Orlando Magic is Hosting the Golden State Warriors

Okay, so this was a game to see. We like to watch any NBA game, but they are especially fun to watch when they have a close score. The last quarter of this game was a real nail-biter. Each team was back and forth with every play and there was no telling who was going to win.

This could have been a buzzer beater for either team but Orlando Magic walked away with the win!! 

The Good

Well, we live in Florida and we are HUGE fans of Orlando Magic, but some of my son's favorite players on another team were also in the house. We got to hear the crowd roar when Stephen Curry came out on the floor. We got to see Klay Thompson's perfect form in person, and it was spectacular from the get-go (we noticed him right away in warm-ups, he really does have a pretty shot). Not to mention Andrew Wiggins, Kevon Looney and Jordan Poole were on the court. Talk about a teen floating around on Cloud 9. It's not likely we're going to make our way to California any time soon, so a big thank you to Amway Center for bringing them to our side of the country so we could cheer for both teams (which could have been scary, hahaha, but the Warriors are so well-loved right now by so many that people understood).

The Bad

The fouling in this game was rampant and arguably led to the demise of the Golden State Warriors who did not walk away victors this time. Not everyone agreed with all (some were clearly warranted) of the fouls the refs called. At one point, even some of the Magic fans were scratching their heads and wondering what was going on. Technical fouls were flying too, including one for the Warriors' head coach, Steve Kerr.

Orlando shot 53.8% from the field, 43.3% from three-point range, and went to the free-throw 

line a staggering 46 times against a Warriors defense.

The Beautiful 

Can we talk about this arena? The Amway Center in Orlando, Florida is so nice. Everything is clean and feels modern. The layout is crystal clear (not confusing) and there is not a bad seat in the house. It is a great place to watch a basketball game and would be most excellent for seeing a concert. We have seen NBA games at other arenas but this one is always my favorite. It's very classy, spacious and welcoming.

This was taken 2 years ago (when he still liked to smile for pictures). 😁

They also have interactive displays around, plenty of food and drink stops (the food was good too) and a memorabilia area that is fun to visit. In the picture above and below you can see how my son has grown over the last couple of years. That one was taken in 2020 and the one below is from yesterday (2022). It's hard to believe that in just a two-year time he went from a 'little kid' who loved to smile for the camera, to a teenager who only does so on rare occasion. He's still a real sweetheart though.😊

This one was taken yesterday 

(Look at that smile... oh, wait...). 👀😉😅

I like the picture comparison. Even though all things are not equal (everyone is standing with both feet on the ground in the first one) you can still see how much he is growing. His hope is to play basketball in college, so he wants to keep gaining height. He looks so tall in real life (he's towering over me), but he believes his 6 ft. frame needs a few more inches to be looked at seriously by the coaches. 

I like this area of Amway Center that touts the accomplishments of past players and teams. It's interesting and they keep everything nice and clean (and safe!) by putting it behind glass. My favorite part is hearing my son run through his knowledge bank on what he knows about the information we are seeing. 

He gets excited when he sees a jersey from a player from the past that he likes, or sees a headline from a story he knows a little bit about. His love of the sport is strong and has continued to grow for half a decade.

It's fun to watch my son play, and it's fun to watch him enjoy an NBA game. Of course, I enjoy watching the games too. There is no better place to watch a game than Amway Center. If you're in town, I highly recommend taking in an event at this arena. We sat up pretty high this go around, and it was still very nice. We could see everything easily and we were super comfy in our seats.

Congrats to Orlando Magic on their win!

Don't forget to visit the shops while you are at the stadium.

This little cutie mascot is just right to put under the Christmas tree

 (right alongside some tickets for a game I know my son will want to see in February).

If you're looking for a great Christmas gift idea, and I always am... 

NBA tickets for a basketball fan are always a smart idea. 

Gifts that create memories for the win.

Our 2 Florida teams are playing each other at Amway Center in February. I'm going to purchase tickets and put them in my son's Christmas stocking. That'll be a fun game for us to watch, just because the rivalry is so good. Wait...is that an oxymoron? Can a 'rivalry' be 'good?'  Maybe we'll get tickets for the whole family and make it a family event. See you there?

Learn more about the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida.

Browse events and games, and purchase tickets here.