Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
I know, Orlando Magic fans. I know how hard it was to see the Miami Heat celebrating their second consecutive title.
It’s painful to see our in-state rivals win their third title before we can even celebrate one title in Orlando.
Let’s take a break from the pain and disappointment, and remember that we should all be happy for Rashard Lewis. He rarely got consistent minutes in the regular season, and he was averaging a measly 4.2 minutes per game in the postseason.
Lewis definitely had his critics during his time in Orlando mostly due to the monstrous contract he signed. In 2007, Orlando signed him to a six-year, $118 million contract that saw him become one of the highest paid players in the NBA. Can you blame him for signing the dotted line on that contract? Would you turn down that kind of money?
It wasn’t Lewis’ fault he had that contract, which admittedly turned into an albatross for the Magic organization.
However, I still think the money splashed to bring him in was worth it. He was the model teammate, going from a primary scoring option to playing second fiddle to Dwight Howard and even deferring to Hedo Turkoglu at times. Lewis played power forward for Orlando, which was not his natural position and giving up a physical advantage on a nightly basis.
Yet he never complained, and he was always a great teammate and ambassador in the community.
What’s more, Lewis had his biggest moments in a Magic uniform when it mattered most in the postseason. Magic fans should never forget his turnaround, corner three against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the 2009 Finals run.
Or who can forget his performance in Game 2 against the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA finals? Scoring 34 points, grabbing 11 rebounds, and seven assists while hitting six 3-pointers. That night, Orlando was a Courtney Lee alley-oop layup away from stealing home court advantage away.
Again, it had to be a difficult night in Orlando seeing Miami lift the trophy, but let’s all make sure we take at least a few minutes to be happy for one of the most important players in Magic history.
Good for you, Rashard, you deserve a ring.
