​The news Tuesday that David Steele is retiring after 37 seasons as the voice of the Orlando Magic landed like the end of a long, engaging conversation.Because that’s what it always felt like.Not like a broadcaster talking at you.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementBut like an old friend sitting on the couch talking to you.For nearly 40 years — first on the radio and then on television — Steele was there through every chapter of Orlando Magic basketball. He described the miracle moments and the miserable ones. He called playoff triumphs, lottery seasons, buzzer-beaters and blown leads with the same steady voice that fans welcomed into their living rooms night after night, year after year, decade after decade.National broadcasters become famous.Local broadcasters become family.Mike Breen has “Bang!” Kevin Harlan has his unmistakable excitement. Mike Tirico can make any event sound important. They are among the finest play-by-play broadcasters in the business for good reason.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementBut they parachute into your city a handful of times every few seasons.The local play-by-play announcer is there for every chapter. He’s there on the random Tuesday night in Charlotte when the team loses by 18. He’s there during tanking seasons when victories are scarce. He’s there when lottery picks become All-Stars, when coaches come and go, when championships remain elusive but hope somehow returns every October.He doesn’t just witness a franchise’s history.He becomes part of it.No one embodied that better than David Steele.“When I interviewed with Pat Williams back in 1988, I never dreamed it would play out this way,” Steele said upon announcing his retirement. “Now it is time for me to put the microphone down and spend time with my family. It’s been an honor to represent the Orlando Magic, and I am forever grateful.”AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIt’s fitting that the Magic inducted Steele into their Hall of Fame seven years ago. He wasn’t simply honored because he called more than 2,200 games.He earned that distinction because his voice became part of the franchise’s identity.You simply can’t separate Orlando Magic history from David Steele.He was there from the franchise’s birth in 1989.He narrated the arrival of Shaquille O’Neal.He narrated the departure of Shaquille O’Neal.He chronicled Penny Hardaway’s brilliance.He described Tracy McGrady’s scoring explosions, Dwight Howard’s dominance and today’s young, ascending Magic team.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementHe was there for the rebuilds and the rebuilds of the rebuilds.He was there through the exhilarating march to the 1995 and 2009 NBA Finals, the devastating playoff exits and the countless seasons when hope was all Magic fans really had.The remarkable thing wasn’t simply that he stayed. It was how he did his job.Steele understood something many broadcasters never learn. He understood the game isn’t about t