David Steele, the easygoing play-by-play voice who has called Orlando Magic games since the franchise’s birth in 1989, is stepping away from the mic. Steele announced his retirement Tuesday, closing out a remarkable 37-season run that made him one of Central Florida’s most recognizable sports voices and the soundtrack of Magic basketball for generations of fans.
According to WESH, the Magic marked the announcement on social media with a simple but heartfelt sendoff: “Thank you for all the memories and congratulations on an incredible career, David. we wish you and your family nothing but the best.” The team did not spell out plans for a formal farewell ceremony or name a successor in that message.
A career that began with the Gators
Steele, a Jacksonville native, arrived in Orlando in 1989 after seven seasons as the University of Florida’s network coordinator and play-by-play announcer, according to the Orlando Magic site. He handled radio play-by-play for the expansion team’s first nine seasons before moving to television, where he was named the Magic’s TV play-by-play announcer in March 1998.
By the numbers and honors
WESH reports that Steele ultimately logged 28 seasons as the Magic’s television play-by-play man and 37 seasons overall with the franchise. His longevity and impact were formally recognized in 2019, when he was inducted into the Orlando Magic Hall of Fame, an honor highlighted by FOX Sports Florida.
Who’s next in the booth?
The organization has not yet announced a permanent replacement in the broadcast chair. Dante Marchitelli, a longtime sideline reporter who has also filled in on road telecasts, is part of the current TV crew and has picked up extra game duties in recent years, according to broadcast information on the Orlando Magic site. In the meantime, fans and fellow broadcasters have been using social media to share tributes, saluting a familiar voice that helped define Magic game nights.
Steele’s steady cadence, meticulous preparation and deep recall of franchise history turned him into a broadcast fixture for Central Florida. The organization has thanked him publicly, and while the team and city sort out what formal honors might follow, Magic supporters are already pushing for a sendoff worthy of a decades-long run that rarely happens in modern sports broadcasting.
