Orlando Magic fans won’t get a brand change, but will get new approach to Magic’s current look

The Orlando Magic seem due for a refresh of their look. They will not overhaul that logo yet. But they will have a new approach to their current logo.

Orlando Magic fans have grown a bit bored with the team’s current look.

The Magic have had the same logo now since 2011. It is a fairly bland logo that lacks much character.

Instead of the stylized logo the team used for its prior history — including the iconic star for an “A” — it is simply the words “Orlando Magic” in a vaguely futuristic block font with the secondary logo the Magic have used since the 2000 season.

The Magic have had three logos in their franchise history, each one lasting about a decade. The current logo will be reaching a decade of use this season. It seems like the team is due for a change.

But the team will not go through a brand change as far as anyone knows. There will be no new logo. And the team seems set to the same jersey it has worn since the 2009 season. That would mark the longest the Magic have gone without a jersey design change.

The team’s court has gone largely unchanged too for some time.

The full logo at center court has remained unchanged since moving into the Amway Center for the 2011 season. The only major change was getting rid of the college lane lines, making the paints a solid blue block.

It is easy to see why fans have felt some restlessness for change. Especially as they hope to visually create some distance between what seems like a promising future from a disappointing and frustrating past.

The franchise does not appear set to make a complete overhaul of the franchise’s look. But the team has already unveiled plans to change the aesthetic look of games at the Amway Center.

There are no major changes planned for the logo or the jerseys for the team. But the alternate courts the Magic unveiled in a video earlier this week promises to change the look fo the Amway Center a bit.

For the first time ever, the Magic will have alternate courts. The team will likely still use the same court it has used since moving into the Amway Center as its primary court. But they will at least have some aesthetic changes for a few home games. Courts are not cheap.

The team will debut courts this year that features the team’s secondary logo — the streaking basketball — at midcourt and “ORL” inside the lanes. The court will come with a blue lane and a black pinstriped lane.

The Magic do not appear done from there.

In a leaked rendering of the new courts that NBA teams plan to use this year, the Magic will have one more court that will likely tie into their City Edition jerseys. One that will completely redesign the Magic’s color scheme and logo it appears.

It is a small thing, but it is something. A change in the team’s look or how they currently use their look. That should satisfy fans looking to see the Magic add some new elements to their brand.

The biggest change will be those City Edition jerseys.

The City Edition jersey will continue to rotate and change each year for each team. While Orlando has not announced what that jersey will be, it has long been rumored on the Internet and in Magic chat groups that it will be based on Central Florida’s connection to the citrus industry.

Accompanying that new look would be a new court.

There is no official word yet from the Magic on what their plans are for their City Edition jersey in 2020. But the rumors of an orange-themed jersey are getting some legs.

And they come with the leaked rendering of the potential City Edition court. And it is very orange.

This is definitely a different look for the Magic. Orange is not among their usual colors. Any time a team ventures beyond its team colors, it carries some risk. And indeed, the orange and black theme calls to Halloween or fall more than oranges.

The Magic have never tried wearing a jersey color other than their primary blue, black and white. Venturing to an off-brand color would be a bold look.

While some of Nike’s City Edition designs have been hit or miss — the initial space-themed City Edition jersey got mixed reviews — no one would accuse Nike of not being bold and going for each idea that each team comes up with or wants to pursue.

Fans will have to wait and see whether the team goes through with a completely new direction with its City Edition jerseys this year.

The Magic have gone fairly conservative with their jersey approach in the first two years of the NBA’s apparel contract with Nike.

They made no redesign of their primary jerseys. They kept their new-style pinstripe jerseys in white and blue for their Association and Icon Editions. They changed their black jerseys to include blue pinstripes for their alternate Statement Edition jersey.

About the only bold thing they tried was using a space design for their initial City Edition jersey. They scaled it back for their second City Edition jersey.

While the Magic are not making a massive change to their look, they seem willing to make some tweaks. Or give it a special treatment for one of their alternate jerseys.

There are a few teams that have tried completely different color schemes for their City Edition jerseys. The Utah Jazz’s desert-themed jerseys have been a smashing success and speak specifically to that community.

If Orlando wants this mini-rebrand to work, they will need to make sure their new jerseys — and the court that follows it — speaks to the people of Orlando. Judging by some of the redesigns fans have suggested for the court — or for the jersey itself and even an alternate logo for these games — fans are indeed engaged with the idea.

The Magic’s whole look and branding will not change dramatically this season. In fact, for most games, the Magic will probably look the same.

Judging by the names of the courts — Association, Icon and Core — it feels like the team will use alternate courts only sparingly and likely in conjunction with whatever jersey they are planning to wear for that particular game.

And the Magic will likely get one additional jersey to go with their new City Edition uniforms for making the playoffs last year.

These little changes may satisfy fans’ quest to give the team a bit of a makeover. They may be a trial run for bigger changes the team is considering. Or it may just be an opportunity to move some new and different merchandise.

The Magic are not overhauling their look this year. But they will look a bit different. That much is already clear.