Orlando Magic Chief Executive Officer/Vice Chair Bob Vander Weide has announced that Alex Martins has been promoted to Team President and Otis Smith has been promoted to President of Basketball Operations. In addition, Head Coach Stan Van Gundy has agreed to a multi-year contract extension. All contracts run through the 2012-13 season. Per team policy, other terms of the deals are not disclosed.
“Alex, Otis and Stan have brought great energy, dedication, leadership and vision to our organization,” said Vander Weide. “As a team, both from a basketball and business standpoint, they have us moving in a very positive direction and toward our ultimate goal of winning an NBA Championship.”
Since re-joining the organization in June of 2005, Martins has led the Magic in its business operations, while overseeing a ticket sales effort which saw the largest increase in attendance in the NBA, the growth of the Magic season ticket sales base to its largest point in team history, the most new sales and season tickets sold in the league in two of the last four years, the largest group sales effort in team history and the team’s highest season ticket renewal rate over the last seven years. Martins was also instrumental in helping to secure the new state-of-the-art Amway Center in Orlando, which is scheduled to open in October 2010.
Smith was originally promoted to general manager on May 3, 2006. He is responsible for overseeing basketball operations, including player acquisitions via the draft, free agency and trades, player development, scouting and salary cap management. Under Smith’s leadership, the Magic have posted a regular season record of 210-118 (.640), claimed three consecutive Southeast Division titles (2007-08 to 2009-10) and reached the NBA Finals in 2009.
Van Gundy has a career NBA head coaching regular season record of 282-149 (.654) and a 170-76 (.691) record with the Magic. During its last three seasons with Van Gundy at the helm (2007-08 to 2009-10), Orlando has won three straight Southeast Division championships, reached the Eastern Conference Finals in back-to-back seasons (2008-09, 2009-10) and captured the Eastern Conference title in 2008-09. This past season, he was named head coach of the Eastern Conference in the 2010 NBA All-Star Game in Dallas and also earned the NBA’s Eastern Conference Coach of the Month honor twice.
