Tom Ever since we were little kids, we’ve been watching the likes of Michael Jordan, Reggie Miller and of course Shaquille O’Neil (The Shaq Attack!) making big moves at NBA matches. When the opportunity for us to cover the Orlando Magic game against the Brooklyn Nets came up, we definitely could not pass up on the chance to catch the likes of Even Fournier and Elfrid Payton live in action! Thanks to the great folks at Visit Orlando and Orlando Magic (big shout out to Melanie and Cory!), we were given media access to the live game at Amway Center!
Before the match, we were given the opportunity to visit various levels of the Amway Center with the media access. Here’s a quick overview of this amazing stadium…
About Amway Center – Home of the Orlando Magic
Amway Center is a state-of-the-art arena that opened in late 2010 and is home to the Orlando Magic (NBA), Orlando Predators (Arena Football League – AFL) and Orlando Solar Bears (East Coast Hockey League – ECHL). Having watched the Lakers vs Kings at the Sleep Train Arena (which has since saw its last game last season), the Amway Center was definitely in a league of its own. You could feel the vibe of the entire venue as you enter the arena. This what game day experience is all about!
We entered through the media entrance (South Street/Division Avenue) and got some light snacks at the media’s cafeteria (you’ll have to enter the door on the right after security check and then through another door on the left) before checking out our seats at level 7 (Press Level). Here, we were able to get a panoramic view of the entire stadium…
Chase Club Level
The cool thing about having the media pass is the privilege to access all levels at the Amway Center, including the Chase Club Level. The Chase Club Level houses the all the premium seats including Suites (Founders Suites, President Suites, Chase Suites and Hospitality Suites). These suites are really posh and you’ll definitely be able to enjoy the game in style! We saw many suites having buffet being set up and groups of friends enjoying the atmosphere within. Some of these suites even have the family name printed on its entrance!
Also at the Chase Club Level, you’ll also have access to the craft beer bar as well as Jernigan’s Restaurant – a buffet style restaurant with premium cuisine as well as an excellent view of the game. There are also many other dining options available on this level as well.
Promenade Level
The other level that we really loved was the Promenade Level. Here, you’ll be able to shop at Orlando Magic’s Team Shop, dine at the many food stands along the entire level and best of all, have some amazing photo opportunities with a mini museum of the Orlando Magic. Here, we got to take some shots of Shaquille O’Neal’s archives (including his ginormous shoes) and stand next to the life-sized replica of the team players of Orlando Magic!
During this time, we were soaking in the atmosphere and really enjoying the game day experience at Amway Center. Before long, it was time to head back to our seats at the Press Level for the introduction of the Orlando Magic players…
Orlando Magic vs Brooklyn Nets at Amway Center
As always, the introduction of home team players was done in much fanfare. And of course we enjoyed it! Check out this video!
Introduction of Orlando Magic Players
Did we mention that the main scoreboards at Amway Center is the most advanced and largest in the league? The colours were vibrant and provided additional coverage (replays, score updates) for the live game.
The game got off to a pretty rough start for the Magic. They were pretty much trailing in the first quarter and we started to wonder if we “jinxed” the team. However, things started to pick up in the second quarter and they managed to even things out by half-time. Elfrid Payton stood out for us during the game. Well, mostly due to his hair-do. But also because of the fact that eventhough, he was not getting on the score sheet much, he was not selfish in trying to take more shots. He was actually making more passes and as a result, players like Vucevic and Fournier were able to rake up the points.
Before long, it was time for half-time performances! The other part we love about game day experiences. This time, the Orlando Magic Dancers, Silver Stars as well as a martial arts dance group performed. Check out these videos…
Orlando Magic Dancers
Silver Stars
Dance Martial Arts Performance
All the performances were great. We especially enjoyed the Silver Stars as they showed that even in their twilight years, these folks are still young at heart. Of course the dance martial arts performance was full of energy! Amazingly, the dance/martial arts moved in tempo with the music which was really cool to watch.
Overall Experience of Catching the Orlando Magic @ Amway Center
Eventually, the Magic closed out the game with a score of 118-111 (Phew, sigh of relief). We definitely had a great time at Amway Center. The arena was new and gave off vibes of excitement to the visitors. The entire game day experience was what an NBA match is all about. Are the other NBA teams reading this?
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