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The first half of the 2008 – 09 season went very well for the Magic.

After 41 games, the Magic were 33-8, leading the Southeast Division, as well as having one of the top four records in the league.

At the start of February, Jameer Nelson, their all-star starting point guard, went down with a shoulder injury.

He was expected to miss the remainder of the season.

After trading for Rafer Alston, the Magic finished the regular season with a 59-23 record, it was the most games the team had won in a season since the 1995 – 96 season in which they had 60 wins.

In the playoffs, the Magic beat the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round of the playoffs and then the defending champions, the Boston Celtics, in the Eastern Conference semifinals, behind assistant coach Patrick Ewing's guarantee that they would win Game 7 of that series.

In their first conference finals since 1996, the Magic beat the Cleveland Cavaliers, which were led by the season's MVP, LeBron James.

After dropping the first two games in the Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers, the Magic finally won their first ever game in the Finals in Game 3.

Despite Nelson's return to the team for the Finals, the Lakers won the series and the championship by beating the Magic in five games.