Lakeland Magic | |
---|---|
League | NBA Gatorade League |
Founded | 2008 |
History |
Erie BayHawks 2008–2017 Lakeland Magic 2017–present |
Arena | RP Funding Center |
Location | Lakeland, Florida |
Team colors | Blue, black, silver |
Ownership | Orlando Magic |
Affiliation(s) | Orlando Magic |
Championships | 0 |
Division / Conference titles | 0 |
Website | http://lakeland.dleague.nba.com/ |
The Lakeland Magic are an American professional basketball team of the NBA Gatorade League (currently known as the NBA Development League) announced to begin play for the 2017–18 season as an affiliate of the Orlando Magic of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Based in Lakeland, Florida, the team will play their home games at the RP Funding Center.
The franchise previously was based out of Erie, Pennsylvania, as the Erie BayHawks.
On January 6, 2016, it was announced that the Orlando Magic would be seeking to place a D-League team in Florida; the eight initial candidate venues were:
On February 17, the Magic narrowed their choices down to Bay Lake, Jacksonville, Lakeland and Kissimmee. On June 30, the Magic named Kissimmee and Lakeland as the two finalists. Finally, although the Magic had promised that the team would not be a relocation of the BayHawks, on December 14, it was announced that the Magic had purchased the BayHawks and would be moving them to the Lakeland Center for the 2017–18 season, with a practice facility to be built in nearby Winter Haven. However, the BayHawks organization will continue operating for at least the next two seasons under Atlanta Hawks' new G-League franchise. On April 12, 2017 it was announced that the team would be named the Lakeland Magic.