Orlando - Basketball Capital of Florida

The greater Orlando area is hereby pronounced as the hoops capital of Florida. The Orlando Magic are one of the most exciting, and now one of the best teams in the entire NBA, and the lesser known UCF Knights boast one of the best home court advantages in all of the nation, and have one of the handful of most exciting players in the country, in Jermaine Taylor.

The Orlando Magic may play in a dated venue, as the Amway Arena doesn’t have many of the creature comforts and luxury boxes of some of the newer venues around the league, but the competitive pricing as far as concessions and ticket packages make the spectator experience superior to most. On “Magic Mondays,” the team offers $1 hot dogs, popcorn, and soft drinks, making it affordable for a family to see one of the finest shows in sports. With lower level tickets priced from $30, it’s simply difficult to beat the entertainment per dollar that the Orlando Magic provide on a nightly basis.

The Magic are much more than just a cheap ticket, as they have currently the third-best record in all the NBA at 31-8. Orlando is the home of perhaps the most explosive big man in the league in Dwight Howard, and if you like three-point shooting, you’ll love the Magic, as they shoot the second-highest percentage in the league from behind the arc (40%).

The Magic get plenty of national attention, but one team in town that deserves more is the UCF Knights. The Knights play in the gorgeous UCF Arena, which seats 9500 insane fans, who stay loud and proud from the opening tip to the final buzzer. With tickets that are just a matter of a few feet away from the court starting at less than $20, the Knights offer an excellent product for the money.

"Let me just make some general comments," Memphis coach John Calipari said during his post-game press conference Saturday. "I can not believe that (new basketball) facility, those dorms, that street, that football facility. I don't understand. I would say that if this area, this city, doesn't grasp this program, these programs, I just don't get it."

Although the UCF Arena is one of the finest venues in all of college basketball, the Arena isn’t the only reason to watch UCF basketball. Knights star guard Jermaine Taylor is currently the seventh-leading scorer in the NCAA (23.3 ppg.) and his high-flying style of basketball will certainly land him in the NBA next season.

“Jermaine Taylor is one of the best we’ve seen this season,” Memphis head coach John Calipari said.

If you’re a basketball fan who lives in Central Florida, it’s an embarrassment of riches to have entertainment options such as the Orlando Magic and UCF Knights in your backyard. As great as the Orlando Magic are, there’s no experience quite like college basketball, considering the energy of the fanbase and the superior level of effort. With good seats available for both teams, it’s really time that the community jumped on the bandwagon of these two great programs.