Updating the Orlando Magic all-time jersey rankings

Can the new orange Magic jerseys upset one of the pinstriped classics?

By Mike Cali May 1, 2020, 9:00am EDT

Sometimes your clothes go out of style. And then years later they make a comeback.

There is no method to the madness of fashion cycles, and its no different with Orlando Magic jerseys. Designs you at one time didn’t like suddenly look much better. You now love those jerseys you used to like, and/or like those you used to love.

A few Magic jerseys have been added to the closet in recent seasons — one of which was drastically different from any we had seen before. With it being “Sports Jerseys Week” at SB Nation, it seemed like the perfect time to update the Orlando Magic jersey rankings that we did in 2018 and make some minor modifications.

Keep in mind this is just one opinion and rankings will vary a great deal based on personal preference. But without further ado...

16. Stars

NBA: Cleveland Cavaliers at Orlando Magic

The Stars alternate jersey, with the blue and white stripes bookending the secondary logo, reminded me of something out of the Summer League. The Magic don’t look thrilled with their wardrobe in this photo.

15. Pride

The Magic shifted away from the traditional blue/black/white color schemes and added sleeves for the first time with the Pride jersey. It did not go over well.

14. Blue Block

The Blue Block road jersey from Dwight Howard’s younger years was from when the league was taking a minimalist approach with jersey style. A little too bland...and baggy.

13. White Block

The White Block home jersey, while also bland, was a classy look. If only we had seen Grant Hill in it, or any other Magic jersey, more often.

12. Space City Edition

I liked the prominent use of the Magic logo on the City Edition jersey. The night sky backdrop, which the Magic said “celebrates the magic that exists in our solar system and beyond” was fine to experiment with.

I’d recommend experimenting with the logo in place of the team name on the Magic’s regular pinstriped uniforms.

11. Modern White Pinstripe

The White Pinstripe home jersey that debuted in 2008 coincided with the Magic’s run to the NBA Finals. They looked even better with that trophy patch on them.

The Association edition of the home whites have only subtle changes, so we’ll include them here too...

10. Space City Edition Part II

The Space City Editions got an upgrade in their follow-up season. The starry night pattern was toned dow and limited to the side panels, giving a clean, solid black look. If I was designing them, I’d eliminate the side panels entirely, and center the jersey number.

9. Statement Edition Blue

Love this shade of blue, and it looks very clean without the pinstripes. Would be even better without the out-of-place black side panels.

8. Modern Black Pinstripe

The Magic brought the Black Pinstripe design back into the rotation in 2010 as an alternate jersey, with white pinstripes and a blue side panel (not pictured). The Statement jersey introduced in 2017 (pictured) eliminated the blue panel and added more linear blue pinstripes, gaining points for each change.

7. Star White

The deep-blue logo on the Star White home jersey always came off as somewhat cartoonish to me and the in-laid star pattern didn’t pop the way it did on the road blue jersey. I’ve grown to further appreciate its simplistic look and I’m hoping the Magic bring back the jerseys of this era for classic nights.

6. Modern Blue Pinstripe

The return of the Blue Pinstripe jersey in 2008, albeit a toned down and non-linear version compared to the 1990s version, was appreciated.

5. City Edition Orange

Even though they look like something straight out of the Phoenix Sun’s closet, I give the Magic a lot of credit for doing something drastically different. Fans either really love the orange jerseys or really hate them, with seemingly no in between.

Honoring Central Florida’s ties to the citrus industry, the jersey deviates from the team’s traditional color scheme, featuring a dark gray base with orange lettering and trim. With some orange pinstripes, and perhaps the vintage “Orlando” across the chest, these jerseys could jump a few spots.

4. Pinstriped White

The 1990s dominated the top three in our last installment, but there was a shake-up this time around. The original whites will still always hold a special place, and you could easily put any of these top four at No. 1 and I would not argue.

Easily the best white jersey in the Magic’s wardrobe.

3. The Star Blue

The T-Mac era jerseys are taking a jump and breaking up the 1990s jersey dynasty.

The Star Blue (and the subsequent Star Blue Light) is from an era when the league had more animated uniforms. The white logo contrasts perfectly to the blue, and the stars pop.

If the Magic ever go back to these and unveil a black version with a muted gray or white star pattern, it could take the top spot.

2. Pinstriped Black

When I think back to the Orlando Magic glory days, these are the first jerseys that come to mind. In the original ranking, they were in the top spot and I still feel they are the most iconic of all Magic jerseys. (As I mentioned recently, I wore this jersey in my sixth-grade school photo).

But that doesn’t necessarily make them the best looking.

1. Pinstriped Blue

The alternate Pinstripe Blue made a return to the court during the 2018-2019 season and seeing them in action once again catapulted them to the top of the list.

These jerseys are probably the most popular on a national level, and among the top-sellers, having been a must-have for many NBA fans in the mid-90s.

If the Magic went back to all of the mid-90s jerseys on a full-time basis, it would make a lot of people very happy.

Is there some Magic fan out there who actually hates the look of the classic pinstripes? Which jerseys do you own? (For me it’s Shaq, Penny, T-Mac, Howard, and I’ll even admit it, Steve Francis). Which jersey should be removed from the Magic’s history and forgotten about?

Join the conversation below.