Reversal of Fortune?

It was the mid-90's. The Magic were the NBA's darlings. They had Brian Hill leading Shaq and Penny Hardaway and Nick Anderson and Dennis Scott and a whole host of players towards the NBA Finals. They ran into the Houston Rockets. And the 72-win Bulls the next season in 95-96.

And then Shaq left.

But for a moment on the NBA scene, the Magic were one of the best franchises in the NBA. They won the lottery seemingly every year and built their franchise with Shaq and a trade that landed Penny Hardaway (and sent Chris Webber packing). The Magic today look far different, yet there is still that glimpse of the familiar. Brian Hill returns to lead the Magic once again, and gives the franchise a direct link to its once glorious, although short, past. And so does Shaq, yet from the visiting team's locker.

Looking at this scene one cannot help but ponder how both franchises have swirled since those mid-90's days - since after Shaq. Shaq went on to pick up paychecks for the Lakers and with his heavy bills he lifted the Lakers to championship after championship. He also left a hefty void in the East that allowed for teams to rise and take over the lofty position once held by the Magic. The Heat were one of the teams that began to reap success on the embers of the burning Magic franchise. They landed arguably one of the best coaches ever to grace an NBA bench in Pat Riley who then transformed this franchise into the New York Knicks south, but instead of Patrick Ewing he had Alonzo Mourning. He also found a resurrected Timmy Hardaway and guided the Heat towards several Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference showdowns - becoming favorites in several of those seasons. Yet still losing to their hated Knick rivals.

The Magic, on the other hand, fell while the Heat rose.

And how odd is it today that these two franchises square off again with such a wide gap between them. Shaq joined the Heat last season in the twilight of his career partnering up for a championship ride with Dwyane Wade. Now, a whole cast of who's who in basketball have joined up with the Diesel-powered Heat. The Magic? An injured Grant Hill and a young Dwight Howard will lead this cast on the court to what hopes to be a playoff appearance at the end of the season.

When Shaq left, was there indeed a reversal of fortune for both of these franchises? Did it help the Heat in terms of getting more exposure for their franchise over the Magic when Shaq left?

The answer seems as obvious as the final score of tonight's preseason game.