There is nothing wrong with the NBA logo. It is timeless, soft and instantly identifiable.
That Jerry West’s silhouette doesn’t make sense to most people who see it. The logo was designed with a western dribbling silhouette, however designer Alan Siegel he didn’t choose the image because of who he was, even though West, John Havlicek, and Oscar Robertson were his favorite players, but because a particular photograph caught him.
“It tasted nice,” Siegel said in a 2010 interview. “So I took this picture and we traced it. It was perfect. He was upright 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 to honor Michael Jordan, the silhouette of the west has hung on it. It is always possible to do something better, of course, but change for the sake of change is not the way to go when change really is not needed.
Kyrie Irving now believes the logo should be changed to Kobe Bryant, posting an image on Instagram this week titled, “Gotta Happen, idc what anyone says. THE BLACK KINGS BUILD THEEN THE LEAGUE ”
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Irving has a point about honoring black excellence, but Bryant is not the answer.
“I know he probably met some people who love him, who love the idea, and some people who don’t love him,” Irving said. Thursday night after the Nets ’victory over the Magic. “But mine is to pay homage to the example that man has set.”
It’s been more than a year since Bryant’s tragic death in a helicopter crash with his daughter Gianna and seven other people. Although it was immediately understood that people wanted to honor the impact he had as a hero on this generation of players and their women’s basketball support, it has never been taken into account that Bryant only escaped a rape trial because the alleged victim told prosecutors that he could not proceed with the case after receiving death threats, and finally settled a civil lawsuit out of court.
“While I really think this meeting between us was consensual, I now recognize that she didn’t see and doesn’t see this incident the same way I did,” Bryant said in a 2004 statement.
There’s a big difference between honoring the positive impact Bryant had in the NBA and in so many and so many around the game and turning it into the image that defines the league over the next few decades. We don’t forget about rape just because we liked someone.
Beyond Irving’s point here in Black History Month, if you want to talk about “BLACK KINGS BUILT THE LIGUE,” honor someone who helped make the building. Wilt Chamberlain wrapped it would be a fantastic choice. Or Bill Russell takes flight. Or Walt Frazier throws a pass. Or Robertson.
There are so many great options. But the NBA can take its time, because, after all, there is nothing wrong with the logo as it is. Whatever change they make, if they even do, they need to make sure it’s an improvement and not the Bryant logo.