The Orlando Magic will relocate and rebrand its minor league affiliate to Kissimmee, rebranding the new team as the Osceola Magic.
The team made the move official on Tuesday, April 11, announcing the changes to the former Lakeland Magic of the National Basketball Association’s G League. That team will be rebranded as the Osceola Magic and will play games out of Silver Spurs Arena at Osceola Heritage Park beginning this November.
“We are excited to bring the Magic and NBA G League basketball to Osceola County, Kissimmee, and Osceola Heritage Park,” said CEO and Managing Partner Alex Martins. “We look forward to being an invested community partner in Kissimmee and Osceola County.”
The NBA G League is the NBA’s official developmental league that is tasked with preparing players, coaches, officials, trainers, and front office staff for potential careers in the NBA. It also functions as the league’s research and developmental laboratory, testing different rules and game structures well before they are ever introduced to the NBA.
Currently, the NBA G League features 30 teams, with 28 of them having one-to-one affiliations with NBA franchises.
During the past season, seven members of the Orlando Magic spent time playing with the team’s G League affiliate, including R.J. Hampton, Admiral Schofield, and Jonathan Issac.