During the Orlando Magic's 35th anniversary season during the 2023-24 season, Jamahl Mosley and his coaching staff began wearing a pullover with the team's original secondary logo -- a full-sized basketball trailed by a stream of stars.
Immediately, fans went over the moon over this look. Anything with the old logo or the original jersey set gets fans excited. It makes them wistful for the glory days when Shaquille O'Neal and Anfernee Hardaway were taking the league by storm and the team was new and unbeatable.
That season, the Magic wore the Tracy McGrady-era stars jersey as their throwbacks for the first time, after previously using the original throwback uniforms for anniversary seasons. It was a popular choice among players and fans. Everyone loves an old Magic jersey.
The string of throwback gear made fans only more nostalgic for their favorite jersey sets. It was clear that the Magic's original logo and everything from their past was in. Fans longed to see this look return.
Ask any Magic fan and they will say the team's original jersey, original logo and original everything were the best. Why couldn't the Magic go back to that?
NBA rules prevent that. But with a long-anticipated rebrand rumored for several years, fans could only wonder how the Magic could return to their original look.
Having virtually the same jersey set since the 2009 season left fans restless and nostalgic. With the Magic's resurgence and return to the playoffs, thanks to a set of new stars to lead the next generation, it felt like time for a new look.
A new look that calls back to the team's original logo and jersey set.
It may not be exactly what Shaquille O'Neal and Anfernee Hardaway wore. But it is something that calls back to the Magic's original look while allowing Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs to forge their own look.
The Magic unveiled a new logo, jersey set and court on Tuesday, returning to a look that calls back to their original logo and jersey set in every way, but still giving it a modern twist. It is something nostalgic fans will surely enjoy, but is also distinctive with a new font and look.
This generation of the Magic have a look of their own. But one that still reaches to the past for inspiration as this franchise tries to push forward.
“The Orlando Magic’s mission is to be world champions on and off the court. The logo and uniforms are an extension of that mission and a direct reflection of the excellence our organization strives for from our ownership to our staff, coaches and players," Magic Executive Vice President of Marketing and Social Responsibility Shelly Wilkes said in a press release. “Based on fan feedback, the new logo was a collaboration and really a labor of love, keeping in mind the affinity our fans have for our brand identity. This logo and new uniforms signify the beginning of a new era of excellence for the Magic while paying homage to the past."
The new logo follows the trend of circular logos, but brings back the full basketball that was the secondary logo for the team's original logo -- used from 1989-98. There are not as many stars trailing it as the original logo, but it calls back to that original look, conveying that sense of motion.
Longtime fans will be pleased with this return. Just as they will be pleased with the pinstripe uniforms of the Magic's Association Edition whites and Icon Edition blues.
If the Magic could not return to their original pinstripe jerseys, this is the next best thing. Whether fans like it will come down to their comfort with the team's new font.
The biggest design change, then, is another callback to the team's past. After ditching the Star as a key part of the logo in the team's redesign in 2010, the Star is back as a focal point in the logo, replacing the A in both Orlando and Magic as it did in the original logo and wordmarks. That is prominent in the jersey and several of the team's wordmarks.
The boldest move comes in the team's Statement Edition jersey. A black pinstripe jersey that tilts Magic across the chest like in the team's original road warmup jerseys. It then uses blue above the logo, creating the Magic's first two-color jersey.
With everything the Magic did with this look, they called back to the team's celebrated past. The team still sells its Hardwood Classics gear, and it is among the team's top sellers, accounting for 14 percent of the team's total sales and among the top 10 items the team sells.
Fans have always clamored for a return to the team's original look, or as close as the team could get to them.
This certainly accomplishes that.
The team's new logo cements the connection to the past while visually signifying the beginning of a new era of Magic basketball.
There may still be a call to go back to the team's original jerseys for throwback nights -- mark the 2028-29 season for the team's 40th anniversary -- but there is less need of it now. Orlando has made a new version of its beloved jerseys.
Now the team has to make these jerseys memorable on the court.