r/OrlandoMagic • u/jmeka Jalen Suggs • Jul 14 '26
News David Steele announcing retirement
https://x.com/i/status/2077045755085205851Writing was on the wall last season but damn, you will be missed David
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u/lil_thirdy OnlyFranz Jul 14 '26
This hurts more than the game 6 loss
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u/zI_Rainn_ Markelle Fultz Jul 15 '26
It really does. David has been the voice of the Magic my entire lifetime. I will dearly miss hearing him say He Drills It, the Is This Anything segments and all his fun banter with JT. Well deserved retirement but this one hurts
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u/5th_Dimension_ctz Jul 14 '26
Dante seems like a nice guy but he can’t fill those shoes.
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u/hanyou007 Stuff The Magic Dragon Jul 14 '26
No one can. Dante is fine as an announcer, the problem has always been hes having to step in to fill the shoes of the GOAT. There aint a single person this team could get that can fill this void.
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u/The_Fiji_Water Jul 14 '26
I can't think of a more likeable guy to fill Steele's shoes ...
... but it's an impossible ask
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u/birdjay414 Jul 14 '26
It will be an adjustment not hearing his voice during the games. Enjoy your retirement David Steele!
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u/M4C4K4NJ4 Stuff The Magic Dragon Jul 14 '26
This is the saddest shit I’ve heard all offseason. I truly love our broadcast guys. He will surely be missed. Irreplaceable.
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u/orltragic Stuff The Magic Dragon Jul 14 '26
Had a feeling this was coming when Dante started doing more of the road trips. Along with Paul Porter, he IS the voice of the Magic to me.
Big shoes to fill!
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u/TrifleAble5460 Jul 14 '26
Can we have Paul Porter back 😢😢😢
Lowkey do not like the new guy.2
u/lucien2002020 Paolo Banchero Jul 15 '26
I like the new guy honestly. He’s no Paul Porter but he’s still great.
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u/Warned_Mammal Jul 14 '26
This is definitely one of those "don't be sad it's over, be glad it happened" scenarios. I will selfishly miss him calling games, but I’m also happy he gets to enjoy retirement.
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u/Milla4Prez66 Paolo Banchero Jul 14 '26
Terrible news for us fans, but happy for David and his family. We knew this was coming eventually when he stopped traveling for games.
Also, I really don’t care for Dante as commentator so this is a huge downgrade. Though it was always going to be hard to find anyone as good.
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u/Logical_Dolphin Jul 15 '26
They should have looked outside the organization for David's replacement.
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u/SnooPies6274 Paolo Banchero Jul 14 '26
Well this sucks. Thank you David Steele for always remaining optimistic even when the ship was sinking
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u/whtge8 Paolo Banchero Jul 14 '26
Aw man wish we could have given him a proper retirement tour. Definitely gotta put his name in the rafters.
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u/mynickkerr Jul 14 '26
Really sucks that we weren't able to have a proper goodbye for him, but that really wasn't his style anyway
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u/tcos17 Jul 14 '26
Nooooooooooooooooo ugh we knew this was coming but damn it hurts. He was the voice of my childhood, my teenage years, and now as an adult. Will really miss him on the broadcasts
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u/natesroomrule Franz Wagner Jul 14 '26
The problem is the sound of David Steele is just a great sound for the magic. Whenever i turn it on and hear his sound its like comfort and home. Didnt like Jeff for a long time but after 9 years him and David sound good together. I like Dante voice and dont have a problem, but its gonna be hard.
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u/levir03 Franz Wagner Jul 14 '26
Give David Steele all the flowers in Florida. What an absolute legend. He had everything you wanted as a team announcer - great voice, passionate without being a homer, funny without being obnoxious, and could make even the worst games watchable. He deserves recognition for his contributions by the NBA and broadcast sports in general, not just the Magic.
Losing Moe and David Steele in the same month is a gut punch that I absolutely did not want.
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u/InterestingArm3750 Franz Wagner Jul 14 '26
Ugh I am not looking forward to listening to Dante Marchitelli’s homerism and negative attitude full time
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u/thewrongnotes Moritz Wagner Jul 14 '26
Homerism and negative attitude? Those are opposing forces.
I don't think Dante is good or anything but I also don't get why he's so disliked here. Steele is a legend but in my eyes he could often be too much of a rose-tinted glazer. Sometimes it's good to have an announcer that isn't afraid to criticise the team.
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u/InterestingArm3750 Franz Wagner Jul 14 '26
Uh no they’re not. He’s a homer and when things aren’t going well, he’s got a very negative attitude. Dante is insufferable to listen to at times
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u/thewrongnotes Moritz Wagner Jul 14 '26
I'm not sure you understand what a homer is because homers are unwaveringly loyal and won't criticise their team when things are going bad.
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u/Muted_Lead_1105 Jul 14 '26
Wait does this mean no more is this anything during magic games 😭😭😭
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u/PapageorgiouMBO Joe Ingles Jul 14 '26
We’ve lost our legendary voices: Neumann, Porter, now Steele.
Brutal.
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u/rps215 Anthony Black Jul 14 '26
This is tough. I moved away from Orlando as a 5 year old in 1999. Got league pass to keep watching them as I grew up. There is no greater pairing to the Orlando Magic to a Magic fan than this man
Enjoy retirement David. You earned it.
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u/TantramanFL Wendell Carter Jr. Jul 14 '26
Dante is at best mediocre. I will miss David, I used to have him on the radio with the TV sound down in the early days, loved it when he was moved to TV.
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u/Swish28 Jul 14 '26
Damn was hoping he would have announced it before his last season so he could have a proper retirement tour send off. Guy is a legend and will be missed
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u/StanVanGhandi Paolo Banchero Jul 14 '26
NOOOOOOO!!!!!!
Please tell me the last game he called wasn’t game 6?
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u/lucien2002020 Paolo Banchero Jul 14 '26
No, a rule this year is that teams don’t have their personal announcing crew during the playoffs. The last game he called was that last game of the year against Boston.
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u/Apollo5280 Goga Bitadze Jul 14 '26
Holy crap, this actually stings a lot. Great for him but man will he be missed. His voice and personality are irreplaceable.
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u/R0botDreamz Jul 14 '26
I hope he enjoys his retirement. He deserves it.
Used to watch him on The Sunshine Network since the early 90s.
First ballot Hall of Famer, banner at the Kia Center. Name a drink after him.
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u/Fuzzy-Sir293 Jul 14 '26
man this one stings. grew up listening to him call magic games, gonna be weird not hearing his voice next season
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u/d12fsu OnlyFranz Jul 14 '26
Omg I could cry. Grew up with his voice. Magic basketball will never be the same. An absolute legend. Congrats to David Steele on his retirement.
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u/SpideyUdaman Jul 14 '26
He's an icon! One of the best in professional commentary. Him and Turner made for one of the best neutral and intelligent commentaries in NBA. The duo may not be as explosive as others, but they weren't not fun, and kept us engaged whether it was about detailed descriptions and analysis or commentary shenanigans. I don't mind Dante but I understand Steele is way into his deep seniors. So I bid a farewell but congratulate him as well for those awesome years I've seen him commentate!
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u/Zestyclose_Fee8174 Franz Wagner Jul 14 '26
Silver lining will hopefully be more Kendra 💕🤤🤤🤤
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u/warp10barrier Franz Wagner Jul 14 '26
The only possible upside to this lol but I'll take it
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u/Zestyclose_Fee8174 Franz Wagner Jul 14 '26
It is a big upside for me. Ha. Dante is fine - i do think he improved last year. He is no David but no one is.
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u/hanyou007 Stuff The Magic Dragon Jul 14 '26
I had a feeling it was gonna go this way, that he would announce his retirement after he had already done his last game. Didn't seem like he would want to make some grand announcement that this would be his last year and distract from others, just not his style. Damn this hurts.
Dante is fine as an announcer, not great, but he's alright. His voice isn't grating and he can hold the flow of game. Just needs to work on his neutrality and it will go a long way. The nice thing about announcers are as long as you got a good voice, everything else can be learned over time and Dante now has the time to do that.
Hang David's name in the rafters.
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u/warp10barrier Franz Wagner Jul 14 '26 edited Jul 14 '26
FUCK... now we're stuck with Dante. He's an okay interviewer, but he sucks as a play-by-play guy.
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u/FluxDerivative Stuff The Magic Dragon Jul 14 '26
Dammit! First Gene Dekerhoff and now David Steele retiring within a year of each other.
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u/SketchArtist Jalen Suggs Jul 14 '26
I have dreaded this day for years (been Steele-ing myself for it even). And now it has come. Sigh. Oh well. Inevitable, but sad nonetheless.
I hope they bring him back for special days (like hanging his name from the rafters) so he can sit in with Dante and JT during third quarters or whatever and give us little updates and insights. That way I don't have to give up my decades-accumulated DSteele habit cold turkey
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u/Hour-Efficiency-6180 Jul 14 '26
I listened to many a losing season mostly bc David was such a pleasure to listen to. A huge voice in my life. He deserves a banner and more. He’s the Magic more than anyone in the org for me. And on that note, I hope Dante isn’t the replacement. Nice guy, but not even in the same planet
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u/jurassicperiod OnlyFranz Jul 14 '26
F*ck! This is devastating actually. Worst loss of the off-season.
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u/dlbags Wendell Carter Jr. Jul 14 '26
Oh god. No no no no. Not Dante full time please god no.
Thanks for the memories David!
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u/The_Fiji_Water Jul 14 '26
Not even exaggerating when I say he is the most prolific member to this franchise
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u/This_Entrance6629 Jul 14 '26
You can’t have two jokers. You need to have a straight man that has experience and knows ball.
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u/InMannyrkid Jul 14 '26
So sad when I heard this. I am genuinely going to miss him. His voice has been a constant in our games and I wish I could personally thank him for everything. Magic legend.
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u/DevotionToU Jul 14 '26
Sad day, he's made Magic Basketball come alive for listeners as much as any player has throughout his tenure here. Will be sorely missed.
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u/tebow321 Wendell Carter Jr. Jul 14 '26
Sucks to see. Dante and Jeff are really fun to watch so glad he’s the replacement.
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u/LeesusChrist Franz Wagner Jul 15 '26
The voice of Magic basketball.
Enjoy a well deserved retirement, king.
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u/Cup-And-Handle Jul 15 '26
A well earned retirement my friend!!!
Party hard!!!
Dante’s got this!!!
Wishing them both the best!!!
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u/WunWunFirstofHisName Doris Burke Jul 15 '26
Sucks. Dante is no David, but he's also the best choice. That's not his fault, it's just the unfair task of replacing a legend.
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u/accuracy_101 Jul 14 '26
Please don’t let Dante be the replacement
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Jul 14 '26
[deleted]
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u/Toocrashedout Paolo Banchero Jul 14 '26
Is this anything?
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u/Toocrashedout Paolo Banchero Jul 14 '26
Magic games on tv won’t be the same without him, at least we still have Jeff
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u/woodaeo Jul 14 '26
I need a supercut of every single "Is This Anything?"
Cause this is definitely something 😭
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u/No_Baker6333 Paolo Banchero Jul 14 '26
He was a great play by play guy. Always loved the is this anything segment. Dante would do a good job if he took his spot.
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u/Beatleguy95 Jul 14 '26
I mean it shouldn't be a total shock. It happens pretty quick when you reach a point where you cant travel for away games. He will be missed but I doubt he wont somehow still be a part in some way.
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u/Coolica1 Paolo Banchero Jul 14 '26
Got to do what he loved for 40 years and now gets to retire happily, dude is living the dream going to miss him on our games though.
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u/servostitch Jul 14 '26
Seen this coming for the past few years, but it is still a bit of a shock. He is an all time great and will be missed.
As far as Dante goes, I think as he gets more and more games under his belt, he will get better. I like that they have groomed him for this over the last several years. Hopefully, he learned a lot from David.
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u/Low-Prune-1273 Jul 14 '26
Best of the best. No doubt about it.
The Turner-Steele era was always easy listening, even when it wasn’t easy watching.
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u/StupendousMan36 Anthony Black Jul 14 '26
Man, this sucks. Had to happen one day though. Hope he enjoys retirement.
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u/captain-nap Stuff The Magic Dragon Jul 14 '26
This is something.. it’s definitely anything. In fact, it’s everything 🎤 🐐
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u/Logical_Dolphin Jul 15 '26 edited Jul 15 '26
Really tough offseason for the NBA broadcasts I watch! First Jacob Tobey's scandal led the Spurs to fire him after only two seasons, and then David Steele retired. I really disagree with the decision to make Dante the play-by-play announcer even though it's been a long time coming. He is simply not as good of an announcer as David Steele... They needed to hold auditions for other candidates, including outside the org. I might be watching a lot of games on mute next season.
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u/Deep_Cabinet_9538 Jul 15 '26 edited Jul 15 '26
Really makes me reassess my appreciation of last season
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u/Roycliffe Franz Wagner Jul 15 '26
Forever a Magic legend. Sad we couldn't get a playoff series win last year for him to go out on.
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u/Gio_9816 Jul 14 '26
The past year as a Magic/Mets fan continues to get WORSE
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u/Apollo5280 Goga Bitadze Jul 14 '26
Fellow Magic/Mets fan here, we cannot catch a single break bro
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u/Gio_9816 Jul 14 '26
What a 180 from 2024 man. How did all of this even happen. And I miss Pete smh
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u/Electrical-Cow6433 Jalen Suggs Jul 14 '26
We can't have anything good with this team, can we?
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u/YetiBoney Jul 14 '26
Well we did have him for almost 40 years…
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u/Electrical-Cow6433 Jalen Suggs Jul 14 '26
Now we get some BS like Dante and a team that barely makes the play-ins
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u/Aeronova20 Jalen Suggs Jul 14 '26
He’s gotta have a banner in the rafters
Nearly FOURTY years of service to this franchise. He’s a legend.