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Magic honor victims of Pulse nightclub massacre on Opening Night

Dan Devine
·Senior NBA writer

Before Wednesday’s 2016-17 NBA season opener against the Miami Heat, a night aimed at propelling them into what they hope will be a fruitful future, the Orlando Magic paused to look back to the recent past — to mourn, to remember, and to celebrate.

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The Magic dedicated their home opener to honoring the 49 people who lost their lives and the 53 who were injured in the mass shooting at Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando, on June 12. The evening began with an emotional pre-game ceremony featuring a moment of silence dedicated to the victims, survivors and their loved ones:

The Magic raised to the rafters of Amway Center — which is located less than two miles away from Pulse — a banner bearing the number “49,” featuring the names of the victims of the worst mass shooting in U.S. history:

A banner printed with the names of the Pulse nightclub shooting victims and 49, the number of people who died in the shooting, is unveiled at Amway Center. (AP)
A banner printed with the names of the Pulse nightclub shooting victims and 49, the number of people who died in the shooting, is unveiled at Amway Center. (AP)

The team also celebrated the contributions of Orlando’s first responders who served the community after the shooting, with Orlando Police Officer Gladys Justiniano representing her fellow officers as she sang the national anthem:

The Magic also played a tribute video aimed at highlighting the way Orlando united following the massacre, which was accompanied by the performance of a song by local artist Brandon Parsons about the aftermath of the tragedy titled “49 Times.”

“I wrote it for the tragedy that happened at Pulse, and singing it here with all the love surrounding me was overwhelming,” Parsons told ClickOrlando.com. “It was amazing.”

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Survivors, family members and employees of the nightclub attended the game as guests of the Magic, whose players wore “Orlando United” shooting shirts as they warmed up to take on the visiting Heat:

Ultimately, there’s only so much that gestures like these can accomplish, only so much they can give back to those who lost so much in such a senseless act of violence. Even so, displaying those tokens of remembrance and appreciation mattered to the Magic, because as Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel wrote, “this is what sports teams and athletic events do best in terrible times. They serve as a raucous diversion to help us temporarily forget and as a reverential gathering place to help us always remember.”

More from Bianchi:

“I’ve always said there are two things that bring a community together — sports and tragedy,” Magic CEO Alex Martins said. “In sports, we have an amazing opportunity to bring people together — in good times and in bad. We have an incredible pulpit in tragic times to help our community heal. We take that role very seriously.”

It’s no coincidence that Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer chose Martins to head the board of directors for the city-sponsored OneOrlando Fund — the largest, most expansive endowment for victims of the Pulse shooting. Not only does it show how much respect political leaders have for Martins, it also shows the power and prestige of sports in getting people to open their hearts — and their wallets. […]

So far, the OneOrlando Fund has distributed $25 million to the victims, with more to come. Who says the Magic aren’t a championship organization? Is there any more important role for a sports franchise than championing relief efforts in its grief-stricken hometown?

“As sports organizations, we have the podium to help raise funds for those who have been personally impacted,” Martins said. “We have a network of teams and leagues in this community and throughout our entire country who stand ready to use the power and forum of sports to help us rebound from this tragic situation.”

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The Magic would go on to lose to the Heat, 108-96, behind balanced scoring that saw eight Miami players score at least eight points, led by center Hassan Whiteside (18 points, 14 rebounds, four blocks). But if, in its own small way, the opening-night ceremony did help any of those personally affected by the events of June 12, then the Magic organization will still chalk it up in the win column. From Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press:

“What the Orlando Magic are doing is amazing, is beautiful. I’m honored and grateful,” said [Mayra] Alvear, the mother of Pulse victim Amanda Alvear. “That they are lifting the number 49 out of respect, a symbol for our 49 Pulse angels, it has a deep meaning — demonstration of love and that they care, that all of them will be remembered.”

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Dan Devine is an editor for Ball Don’t Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at devine@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter!


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