There’s nothing wrong with the NBA logo. It is timeless, smooth and instantly identifiable.
That it’s Jerry West’s silhouette is meaningless to most people who see it. The logo is designed with a silhouette of West dribble, but designer Alan Siegel did not choose the image because of who it was – even though West, John Havlicek and Oscar Robertson were his favorite players – but because a particular photo grabbed him.
“It had a nice taste to it,” Siegel said in a 2010 interview. ‘I took that photo and we tracked it down. It was perfect. It was vertical and had a sense of movement. It was just one of those things that clicked. ”
The logo has been the same for almost half a century, and although there has been occasional talk of changing it – possibly in honor of Michael Jordan – the West silhouette has hung there. Of course, it is always possible to do something better, but change for the sake of change is not the way a change is needed.
Kyrie Irving believes the logo should now change to Kobe Bryant, and this week he posted an image on Instagram in which he captioned: ‘Gotta Happen, idc what anyone says. BLACK KINGS BUILD THE LEAGUE ”
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Irving does have a point of honoring black excellence, but Bryant is not the answer.
“I know it’s probably been met with some people who like it – who love the idea – and others who don’t like it,” Irving said. Thursday night after the Nets’ victory over the Magic. “But my thing is to pay homage to the example set by the man.”
It’s now more than a year since Bryant’s tragic death in a helicopter crash with his daughter Gianna and seven other people. Although it was understandable in the immediate aftermath that people wanted to honor the impact he had as a hero for this generation of players. women’s basketball support, there was never a settlement with the fact that Bryant only escaped a rape trial because the alleged victim prosecutors said she could not continue with the case after receiving death threats, he finally settled a civil case out of court.
“While I truly believe this meeting between us was consensual, I realize that she did not see this incident in the same way as I did,” Bryant said in a 2004 statement.
There’s a big difference between respecting the positive impact Bryant has had on the NBA and on so much in and around the game, and making him the image that defines the league for decades. We can not forget rape just because we loved someone.
Further to Irving’s point here in Black History Month, if you want to talk about ‘BLACK KINGS BUILT THE LEAGUE’, you honor someone who helped do the building work. Wilt Chamberlain dive would be a fantastic choice. Or Bill Russell flight. Or Walt Frazier gives a pass. Or Robertson.
There are many good choices. But the NBA can take time, because after all, there is nothing wrong with the logo as it is. No matter what change they make, even if they do, they need to make sure it’s an improvement and that Bryant is not the logo.