The cat was already out of the bag before Orlando Magic fans began to file into the Kia Center on Sunday for the preseason home opener against the Miami Heat.
Building permits were filed in the early summer to show that the team was installing a new scoreboard. The giant scoreboard was installed well into the summer for a debut during offseason concerts and last week's hockey exhibition between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers.
Still, walking into the Kia Center for the first Orlando Magic game was a sight to see. The Magic have a refreshed look on the court with new jerseys and logos. The court has a new look.
And the scoreboard is, of course, a new look. It was a good experience for the fans in their first trip inside the arena this season:
new season. new look pic.twitter.com/HMFtm1XFYv
— Orlando Magic (@OrlandoMagic) October 12, 2025
The simplest way to explain this upgrade is to say that the Magic took a scoreboard built in 2010 and turned it into a 2025 scoreboard. It is not the LA Clippers' halo board at Intuit Dome, but it is in line with the scoreboards that have been installed around the league.
The biggest difference? The new scoreboard has 53 million pixels, and the old board had only nine million. It is also a horizontal board instead of a vertical one, making for easier viewing. And the scoreboard includes interior video boards underneath the main scoreboard for those sitting courtside or in the lower bowl.
The Kia Center also installed four LED scoreboards in the arena's corners. They will be used to display stats and other information.
There are obviously still some wrinkles to work out as arena staff learn how to operate the boards and the kind of information they want to display during games. Be patient as they work out what they want to show on the boards. It is preseason for everybody.
But it is a major upgrade to the arena.
It was a strong debut that had fans and players excited to start the season.
"It was super special for everyone to be here for a preseason game," Jase Richardson said after Sunday's game. "It goes to show this is the best fan base in the NBA. To have that support and love in the first preseason game, I can't wait for the regular season."
The Magic listed the game as a sellout on their box score, a rarity for a preseason game. There was certainly good energy. And most of the reviews -- at least from what I saw -- were impressed with the changes within the arena bowl, even if there are still some things to fine-tune. On that note, the sound system, which was not calibrated well for last week's hockey exhibition game, was significantly better for Sunday's game.
That was not the only upgrade. The Magic's locker room also underwent a major renovation, drawing praise from players and staff.
“ten out of ten”
— Orlando Magic (@OrlandoMagic) October 13, 2025
the team reacts to the new player locker room pic.twitter.com/fhzeeuuglt
The new locker room feels bigger, even if it may not be bigger. It is brighter too with new lighting, video boards ringing the player's lockers and new lockers and stalls for the players.
It appears many of the locker room and back-of-house areas for the players were also upgraded as the entire arena underwent a major renovation, as it celebrates its 15th season.
"It's just a phenomenal upgrade," coach Jamahl Mosley said after practice Tuesday. "You think about the time and attention that they took, the details that they went into to make sure they have everything they need, just like this facility [the AdventHealth Training Center]. It's going to be done the right way for a group that is pushing in the right direction to win big."
The rookies Jase Richardson and Noah Penda are certainly a little spoiled that this is the locker room they walk into. Everyone acknowledges that there is a different vibe in the room now and it is indeed a major upgrade.
All of these were in the works well before the team pushed the chips in with the Desmond Bane trade and suddenly had championship expectations. The building needed a bit of a refresh after opening with very few major upgrades in 2010 (the Magic played their first home game in the then-Amway Center on Oct. 10, 2010).
It is a new experience for players and fans. And there still may be a few tweaks and surprises ahead.