And the Winner is....Lakeland Magic!

ORLANDO -- There’s more “Magic” in the air-ea.

That’s because the Magic brand has extended its reach. After sorting through thousands of entries, the Orlando Magic’s Development League affiliate in Lakeland has chosen Magic to be their team name.

The winning name was first entered by Nemanja Kovacevic, who won a pair of season tickets to the Lakeland Magic’s inaugural 2017-18 season. The first 10 participants of the naming contest will receive a pair of opening night tickets at The Lakeland Center.

“After careful, thoughtful consideration, and to create synergy and extend the Orlando Magic brand, we made the determination to call our team the Lakeland Magic,” said Lakeland Magic President Shelly Wilkes. “We appreciate all of the entries and enthusiasm with our “name the team contest,” and we received multiple entries for the name Magic - which we ended up concurring with and ultimately choosing.”

The Orlando Magic announced this past December they were relocating their D-League affiliate to Lakeland.

There are many reasons having the D-League club closer to home will benefit the Magic. There will be far less travel for young players who will split time between both teams. It will also be easier for Magic basketball operations staff to evaluate talent in their D-League system.

The majority of Lakeland home games will be scheduled on weekends, which allows families with children to attend more games and be part of the entertainment.

The Lakeland Magic also unveiled its team logo, which includes the Orlando Magic’s current jersey/logo wordmark. It has the original Magic team colors (blue, black and silver) and features five iconic stars to represent each player on the court.

The other big news revealed at a press conference at Crystal Lake Middle School in Lakeland on Wednesday was that RP Funding will be the team’s inaugural Founding Partner. RP Funding is a direct mortgage leader which underwrites, closes and funds its own loans in order to offer customers the best deals and a superior level of service. As a Founding Partner, RP Funding will receive prominent exposure at The Lakeland Center.

“We are honored to have RP Funding join our family,” said Orlando Magic CEO Alex Martins. “This is yet another example of a progressive company showing its commitment to our team. We believe this partnership will be mutually beneficial and will provide the opportunity for RP Funding to deliver a direct, positive and engaging message to our fan-base and beyond. Through this new agreement, together we will also seek opportunities for local outreach.”

Season ticket deposits for the Lakeland Magic’s 2017-18 season are now being accepted by calling 863-825-3258 or logging on to www.lakelandmagic.com.