On Tuesday morning, the Orlando Magic unveiled a rebrand that overhauled their logo and jerseys. This marks the first time in 16 years that the club has changed their logo, and the first time their Association and Icon jerseys have changed since 2017.
The logo harkens back to the Magic’s first ever logo from 1989, but with a modern twist. The emblem features the iconic blue basketball, as well as a surrounding black circle to represent the O in Orlando.
Each jersey holds a piece of history in them as well. The white Association and the blue Icon uniforms are clear references to their original kits from the 1990’s. The most unique of these fits is their Statement jersey, which pays homage to the warm-up jackets players like Shaquille O’Neal and Penny Hardaway wore in the 90s.
Magic guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope spoke highly of the new uniforms, saying, “This is [the] No. 1 [jersey] for me because of the history behind it. I’ve always loved the pinstripe since Shaq and Penny. I’m excited about the new uniforms.”
In addition to the rebrand reveal, a free community event was held at the Kia Center Tuesday night to let the public view the makeover. The event had displays featuring retro gear, signature shoes from Magic history, and a workshop used to create the rebrand.
The arena also played host to free games, popcorn, and music, as well as the opportunity to take your picture on the hardwood. Finally, there was a pop-up merch store next to the court, featuring collaborations from Lululemon, Duvin, and Jeff Hamilton.
Orlando Magic CEO Alex Martins said at the reveal, “Hopefully our fans are happy with it. Based on the feedback we got from them during the process, I certainly think we’ve delivered something they asked us for.”
Author’s Opinion
Overall, I am a huge fan of the rebrand. As a fan of the Magic, I had not seen a new logo since I was four-years-old, and was scared to see what the new product would be. This delivered on all fronts, as the mixture of contemporary art with the classic Magic imagery. I cannot wait to catch games at the Kia Center next year and see our stars shine in this new gear.