John Denton of the Florida Today reports: Toronto Raptors power forward Antonio Davis said before Tuesday's season-opener against Orlando that he appreciated the Magic's interest in attempting to sign him this past summer, but such a scenario never came close to materializing.
Orlando targeted the rugged 6-foot-9, 240-pounder last summer, even visiting Davis' southwest Orlando home just minutes into the free-agent period. But with only the $4.5 million veteran exception to offer, the Magic were never a serious contender in the Davis sweepstakes. He eventually signed a seven-year, $64 million deal to return to Toronto.

"I appreciate their efforts," Davis said. "I appreciate that they were very honest with me and that they took the time to show some interest."

In other news Doc Rivers had some words for Milwaukee Bucks Head Coach George Karl.

Rivers is still fuming that Karl questioned the Magic's loyalty two seasons ago when they pursued free agents Tracy McGrady and Grant Hill. The two coaches exchanged barbs repeatedly in the playoffs.

Before Tuesday's opener, Rivers took yet another verbal swipe at Karl. He questioned how loyal the Bucks were to center Scott Williams, who was traded to Denver last week to clear room for the acquisition of forward Anthony Mason.

"The next time George Karl starts talking about loyalty go ask Scott Williams what he thinks," Rivers said. "Don't give me a loyalty speech about my team and then go out and do what you did to Scott Williams."

Michael Jordan didn't make the only comeback Tuesday night.

In an impressive season-opening victory over the Toronto Raptors, the Orlando Magic finally got a look at the Grant Hill they expected to see before foot surgery took him out last season. Hill scored 22 points on 9-of-14 shooting and contributed three rebounds and five assists to the 114-85 rout.

Patrick Ewing came back to the Eastern Conference with 12 points, eight rebounds and three blocks as the Magic led all the way before a crowd of 16,088 that gave them three standing ovations.

Tracy McGrady came back to where he left off last season with a game-high 23 points and a complete defensive shackling of the Raptors' Vince Carter.

The Magic shot 61 percent and held their own on the boards against one of the best rebounding teams in the NBA. And that wasn't even what they did best.

This one-two punch is going to look more like a double-barreled shotgun.

Opponents this season will run for cover.

Tracy McGrady found the co-star he was looking for, welcoming back a healthy Grant Hill, and together they opened a new era in Orlando Magic basketball Tuesday night.

These Twin Trophies are going to work just fine.

The Magic opened the 2001-2002 NBA season with a splash even bigger than they hoped for, running over, around and through the Toronto Raptors 114-85 at the TD Waterhouse Centre.

George Diaz of the Orlando Sentinel reports: Despite the obvious networking opportunity, Orlando Magic officials kept it social Tuesday night when playing host to a number of local politicians who will help shape the future of the franchise in the coming years.

Orlando Mayor Glenda Hood and County Chairman Richard Crotty joined Gov. Jeb Bush as courtside guests of Magic owner Rich DeVos, who insisted there was "no shop talk" before all three guests left after the first quarter.

"We're playing basketball, remember," DeVos said.

Expect the conversations to get animated in the months to come. With issues regarding a new $250 million arena largely financed through tourism tax dollars -- and local resistance to ante up the dollars to accommodate a privately owned sports franchise -- the Magic are likely to consider all options.

Including relocation or selling the franchise.

"We're not starting the process," Magic President Bob Vander Weide said. "We're not talking about the process. But when we get into the new year, and who knows, it might be March or April when we start talking about this, the direction and the options and the opportunities in front of us will feel quite different than where we were having left off.

The Orlando Magic handed out stickers for fans to affix to their shirts Tuesday night. The sticker was round, featured the franchise logo and had one word on it.

Believe.

Well, you know what they say.

Seeing is believing.

What these Magic fans see, and see early, is important. Disposable income is a narrower slice of the pie, a new arena is still a handful of straws to be grasped at, and Tampa is making goo-goo eyes at the only major league sports franchise Central Florida has ever known.

Yes, seeing is believing, and what Magic fans saw on opening night at the TD Waterhouse Centre should go a long way toward making believers out of even the most hardened skeptic.

Orlando Magic coach Doc Rivers said he doesn't mind that many so-called NBA experts are picking his team to win the Eastern Conference this season.

He also said he doesn't think his team deserves it because it hasn't won anything yet.

Rivers and the Magic fans got a chance Tuesday night to see if their team can back up the lofty predictions.

"If you average out all the publications, they probably had us tied with Milwaukee to win the East," Rivers said. "Actually, I don't mind it at all.

"I'm not sure how the players feel about it. I don't know if it has any affect on them at all. I'm sure they know about it, but I haven't heard one word about it from any of them."

Good for Michael Jordan.

He certainly deserved all the attention and adulation he received upon making his much-anticipated return to the NBA Tuesday night. After all, His Airness once again taking flight might just be the biggest professional basketball story of all time.

But with all due respect to His Exalted Baldness, the greatest above-air show in the NBA took place right here on opening night. Jordan got the exposure; Orlando got the exhilaration.

"To me, this is the marquee game, but nobody cares because everybody's watching Michael," Magic Coach Doc Rivers said of last night's season opener between two Eastern Conference heavyweights -- the Magic and the Toronto Raptors. "You've got Tracy McGrady, Grant Hill and Vince Carter in the same arena, and you're going to watch the Wizards? What the hell is that about? But you know what, if I wasn't working, I'd probably be watching Michael, too."

Orlando fans will have to be satisfied with simply watching a contender.

I know this was only opening night. I know this was only one game with 81 still left. But if you're a Magic fan, how can you not be totally ecstatic with what happened in Game 1 of Magic Championship Run II?

A 29-point victory?

Grant Hill scores 22?

Tracy McGrady 23?

It was supposed to be a marquee match-up of two bright young teams.  Well, two teams with bright young starts Vince Carter and Tracy MacGrady backed up by aging players like Patrick Ewing and Hakeem Olajuwan.  As a match-up it fell flatter than a pancake with the Magic winning 114 - 85.

But the big news was an injury to Vince Carter.  Carter banged into Horace Grant's knee in the second quarter, and lay on the court in pain for several minutes.  He returned for a couple of minutes in the third quarter before stopping for the night.  A Toronto spokesman said the initial diagnosis showed no structural damage, only a bruise and X-rays were negative.

Tracy McGrady and Vince Carter were teammates two years ago when the Toronto Raptors made the NBA playoffs for the first time but lacked a sense of direction.

Patrick Ewing and Hakeem Olajuwon seemed destined a year ago to finish their careers in obscurity with teams contending for the draft lottery instead of a championship.

Now, the Orlando Magic's season opener tonight against the Raptors has taken on the feel of a potential preview of the Eastern Conference finals more than six months down the road. McGrady will have Ewing, Horace Grant and a healthy Grant Hill to begin his second season with the Magic. And Carter's summer included him receiving a six-year contract extension worth nearly $94 million from the Raptors, who also acquired Olajuwon from the Houston Rockets.

The Philadelphia 76ers and the Milwaukee Bucks squared off in the conference finals last spring. But many national publications and broadcasters have established either the Magic or the Raptors as the preseason favorites in the East.

"We're a championship team on paper. I think so," McGrady said. "In my eyes, we're a championship team. But it really doesn't mean anything if you haven't proven yourself. That's why we have to go out and do it."

Three-year honeymoon sounds like an oxymoron, but that's what Doc Rivers is beginning with the Orlando Magic tonight.

Plucked from a television job two years ago, Rivers became an instant coach of the year. He has said all the right things, and done a whole lot of them, too, while spouting the now-familiar line that he's just feeling his way in this business.

Rivers is popular and smart and charismatic. He hasn't yet had a player challenge his authority or his methods, although that day surely will come. Everybody, with the possible exception of Milwaukee coach George Karl, likes Rivers.

He has proven he can take a team with heart and hustle and not much else to the brink of the playoffs. He has proven he can help a 21-year-old with enormous potential pull a supporting cast to the first round.