Who designed the NBA Logo? Alan Siegel from the globally recognized branding and design company Siegel+Gale created the National Basketball Association logo, which currently earns the design firm more than $3 billion in licensing every year. The emblem is very popular and renowned across the world with basketball fans.
Before the Jerry West logo design, the NBA logo design comprised of a simple two-toned basketball, white and grey, with “National Basketball Association” printed on it. Above the logo were written the years during which a season was played. This NBA emblem was put into use between 1960 and 1969.
The current famous NBA logo was designed as close to perfection as possible in 1971 and hasn’t changed till present-day. Some consider it the best NBA logo of all time as it’s an outline of an LA Lakers legend, Jerry West.
The new National Basketball Association emblem came into existence as a consequence of a conflict between the American Basketball Association and its newly-formed rival.
NBA logo History & Development
Did you know the history behind the NBA emblem? All NBA logos created from 1969 to date are strongly linked to the sport and reflect the purpose and passion of the association.
In the eight decades since it was founded, NBA has expanded to thirty teams from just eleven teams. Out of these, twenty-nine teams originate from the United States, and one team hails from Canada.
According to the new structure of the association in 2005, the thirty teams were further divided into two conferences, with fifteen teams each. The two conferences were further dissected into 3 divisions comprising five teams each.
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Eastern Conference
The eastern conference is comprised of three divisions; Atlantic, Central, and Southeast.
The following teams are a part of the Atlantic division:
- Brooklyn Nets
- New York Knicks
- Boston Celtics
- Toronto Raptors
- Philadelphia 76ers
The teams listed below are a part of the Central division:
- Cleveland Cavaliers
- Chicago Bulls
- Indiana Pacers
- Milwaukee Bucks
- Detroit Pistons
The teams mentioned below come under the Southeast division:
- Atlanta Hawks
- Orlando Magic
- Washington Wizards
- Miami Heat
- Charlotte Hornets
The NBAL Finals recent championship (Season 2020-2021) prize winner for the Eastern Conference is Milwaukee Bucks.
The most wins during the championship were earned by the Boston Celtics, who gained the title with seventeen wins since the establishment of the NBA.
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Western Conference
The western conference is also comprised of fifteen teams, with the three divisions being; Northwest, Pacific, and Southwest.
The following teams are part of the Northwest division:
- Oklahoma City Thunder
- Portland Trail Blazers
- Denver Nuggets
- Utah Jazz
- Minnesota Timberwolves
The Pacific division comprises of:
- Los Angeles Lakers
- Los Angeles Clippers
- Phoenix Suns
- Sacramento Kings
- Golden State Warriors
The teams listed below are part of the Southwest division:
- New Orleans Pelicans
- Dallas Mavericks
- Houston Rockets
- San Antonio Spurs
- Memphis Grizzlies
The recent MBA Championship (Season 2019-202) winners for the Western division are LA Lakers. The squad has had the highest number of NBA victories since the union came into being.
Several teams and unions have been highlighted negatively in the past years for alleged social injustices and culturally inappropriate acts. However, NBA and its teams remain unaccused of these claims and free of conflict because of their choice of neutral mascots perhaps.
Many team players of color support peaceful protests and take part in them, thus staying free of accusations like the one on the NFL team, Washington Redskins.
NBA Logo Design Elements
In 2017, only the typeface of the letters on the NBA logo was slightly altered, with the rest of the elements remaining the same. The current emblem depicts svelte lines and a narrow shape of the letters using the traditional sans-serif font.
Siegel was inspired by a picture of Jerry West, who plays for LA Lakers, for the NBA emblem. He was influenced by the way the shot was captured, which truly reflected the essence and dynamism of the sport. An abstract logo was created to represent basketball players in general and not just one player in specific.
Though Jerry West was appreciative of this, he, reportedly, did not feel deserving of this honor. He suggested that the NBA logo represent legends like Michael Jordan or the commissioner of the NBA, Adam Silver.
Appearance & Shape
The NBA logo design has been constant when it comes to sports logos. The dynamic and inspirational emblem consists of a player dribbling the basketball with a clear and comprehensive message. Although the NBA is hesitant in admitting to it, the player in question is Jerry West.
The logo accomplishes quite a lot with its simple design and easy-to-understand message, as it can be understood even if the NBA initials are missing. The emblem is considered to symbolize the pinnacle of excellence of the game.
NBA Logo Color Palette:
Unlike other mainstream logos, the NBA logo is accepted in just one color palette; a mix of white, red, and blue. However, you will likely come across a monochrome version of the emblem in newspapers.
75th-Anniversary NBA logo
NBA delivered its 75th-anniversary logo in 2021, commemorating the success of its finals and accumulatively over the years.
The anniversary emblem characterizes the man in the logo in question inside a diamond shape. Their recent logo will be replicated on their merchandise and court.
The Hue And Cry From Having Kobe Bryant As The Logo
There have been countless efforts and hues and cries from the crowd who want the Jerry West logo replaced with Kobe Bryant to honor the Laker legend’s tragic death. Making the logo change is far more complicated than anticipated despite several attempts.
Fans wanted the NBA league to honor one of their all-time great players’ catastrophic death in January 2020 and for a better representation of the majority of players of the league. Kobe’s wife, Vanessa Bryant, supported the idea of her late husband being part of the logo. Professional American basketball player Kyrie Irving took to his social media account to further reinstate the proposal.
“Gotta Happen, IDC what anyone says. BLACK KINGS BUILT THE LEAGUE,” Irving wrote in the caption of his post.
Undoubtedly, Kobe’s legacy is notably worthy of making him the face of the NBA league; however, it remains impossible to do so as there have been several rapes and criminal allegations against the late legend.
NBA Emblems Made Basketball a Global Sensation
The National Basketball Association has a rich history of achievements and acquiring great success, making the NBA iconic and globally recognized.
The NBA logo has served as an awe-inspiring symbol since it was first designed in 1969. You can subscribe to a professional logo design service for similar iconic logo designs that will prove to be popular among your target audience.
