Hello Orlando

By Adonal Foyle

Hello friends,

By now, you already know that I had signed a two-year contract with the Orlando Magic. Rumors have been floating around even before I left the Golden State Warriors that Orlando might be my next destination. The truth is, there were some other teams in the Eastern Conference who were interested in my services, including Boston, Cleveland and Philadelphia. But the Magic became a good fit for me. For one, I got to know Magic General Manager Otis Smith when he was still working for the Warriors. Second, and more importantly, once the word got out that I was about to agree on a contractual buyout with the Warriors, the Magic were one of the first teams to call and express their interest. And that showed me a lot.

The Magic are also a team that is big-man oriented, with Dwight Howard as the focal point. I felt that being on a team with players such as Dwight and Rashard Lewis shows that they are a team that is definitely heading in the right direction. Coach Stan Van Gundy has an incredible reputation around the league. And the Magic, as an organization, have a great reputation as well. They are very professional. I not only wanted to play for a good team, but to also work for a good organization. And I think I have done that with Orlando.

Last season, Orlando returned to the playoffs, but was eliminated by Detroit in the first round. I see the Magic as a young and exciting team. Their upside is enormous. And making the playoffs last year was a big step for them, in terms of knowing what it takes to get to that level. But now, we need to get better. The playoffs are no longer a novelty. Now, we need to work together as a team to take it to the next level in the Eastern Conference. And that is what Coach Van Gundy is going to work on and that is what the rest us will work on as well.

During my trip to Orlando , I had the chance to speak to some of my new teammates. And I am looking forward to getting to know them better. We will travel to China to play a preseason game so we will spend a lot of time together as a team and learn more about one another.

Having not played as much as I would have liked last season, this is a new and exciting opportunity for me. I see this as an opportunity to enjoy the game again. All I want to do is go out on the court, have fun and play basketball without worrying about all the other nonsense that surrounds this game or sports in general. I want to enjoy everything that the game of basketball has to offer. I am definitely looking forward to that. And I think it is going to be a wonderful experience.

I was very happy with the response I received from the Warriors once I signed with Orlando. I received calls from Chris Mullin and Coach Don Nelson, both of whom congratulated me on my choice of team and wished me the best of luck. They also thanked me once again for everything I have done for the Warriors organization during the past 10 years. I definitely appreciate them reaching out to me. As I mentioned before, it has been a wonderful tale in my life to be in the Bay Area and played for the Warriors for 10 long years.

Now, it is on to the next chapter of my career and my life. And I hope you will all continue to cheer for me and support me in everything I do. I will check back soon to recap what has been a busy summer.