\u2014 Orlando Magic (@OrlandoMagic) July 14, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Those are big shoes to fill, even if Marchitelli has been learning to fill them for several years now.<\/p>\n Steele was as much a part of Magic fandom as the team itself in many ways. And he was an indelible voice for the franchise.<\/p>\n An indelible voice<\/p>\n There are a lot of moments that define David Steele, the longtime Orlando Magic broadcaster.<\/p>\n In actuality, there are so many Steele moments that define Magic basketball in all of the fans’ minds. He gave voice to all of the best moments in franchise history, starting as a radio broadcaster in the team’s first season and moving into the television booth for the last 28 years.<\/p>\n There are only a few Magic moments of gravity or history that do not have Steele’s voice attached to them. His most famous call is one that lives with Magic fans forever<\/a>:<\/p>\n “Anderson is there with him. . . Anderson, trying to steal it. Jordan dribbles around him. Clock is down to 12. And Anderson stole the ball! Hardaway picks it up. 2-on-1. Penny bounce pass to Grant. He dunks it! 6.2 seconds to go!”<\/p>\n The call from Game 1 of the 1995 second round series against the Chicago Bulls was reserved only for the radio broadcast with NBC taking over television. Steele was still the radio play-by-play at the time. But it is the most resounding and famous broadcast call in the team’s history.<\/p>\n It was a defining moment for the team and a defining voice to punctuate its importance. “Nick Anderson stole the ball” is perhaps the defining moment of that playoff run and perhaps the greatest moment in Magic history.<\/p>\n That came from Steele.<\/p>\n Steele was an indelible part of the Magic experience. Even in their worst years on the court, the Magic’s broadcast was considered one of the best in the league because of the way Steele presented games. He brought a gravity to the games, but kept things lighthearted and never ventured too deep into homerism. <\/p>\n It was clearly a local broadcast, but it also did not talk down the opponents. Steele always called the games as he saw them.<\/p>\n The advent of “Is This Anything?” in the last several years gave the broadcast a quirky recurring segment. It was something that showcased Steele’s curiosity and preparation. It was a deep dive into both stats interesting and arcane. But it gave the broadcast personality — especially when what was happening on the court could be tough to watch.<\/p>\n Steele was someone you could turn to for a good story, no matter what the result was in the game.<\/p>\n That is the highest compliment to you can give a broadcaster.<\/p>\n Steele was a true representative for the fans<\/p>\n David Steele’s impressions go beyond his broadcast, though. Ask any fan who encountered him at games — home or road — and they would tell the story of someone who was truly kind with his time and eager to make any Magic fan feel at home.<\/p>\n He hated attention. When the Magic inducted him into their Hall of Fame in 2019, it was something deeply uncomfortable for the consummate professional. A broadcaster is supposed to stay out of the way and let the pictures do the talking.<\/p>\n That is what Steele was always best at. He was the soundtrack, never overpowering the action on the court.<\/p>\n That is what Steele was for every Magic fans. He was the soundtrack to the games. His voice is imprinted on everyone and became synonymous with Magic basketball.<\/p>\n Those are impossible shoes to fill. And an impossible voice to replace.<\/p>\n There will be new moments and a new voice painting that picture. Magic fans will welcome someone new (but familiar) into their homes to tell the Magic’s story.<\/p>\n But undoubtedly, that story was made better because Steele gave voice to it.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/assets.minutemediacdn.com\/platform\/google_discover_icon.svg\"){kind=icon}
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