The NBA offseason will come to an abrupt end with the conclusion of the Olympic men’s basketball tournament on Saturday. Everyone will put away their basketballs until training camp begins in early October.
There is one more piece of news to report for the NBA. Perhaps the one that fans are most eagerly awaiting to make the upcoming NBA season feel realistic.
Typically, this is the time of year when the NBA releases its schedule – usually in mid-August. We all expect it to come out in the next week or two, building excitement for the 2025 season.
Not only does this event give Magic fans a chance to plan their daily lives and figure out which holidays and weekends they won’t be able to spend with friends and family from now through April (you’ll want to keep late April and early May free for the playoffs), but it also gives everyone an idea of which teams the NBA is prioritizing and believes will contribute to the bigger picture this season.
To say the least, this aspect of the schedule has been the subject of heated debate among Magic fans.
Despite Orlando having the No. 1 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft with Paolo Banchero, who became an All-Star in his second year, the team has had only one national television appearance in the last two years before the playoffs. Even the Magic’s playoff series had three games broadcast on NBATV until the league was forced to broadcast its 7th game on ABC – the first time the Magic have appeared in front of a national network audience since Dwight Howard was on the team.
To say the least, Magic fans are hungry for national attention and a spotlight. They believe they deserve at least a few games. Getting into the playoffs should strengthen that argument and get the Magic at least a few more games – is five too much to ask?
While Banchero has earned his flowers and deserves the league to give him some attention, and while the Magic have earned at least some time in the spotlight, they still have to get used to a team that is an easier sell to an audience that often doesn’t pay attention to the league.
The Magic will be seen more frequently on national television when the schedule is released in a few weeks. And Magic fans will be eagerly awaiting what games ESPN and TNT have selected for the team when the 80-game schedule (remember, two games will be added after the NBA Cup group play is completed) is released.
So who should the Magic face if they get their chance on national television? We have a few answers:
