When the Magic acquired Desmond Bane from the Grizzlies last summer, Horace Grant immediately saw the parallels between Bane’s arrival to Orlando and his own addition to the organization from more than three decades ago.
Grant, who won three NBA championships with the Bulls before signing with the Magic as a free agent in the summer of 1994, described Bane as a “fantastic” pickup for the franchise that’s working to return to the playoffs for a third consecutive season.
“Having that playoff experience, (he) brings a lot of worth to a young club like that,” Grant recently told the Orlando Sentinel in a phone interview. “He’s a pretty darn good leader.”
Grant played for the Magic from 1994-99 and 2001-03, and it was during his first stint when he helped the organization reach the NBA Finals for the first time in ’95.
Although he hasn’t been to a game in Orlando in more than a decade, he’s still a fan of the club.
“They’ve gotten hit by the injury bug a few times but I think they’re still on the course to do something special, if not this year, maybe next year,” Grant said.
Grant is back in the public eye after he recently announced the launch of his new television series, “Legends in Session with Horace Grant,” which includes a 13-episode first season that’s slated premiere this year. The show will air on cable TV in Chicago and will be distributed through Urban Grind TV’s national cable, streaming, and international platforms, including Roku, Apple TV, and affiliated networks.
When producers of the show first pitched the idea to the four-time NBA champion, Grant wasn’t interested. Eventually, he was swayed into the concept and has since interviewed his friends, rivals, and teammates and coaches from his career.
“It’s about giving legends their flowers,” Grant said. “And just finding out things that the public don’t know about their careers, how they grew up and things of that nature.”
Guests for the first season include Phil Jackson, Charles Oakley, Vernon Maxwell, Robert Horry, Bill Cartwright, Patrick Ewing, Kendall Gill, Toni Kukoc, and his twin brother Harvey Grant. Expanding beyond basketball, the show will also welcome former NFL star and Super Bowl champion Vernon Davis and World Series–winning pitcher Jose Rijo.
Grant believes his perspective will allow for in-depth conversations with his ranging list of guests.
“It just comes from my reputation when I played 17 years in the league and my character,” he said. “On my show, basically, we’re giving back and … there’s no ‘I gotcha,’ moments or ‘let’s talk bad about this person to get more ratings.’ It’s about the audience getting to know my guests and their journeys.”
Bane isn’t the only reason Grant has a positive outlook on the future of the Magic.
He’s also a fan of Paolo Banchero, who’s averaged 25 points, 8.1 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game since the NBA All-Star break this season. Grant shared a message for the Orlando fanbase about him.
“People have to realize he’s a young man,” Grant said about Banchero who turned 23 last November. “In terms of posting up, shooting the 3, the big body, getting to the rim, finishing at the rim … I would tell Orlando Magic fans, be patient.”
Bane, Banchero and the rest of the Magic travel to Dallas on Friday when they play four of their final six games of the regular season on the road.
Grant believes Orlando isn’t far from reaching the heights the franchise saw when he donned a Magic uniform in the 1990s.
“I’m an avid fan of the NBA, especially the teams that I played for, and watching the Magic, they’re on the cusp of doing something special,” Grant said. “They have a young crew and I think they just need to start really trusting each other.”
Jason Beede can be reached at jbeede@orlandosentinel.com
Up next …
Magic at Mavericks
When: 8:30 p.m., Friday, American Airlines Center
TV: FanDuel Sports Network Florida