What's the story of the National Basketball Association's teams and logos? The National Basketball Association (NBA) was established on and originally known as the Basketball Association of American (BAA).
View every official NBA logo from past to present. See NBA teams logo updates, design shifts, and changes in the NBA logo history timeline.
When was the NBA logo created? And who is the player featured on the logo? Learn everything about the fascinating history of the iconic logo.
The History of the NBA Logo – Why is Jerry West “The Logo”?
The NBA logo conveys the image of a league that combines the highest level of professionalism with a deep dedication to basketball. Its composition is filled with the dynamism and fluidity of movement, creating the anticipation of a spectacular game, precise tactical maneuvers, and masterful ball control.
1950–1953: The First Logo The original NBA logo drastically differed from the logo we associate with the organization today. This was introduced by the NBS and was composed of a circular emblem that showed the entire basketball in white. The logo showed the “National Basketball Association” in red, with the middle word significant and centered and the first and third words toward the top ...
In 1969, then-NBA commissioner J. Walter Kennedy tasked brand identity consultant Alan Siegel with creating a new logo for the league that would match that of Major League Baseball (whose logo Siegel had overseen the development of). The now-iconic blue-and-red logo is based on a photograph of athlete Jerry West, taken by Wen Roberts (although the NBA itself has denied the identity of the ...