal | C | 54 | 52 | 1,946 | 596 | 155 | 34 | 115 | 1,434 | 36.0 | 11.0 | 2.9 | .6 | 2.1 | 26.6 |
| David Vaughn III | PF | 33 | 0 | 266 | 80 | 8 | 6 | 15 | 64 | 8.1 | 2.4 | .2 | .2 | .5 | 1.9 |
| Brooks Thompson | PG | 33 | 0 | 246 | 24 | 31 | 12 | 0 | 140 | 7.5 | .7 | .9 | .4 | .0 | 4.2 |
| Jeff Turner | PF | 13 | 0 | 192 | 28 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 47 | 14.8 | 2.2 | .5 | .2 | .1 | 3.6 |
| Darrell Armstrong | PG | 13 | 0 | 41 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 42 | 3.2 | .2 | .4 | .5 | .0 | 3.2 |
| Anthony Bonner | PF | 4 | 0 | 43 | 19 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 13 | 10.8 | 4.8 | 1.0 | .8 | .0 | 3.3 |
| Geert Hammink† | C | 3 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2.3 | 1.0 | .0 | .0 | .0 | 1.3 |
- † Denotes player spent time with another team in the season. Stats reflect time with the Magic only.
Playoffs
| Player | POS | GP | GS | MP | REB | AST | STL | BLK | PTS | MPG | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Penny Hardaway | PG | 12 | 12 | 473 | 56 | 72 | 20 | 4 | 280 | 39.4 | 4.7 | 6.0 | 1.7 | .3 | 23.3 |
| Shaquille O'Neal | C | 12 | 12 | 459 | 120 | 55 | 9 | 15 | 310 | 38.3 | 10.0 | 4.6 | .8 | 1.3 | 25.8 |
| Dennis Scott | SF | 12 | 12 | 446 | 43 | 23 | 9 | 1 | 136 | 37.2 | 3.6 | 1.9 | .8 | .1 | 11.3 |
| Jon Koncak | PF | 12 | 3 | 140 | 23 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 11 | 11.7 | 1.9 | .3 | .4 | .3 | .9 |
| Anthony Bowie | SG | 12 | 1 | 152 | 17 | 14 | 3 | 2 | 30 | 12.7 | 1.4 | 1.2 | .3 | .2 | 2.5 |
| Nick Anderson | SG | 11 | 11 | 418 | 55 | 21 | 21 | 5 | 156 | 38.0 | 5.0 | 1.9 | 1.9 | .5 | 14.2 |
| Joe Wolf | PF | 11 | 0 | 85 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 20 | 7.7 | .5 | .2 | .1 | .0 | 1.8 |
| Brian Shaw | PG | 10 | 0 | 217 | 21 | 46 | 5 | 0 | 47 | 21.7 | 2.1 | 4.6 | .5 | .0 | 4.7 |
| Horace Grant | PF | 9 | 9 | 334 | 94 | 13 | 7 | 6 | 135 | 37.1 | 10.4 | 1.4 | .8 | .7 | 15.0 |
| Donald Royal | SF | 7 | 0 | 92 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 25 | 13.1 | 1.6 | .1 | .0 | .1 | 3.6 |
| Brooks Thompson | PG | 5 | 0 | 48 | 5 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 26 | 9.6 | 1.0 | 1.4 | .0 | .2 | 5.2 |
| Anthony Bonner | PF | 4 | 0 | 16 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4.0 | .5 | .3 | .0 | .0 | .8 |
Awards and honors
- Shaquille O'Neal – All-NBA 3rd team, All-Star
- Penny Hardaway – All-NBA 1st Team, Player of the Month (November), All-Star
- Horace Grant – All-Defensive 2nd Team
- Nick Anderson – Rich and Helen DeVos Community Enrichment Award
League records
During the 1995–96 season, Dennis Scott set the record for most three-point field goals scored in a regular season with 267.
References
- 1 2 "Orlando Magic". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved August 8, 2026.
- ↑ "Koncak Just Might Have O'Neal's Number". The Washington Post. October 7, 1995. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
- ↑ Povtak, Tim (October 3, 1995). "Magic Moves: Koncak In, - Bowie Out?". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved November 10, 2022.
- ↑ "Wolf Is Giving Magic Something to Howl About". Orlando Sentinel. November 22, 1995. Retrieved November 26, 2025.
- ↑ Diaz, George (October 25, 1995). "Shaq Hurts Thumb - May Miss 6 Weeks". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved July 26, 2017.
- ↑ Wilbon, Michael (October 25, 1995). "O'Neal Has an Injury to Thumb". The Washington Post. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
- ↑ Taylor, Phil (December 25, 1995). "He's Back, His Thumb Healed; Orlando's Shaquille O'Neal Returned to Action and Immediately Began Throwing His Weight Around". Sports Illustrated Vault. Archived from the original on September 30, 2020. Retrieved February 1, 2023.
- ↑ "1995-96: Orlando Bullied". NBA.com. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
- ↑ "NBA Games Played on February 8, 1996". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
- ↑ Johnson, L.C. (February 23, 1996). "Magic Deal Turner to Grizzlies". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved October 13, 2021.
- ↑ "Hardaway Heads for the Heat in Trade". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. February 23, 1996. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
- ↑ Romano, John (February 28, 1996). "Strategy Was Bulls' Best Tool". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
- ↑ "1995–96 Orlando Magic Schedule and Results". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
- 1 2 "1995–96 Orlando Magic Roster and Stats". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
- ↑ Heisler, Mark (February 11, 1996). "NBA Has All-Stars in Its Eyes". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
- ↑ "1996 NBA All-Star Recap". NBA.com. NBA.com Staff. September 13, 2021. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
- 1 2 "1996 NBA All-Star Game: East 129, West 118". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved November 27, 2021.
- ↑ Brown, Clifton (February 12, 1996). "PRO BASKETBALL; The East Revolves Around Two Stars". The New York Times. Retrieved September 18, 2025.
- ↑ Heisler, Mark (February 12, 1996). "Jordan Has Time to Spare as MVP of East's Victory". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 18, 2025.
- 1 2 "Pro Basketball". The Gainesville Sun. February 10, 1996. p. 15. Retrieved September 18, 2025.
- 1 2 "NBA & ABA All-Star Game Contest Winners". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved September 18, 2025.
- ↑ "Jordan Named NBA MVP". United Press International. May 20, 1996. Retrieved February 1, 2023.
- 1 2 3 "1995–96 NBA Awards Voting". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved January 6, 2025.
- ↑ "PRO BASKETBALL; Scott Goes On a 3-Pointer Binge as Magic Slows Hawks". The New York Times. Associated Press. April 19, 1996. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
- ↑ Johnson, L.C. (May 8, 1996). "Scott, O'Neal Are Big Game for Hawks". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved October 10, 2022.
- ↑ "Atlanta Hawks at Orlando Magic Box Score, April 18, 1996". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
- ↑ "Magic Ties Home Win Record". The Washington Post. February 17, 1996. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
- ↑ Turner, Tim (February 17, 1996). "O'Neal Puts 3 in His Arsenal". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved July 3, 2021.
- ↑ "Milwaukee Bucks at Orlando Magic Box Score, February 16, 1996". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
- ↑ "N.B.A. PLAYOFFS; Magic Gets First Sweep by Finishing Off Pistons". The New York Times. Associated Press. May 1, 1996. Retrieved June 24, 2021.
- ↑ Atkins, Harry (May 1, 1996). "Magic 101, Pistons 98". Associated Press. Archived from the original on June 4, 2022. Retrieved June 4, 2022.
- ↑ "1996 NBA Eastern Conference First Round: Pistons vs. Magic". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved February 5, 2023.
- ↑ Johnson, L.C. (May 14, 1996). "Bricks and Stones". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved October 10, 2022.
- ↑ "Smith Pours in 35 as Hawks Top Magic". The Spokesman-Review. Associated Press. May 14, 1996. Retrieved February 24, 2023.
- ↑ "1996 NBA Eastern Conference Semifinals Game 4: Orlando Magic at Atlanta Hawks Box Score, May 13, 1996". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
- ↑ Brown, Clifton (May 16, 1996). "NBA PLAYOFFS; Dream Matchup Is Finally Complete". The New York Times. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
- ↑ Goodall, Fred (May 16, 1996). "Magic Ousts Hawks". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 4, 2022.
- ↑ "1996 NBA Eastern Conference Semifinals: Hawks vs. Magic". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved February 5, 2023.
- ↑ Brown, Clifton (May 20, 1996). "NBA PLAYOFFS; Rodman and Bulls Send Magic Up in Smoke". The New York Times. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
- ↑ Smith, Sam (May 23, 1996). "Grant to Disappear From Series With Injury". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved July 3, 2021.
- ↑ "1996 NBA Eastern Conference Finals Game 1: Orlando Magic at Chicago Bulls Box Score, May 19, 1996". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved June 7, 2026.
- ↑ Wise, Mike (May 26, 1996). "N.B.A. PLAYOFFS; Bulls Whip Magic Soundly and Close In on Sweep". The New York Times. Retrieved December 19, 2022.
- ↑ Johnson, L.C. (May 26, 1996). "Chicago 86, Orlando 67". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved December 19, 2022.
- ↑ "1996 NBA Eastern Conference Finals Game 3: Chicago Bulls at Orlando Magic Box Score, May 25, 1996". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved June 7, 2026.
- 1 2 Wise, Mike (May 28, 1996). "N.B.A PLAYOFFS; Jordan Wields the Broom as Bulls Sweep the Magic". The New York Times. Retrieved October 13, 2017.
- ↑ Heisler, Mark (May 28, 1996). "Jordan Knows Tricks to Make Magic Vanish". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 18, 2022.
- ↑ "1996 NBA Eastern Conference Finals: Magic vs. Bulls". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved February 5, 2023.
- ↑ Brown, Clifton (June 17, 1996). "N.B.A. FINALS; After a Few Anxious Days, Jordan and Bulls Get Their Title". The New York Times. Retrieved June 10, 2022.
- ↑ "Bulls Drown Out SuperSonics, 87-75". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. June 17, 1996. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
- ↑ "1996 NBA Finals: SuperSonics vs. Bulls". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved February 5, 2023.
- ↑ "1995–96 NBA Season Summary". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved January 22, 2026.
- ↑ Moran, Malcolm (July 19, 1996). "PRO BASKETBALL; Lakers Get O'Neal in 7-Year Contract". The New York Times. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
- ↑ Heisler, Mark (July 19, 1996). "Lakers Hit the Shaqpot". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
- ↑ Adande, J.A. (November 29, 1996). "Big Man in La-La Land". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
- ↑ "Basketball". Reading Eagle. September 4, 1996. p. D6. Retrieved November 26, 2025.
- ↑ "Magic's Bowie Shows Class--or Lack of It". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. March 20, 1996. Retrieved October 5, 2022.
- ↑ Povtak, Tim (March 20, 1996). "Triple-Trouble for Magic". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
- ↑ "PRO BASKETBALL; Coach Is Fined for Early Exit". The New York Times. Associated Press. March 21, 1996. Retrieved October 5, 2022.
- ↑ "Detroit Pistons at Orlando Magic Box Score, March 19, 1996". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved June 7, 2026.