Shaquille O'Neal and the Orlando Magic

As an experienced community manager with CCMC in Plano, Texas, Luke Kenzik assists in the development of large community associations. He has also managed community development in the Tallahassee region. An economics graduate of Florida State University, Luke Kenzik enjoys following a number of Florida sports teams, including the Orlando Magic.

The Orlando Magic joined the National Basketball Association (NBA) as part of the 1989 expansion draft. Just three years later, the team selected Shaquille O’Neal as the first overall pick in the 1992 NBA Draft, a move that immediately changed the course of the franchise.

After managing just 18, 31, and 21 wins in the three previous seasons, O’Neal led the Magic to a record of 41 wins and 41 losses while averaging 23.4 points, 13.9 rebounds, and 3.5 blocked shots. The following season he increased his scoring to 29.3 points per game. The team improved to 50 wins and made its first postseason appearance, though the series ended in a loss to the Indiana Pacers.

Over the course of the 1994-1995 season, O’Neal led the league in scoring as the Magic again increased its win total to 57. For the first time in his career, O’Neal experienced postseason success. He propelled Orlando past the Boston Celtics three games to one during the first round of the playoffs before eliminating the Chicago Bulls in six games. In the Eastern Conference Finals, the Magic once again faced the Pacers. This time Orlando played the Pacers competitively, ultimately advancing in seven games.

The Magic next faced the Houston Rockets in the 1995 NBA Finals. Houston’s front line of Hakeem Olajuwon and Robert Horry challenged O’Neal, who averaged 25.7 points for the postseason, and the Rockets eliminated the Magic in four games. O’Neal helped Orlando to another first place finish in the Eastern Conference the following season, but the Magic fell in five games to the Miami Heat in the first round of the playoffs. O’Neal would leave the team during the off season and the Magic would not make another NBA Finals appearance until 2009.

Training Labradors to Hunt

Luke Kenzik is the operations manager of Tallahassee, Florida-based Southwood Residential Community Association, a residential property managed by Capital Consultants Management Corporation. He will soon serve as a portfolio manager for four developing communities in the Dallas, Texas, area. In his spare time, Luke Kenzik enjoys several outdoor sports and activities, including hunting wild game with the help of his 3-year-old Labrador Retriever.

Labradors are a breed of dog that have been famously bred to hunt waterfowl. They possess a natural ability to retrieve dead or injured birds from water. However, a Labrador should begin training early in its life to become the optimal hunting dog. Choosing the right Labrador puppy can be an important part of the process. Those bred from a line of active hunters as opposed to house pets are generally easier to train for hunting.

A future hunting Lab should be taught basic commands at an early age and should be taken to different outdoor locations often as a puppy. Once the puppy has established general obedience training, it is advisable to introduce the puppy to water so he or she can become comfortable with swimming. The puppy should also be brought to the owner’s target practice to become familiar with the sound of gunfire.

An important step in training a new hunting Labrador is teaching the dog to retrieve upon hearing a specific word or command. Unlike playing a game of fetch with a household pet, it should be emphasized to hunting dogs that retrieval is only allowed when the specific command is given. Scented dummies are available to help dogs find and retrieve the dummies during training hunts on land. Decoys used for hunting should be placed a far distance from the dog, and a dog can be taught to ignore decoys and other animals in the environment by receiving a reward for focusing only on the dummies.

Finally, the Labrador should be introduced to water training. This is as easy as commanding the dog to retrieve scented dummies in water. Practice makes perfect, and going on practice hunts can help the dog improve in any weak areas.