This Week in Magic History: Dwight Howard's Teenage 20-20, a 10-Block Night and the Trade That Brought Penny
This Week in Magic History
The Magic host Milwaukee tonight at Kia Center, still waiting on Paolo Banchero's return from a high ankle sprain. This week on the calendar has belonged to Orlando's big men for a long time.
Nov. 15, 2005: The Only Teenager With a 20-20
Twenty-one years ago this week, a 19-year-old Dwight Howard had 21 points and 20 rebounds in an 85-77 win over the Charlotte Bobcats.
- He became the first and still only teenager in NBA history with a 20-point, 20-rebound game.
- It was the first of his 51 career 20-20 games.
Howard had come straight out of high school in Atlanta. The Magic took him first overall in 2004.
Nov. 12, 2008: 30, 19 and 10 Blocks
Three years later, Howard did something even rarer. He had 30 points, 19 rebounds and 10 blocks in a 109-92 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder, who were in their first season after moving from Seattle.
At 22 years, 340 days old, he became the youngest player ever with at least 30 points, 15 rebounds and 10 blocks in a game. That season Howard won his first Defensive Player of the Year award, and the Magic reached the 2009 NBA Finals.
Nov. 9, 1993: The Debut That Started With a Draft-Night Trade
Thirty-three years ago this week, Chris Webber made his NBA debut for Golden State with 15 points, seven rebounds, three steals and two blocks.
That debut matters in Orlando because Webber was the Magic's pick. Orlando won the draft lottery in 1993 for the second year in a row and took Webber first overall. Then it traded him to the Warriors for Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway and three future first-round picks.
Penny teamed with Shaquille O'Neal, and two seasons later the Magic were in the 1995 NBA Finals.
How the Magic Were Built
- 1987: The NBA awarded Orlando an expansion franchise, led by co-founder Pat Williams. The Magic began play in 1989.
- 1991: Rich DeVos, co-founder of Amway, bought the team. The DeVos family still owns it, with Dan DeVos as chairman.
- 1992: Orlando won the lottery and drafted Shaquille O'Neal. In his NBA debut on Nov. 6, 1992, he had 12 points and 18 rebounds in a win over Miami.
- 1995: Shaq and Penny led the Magic to their first Finals, where they lost to Houston.
- 2004-2012: The Dwight Howard era, including the 2009 Finals against the Lakers.
- Today: A young core led by Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. Orlando made the playoffs for the third straight season in 2025-26, its 19th playoff appearance.
The Magic Today
- Owner: The DeVos family, chaired by Dan DeVos
- President of basketball operations: Jeff Weltman
- Head coach: Sean Sweeney, the 16th head coach in franchise history, hired June 1, 2026. He replaced Jamahl Mosley, who now coaches New Orleans.
- Stars:
- Franz Wagner: 20.8 points, 8.8 assists and 6.3 rebounds a game, with a career-high 15 assists at Phoenix
- Desmond Bane: 17.5 points
- Anthony Black: 15.7 points and 5.2 assists
- Wendell Carter Jr.: 14.8 points and 9.6 rebounds, shooting 63%
- Paolo Banchero: averaged 24.5 points in two games before his ankle injury
- Injuries: Orlando has already lost 44 player-games to injury or illness.
Retired numbers
| No. | Honoree |
|---|---|
| 6 | The fans, "the sixth man" |
| 32 | Shaquille O'Neal |
Tonight
Orlando hosts the Bucks at 7 PM ET.
Follow every Magic game: add the Magic schedule to your calendar with TeamCalendar. It updates itself when game times change.
Sources: Statitudes: On This Day, Nov. 15, Statitudes: On This Day, Nov. 12, Statitudes: On This Day, Nov. 9, NBA.com: Key dates in NBA history, November, Magic game notes, Nov. 2026, List of current NBA head coaches