Like last season, the Magic will pay tribute to its teams of the late 1990s and early 2000s in 2023/24. For its 35th anniversary season, the Florida franchise has unveiled a new jersey and a new floor, which will be used a total of ten times during “Classic Nights”.
Obviously, the dominant color of the jersey is blue with a few touches of black and white, without forgetting stars and an iconic font, in order to clearly recall the visual identity ofOrlandonotably that of his teams from 1998-2003, whose slogan was “Heart & Hustle”.
At a time when Penny Hardaway, Tracy McGrady, Nick Anderson, Darrell Armstrong, Horace Grant, Grant Hill or Mike Miller succeeded one another and/or coexisted in the squad, with Chuck Daly and especially Doc Rivers on the bench.
“ For more than three decades, Magic fans have shown their love for this team, and especially for this “Heart & Hustle” era. A team that represents hard work and determination, a team that left everything on the floor. These characteristics are forever ingrained in the history of our organization and bring immense pride to Magic fans and the city “, said Alex Martinsthe president of Orlando, at the time of the presentation of the jersey and the floor.
If the Magic never went further than the first round of the playoffs between 1998/99 and 2002/03, they collectively left their mark by being very close to eliminating the Pistons in 2003. Despite their status as head of the series #8, Tracy McGrady’s teammates led 3-1 in the series, before collapsing.