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Evolution of NBA Team Logos Feature

Tue Aug 23, 2011 1:07 pm

Feature article here on the official website of the Orlando Magic. On one hand, a sign of how there really isn't much to talk about during the lockout. All the same, it's interesting to look at a timeline of the logos for all the teams in the league.

Which are your favourites for each team? Mine would be:

Hawks: Probably their current logo or the previous version before the colour change.

Celtics: Again, I like both of the last two designs but I'd give the nod to their current logo. I've always liked the extra colour they added to celebrate their 50th anniversary.

Bobcats: Pretty much the same logo with some very subtle changes. I recall not being a huge fan of the logo or the name when they first entered the league but I've grown used to both. I guess I like the orange in the current logo a bit better.

Bulls: Trick question since they're the only team to have never changed their logo. And while I realise I'm a bit biased here, I don't think they need to change it anytime soon. It still works.

Cavaliers: Another team I feel is currently using its best design...well, a toss-up between the current colour scheme and the one they used during the LeBron era, other than that the design is the same. If I had to pick one I might go with the 2003-2010 design as I liked their jerseys during that span better than their current ones, so thumbs up to that colour scheme. But again, basically the same logo design.

Mavericks: Current logo again.

Nuggets: Current logos are OK, basically just tweaking the colours, but I'm still partial to the logo they used from 1993-2003. I liked those jerseys, too. I'm still not a fan of the 1981-1993 logo and jerseys.

Pistons: I have to admit I'm one of the few people that did like the teal jersey and logos. When they went back to the red and blue and recoloured the "horse" logo, I was a fan of that too. Either of those designs would probably be my favourite, closely followed by their current design with special mention to the one they had through the 80s and 90s.

Warriors: Tough call. The current design has grown on me a bit, the design they had through the 80s and early 90s worked but I actually really liked the one they had from 1997 up until last year. I believe I'm in the minority though.

Rockets: Seems a fair few people disliked the Rockets' logo and jerseys (the pinstripe "pajama" uniforms) they had between 1995 and 2003. I really liked them. Their current logo is fine too, it's in second place along with the 1972-1995 design.

Pacers: Kind of the same thing from day one, not one of my favourite logos in the league. If I had to pick one, I'd just go with the current design.

Clippers: Probably their current design. Subtle changes from the one they had for the previous sixteen years but they fixed the design of the basketball and the colours are a little better.

Lakers: Not much change over the past three designs but it's not really needed. The current version of the logo has the best colours, so that's my pick.

Grizzlies: I'm still a fan of their original logo, both the Vancouver and Memphis versions. The current one is OK, but too similar to the Timberwolves and too many teams have adopted that colour scheme over the past decade or so. I actually liked the old jerseys too, simply because they were something different.

Heat: Same logo, different colours. Both work; call it a tie.

Bucks: Difficult to choose between the past two logos, though I've come to like the new jerseys and colour scheme so I suppose I'll go with the current one.

Timberwolves: I did like the font on their previous logos/jerseys but I have to admit the current one is a little better in that regard. Same basic logo with a few changes, chalk up another one for current logos.

Nets: Current logo. The one they had through most of the 90s wasn't too bad though, looking back.

Hornets: I still like the old Charlotte/New Orleans design but the update to the cartoon hornet was probably for the best. Current design.

Knicks: The logo they'll be using beginning next season is a decent update on the existing design, but I liked the previous one a bit better. I'll take the 1995-2011 version, with the New York script above the logo.

Sonics/Thunder: 1995-2001 was my favourite, followed by 2001-2008 then 1975-1995. I'm used to the Thunder's logo at this point but it's definitely not my favourite. If they allowed the Hornets to change their logo after just one season, they should let the Thunder change theirs. Fair enough, they had a lot of things to deal with when they made the move within one offseason but they've had some time since then.

Magic: All good logos, probably a toss-up between the last two for me. For the moment I can't decide, so I'll go with another tie.

76ers: The 1997-2009 logo is still my favourite, I thought it was a bit underrated. Since they have gone back to their old logo though, I feel they should've used it as-is, with the updates to the colours. There's no need for that box around it.

Suns: Current logo. Looks a bit sleeker and better with the grey.

Trailblazers: All very much the same to me, colour changes aside. Guess I'll go for the current design once again.

Kings: The current design, the one they've had since 1994, easily. My second favourite would probably be the one from the Rochester Royals days.

Spurs: I like all of their logos but once again, the current logo stands out for me.

Raptors: Same logo, different colour schemes. Another tie for me, I don't really prefer one colour scheme over the other. I like their old jerseys better than most people do, though.

Jazz: 1996-2004, closely followed by their current design. I liked the colour scheme and jerseys from the 1996-2004 era and the current designs are a good blend of the old and the more recent.

Bullets/Wizards: Not a lot of variation for either moniker. The very last Bullets logo was the best in my opinion. I'm warming up to the new colour scheme for the Wizards but the 1997-2007 version probably remains my favourite for the moment.

Re: Evolution of NBA Team Logos Feature

Tue Aug 23, 2011 1:13 pm

http://www.sportslogos.net/league.php?id=6

Re: Evolution of NBA Team Logos Feature

Tue Aug 23, 2011 2:11 pm

...your point?

I think most of us are aware of sportslogos.net. Since the article was posted with a timeline of all the team's logos on one page, I thought we could make a "favourite logos" discussion of it.

Re: Evolution of NBA Team Logos Feature

Tue Aug 23, 2011 2:30 pm

Andrew wrote:...your point?

I think most of us are aware of sportslogos.net. Since the article was posted with a timeline of all the team's logos on one page, I thought we could make a "favourite logos" discussion of it.

Another option? Didn't load for me. Maybe same with others.

Re: Evolution of NBA Team Logos Feature

Tue Aug 23, 2011 3:29 pm

Fair enough. It should work, but it does take a moment.

Re: Evolution of NBA Team Logos Feature

Tue Aug 23, 2011 3:44 pm

Of course it's not advisable to view that article when you have 10 tabs of YouTube videos that you are waiting to load, 5 Facebook message tabs for chatting (the chat bar blows) along with 7 other tabs that are filled with pics.


Seems to me that that article is more complete than sportslogos.net. sportlogos only has the 68-69 Hawks logo as the earliest, while that article goes back to 1949 (text says so). Will go back to view that article later and hopefully it loads all.

Re: Evolution of NBA Team Logos Feature

Tue Aug 23, 2011 3:58 pm

SportsLogos does have them, but has them filed under Tri-Cities Blackhawks, St. Louis Hawks and Milwaukee Hawks. There are also separate pages for the Wizards and Bullets logos, despite being part of the same lineage.

Re: Evolution of NBA Team Logos Feature

Tue Aug 23, 2011 6:27 pm

That new Wizards logo burns my eye.

Re: Evolution of NBA Team Logos Feature

Tue Aug 23, 2011 11:09 pm

Here are my favourites:

Hawks: I really liked the 72-95 logo. I like the simplicity of it. 57 and beforehand don't seem like they'd go on a

jersey too well and 70-72 is downright awful; hate the colour scheme.

Celtics: 1978 and before that were just awful. What were they thinking with that orangey-yellow outline? I actually

like the non-coloured in logo of 78-95 the best.

Bobcats: Since all that has changed is a few colours, I guess I'd go with the most recent update.

Bulls: Why mess with success? I've always liked the Bulls logo and I'm glad they've kept it the way it is.

Cavs: Probably 83-94; I like simple typographic designs and I find this one quite effective. Cavaliers generally

have had good logos throughout the years though in my opinion, so you can't really lose with any of them.

Mavericks: I enjoy the M with the cowboy hat, plus I'm not a huge fan of the current one, so I'll say 1980-2001.

Nuggets: My favourite team has had some absolutely hideous logos pre-93. I guess my overall favourite is the 1993-

2003 logo because it corresponds with my favourite Nuggets jersey of the Mutombo era.

Pistons: The Pistons have had some absolute shockers as well, but I'd say 79-96, basically because it was around

the Bad Boys era and the rest are pretty awful (except the current one I guess).

Warriors: One of the few cases I think were I like the current logo the best. While all the logos have been solid

since 1969 (the first two are horrible), I feel the bridge best represents Golden State.

Rockets: Again, another case where I like the current logo the best. The previous two were also pretty good... what

the hell is up with the second logo though? The Rockets organisation paid someone for that design?

Pacers: The last two are basically identical, so I'll just say they're both my favourite one. The hand on the

basketball looks way too much like a logo from a high school team.

Clippers: Again, the last two are practically identical, so I'll say 84-present. The Buffalo Braves logos and the

first San Diego one are turrible.

Lakers: I guess the present one... I can't really look at their logos without any bias though since I hate them so

much.

Grizzlies: Out of sheer nostalgia, I'll say the Vancouver one. All three are pretty cool logos though.

Heat: I actually like the orange gradient logo; I find it illustrates the team name the best.

Bucks: I like the purple colour scheme for the Bucks.

Timberwolves: I think I prefer the 1996-2008 logo over the current one because I like the blue type. Other than

that they're identical. The first logo is a bit shmeh.

Nets: I really like the old school 77/78 logo the best, but the current one is a close second. Unlike the Heat

logo, I feel the gradient is unneccesary and ugly in the 1990-1997 logo.

Hornets: I don't really like any of them, but if I had to choose, probably 2002-2008.

Knicks: Again there have been very few variations since 1992, but I think that's a good thing because the three

logos since then are the best ones.

Sonics/Thunder: I actually like all the Seattle logos, with 75-95 being my favourite. The OKC one is actually the least appealing one of the lot to me (and I'm not even a hater).

Magic: Present day logo for Orlando, but the first two aren't bad either.

76ers: Probably 63-77 because of the simplicity, but everything after that is good as well.

Suns: Again, the present day logo because I like the added detail on the 1992-2000 one. 68-92 was a pretty ugly one.

Trail Blazers: I like them all a lot, but I think I like 1990-2002 the best.

Kings: 71-94 aren't bad logos, but the current one was definitely an upgrade in my opinion.

Spurs: The current one is probably the best, although the alterations to the previous two were pretty subtle. 1989-2002 would be a good logo if it wasn't for the colour.

Raptors: They're practically the same, but I like the original colour.

Jazz: I enjoy the mountain logos of the 90s and 2000s.

Wizards: I like the colour scheme of 1997-2007 the best, although 2007-2011 is fairly similar. Why they had to change it, I have no idea.
Last edited by Kenny on Wed Aug 24, 2011 8:11 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Re: Evolution of NBA Team Logos Feature

Wed Aug 24, 2011 10:52 am

I don't think you're alone on the Thunder logo. ;)

Re: Evolution of NBA Team Logos Feature

Wed Aug 24, 2011 11:08 am

I'm a fan of the Hawks not using navy blue, as it didn't really fit their previous red/yellow and red/black schemes.
denver's rainbow logo still has to be one of the most interesting logos in sports history
I actually liked the teal/ black/horse look for the pistons. was a big grant hill fan even though i didn't like detroit.
not a fan of the new Warriors font, as it's been overused in pretty much everything.
new rockets logo seems a bit plain
i like the color change when the bucks went back to green/red instead of the purple. purple/green seemed like an odd combination to me.
hornets 89-02 is a classic.
I liked Orlando's original logo the best.
I was a fan of the sixers 97-09 logo, even though it didn't really fit the red white & blue scheme
loved the red drop shadow for the Blazers in the 90's. the new ones don't seem to do it justice.
I loved the 95-01 sonics logo. the OKC one looks like a D-League logo
Liked the New Orleans/Utah music note logo. very simple but effective.
I liked the bullets 74-87 with the hands and it had a better font than the 90's one. the new logo also hurts my eye.

Not sure why teams (more recently than before) are doing very minor color tweaks to their logos. I mean, the Lakers logo is a classic, but why would they need to change the color of the purple?

Re: Evolution of NBA Team Logos Feature

Wed Aug 24, 2011 12:28 pm

The purple they were using from 1976 to 2001 was a bit washed out in my opinion. The current purple matches the colour of their jerseys a lot better and stands out a bit more against the yellow.

Re: Evolution of NBA Team Logos Feature

Wed Aug 24, 2011 2:20 pm

Andrew wrote:I don't think you're alone on the Thunder logo. ;)


I just think I have a bias towards that particular shade of green, since it's my favourite colour. That and it looks really good with the yellow. 75-95 also stands out because the way the buildings are silhoettes. It's probably my favourite design on that whole page.

Re: Evolution of NBA Team Logos Feature

Wed Aug 24, 2011 2:26 pm

Gotta say that the current Spurs, Nets and Heat are my favourite logos.

Then some retro ones: Atlanta 1995-2007, Golden State 1997-2010, Seattle 2001-2008, every single Portland logo, and Washington 1997-2011.


Andrew wrote:a sign of how there really isn't much to talk about during the lockout.
Lean wrote:That new Wizards logo burns my eye.
shadowgrin wrote:(the chat bar blows)

Re: Evolution of NBA Team Logos Feature

Wed Aug 24, 2011 5:58 pm

The Bulls logo stand to be the longest original logo still in use in the NBA. :bowdown:

Re: Evolution of NBA Team Logos Feature

Wed Aug 24, 2011 8:15 pm

The Bulls logo is effective because it's timeless. If you knew nothing about basketball, I don't think you could guess what time period it's from and I think that's why they've stuck with it for all those years. If the Celtics used any of their logos from 1946-1978 in the modern game, you'd be wondering what drugs the owner was on :lol:

Re: Evolution of NBA Team Logos Feature

Wed Aug 24, 2011 8:24 pm

Qballer wrote:Not sure why teams (more recently than before) are doing very minor color tweaks to their logos.

I don't believe you.

Re: Evolution of NBA Team Logos Feature

Wed Aug 24, 2011 8:29 pm

Too lazy to list it down.

I still like the Bulls logo, the '72-'95 Hawks logo (and am thinking of having their current jerseys, which aren't bad, in the red-yellow-black scheme), the LeBron Cavs logo, current Mavericks, 2003 Nuggets, '96/'01 Pistons, '97 Warriors, '95 Rockets, the Pacers ones (all are the same, anyway), second Buffalo Braves, fuck the Lakers, 2004 Grizzlies, current Heat, '96 Bucks, '96 Wolves, current Nets, the last of the Sonics, the T-Mac era Magic, current Suns alternate logos, '02 Blazers, '97 Sixers, current Kings, current Spurs, Raptors alternate, never liked any Jazz logo, and the blue-black-gold Wizards.

Re: Evolution of NBA Team Logos Feature

Wed Aug 24, 2011 8:32 pm

That's it I'm banning every single person who likes the teal Pistons jerseys and logo.

Re: Evolution of NBA Team Logos Feature

Wed Aug 24, 2011 8:46 pm

I don't think I'd buy Pistons jersery. I just don't like the color.

I didn't know Lamrock designed Chicago Packers logo. Looks pretty awesome.

Re: Evolution of NBA Team Logos Feature

Wed Aug 24, 2011 9:23 pm

We must be digging down a barrel & are desperate given the lockout. That being said, I'm up for it. This looks to be one of more interesting NBA threads of late. My favourites are as follows:

Hawks: 1972-1995: Pac Mac says it all.

Celtics: 1978-1995: Timeless. Words can't describe how bad the ones from 1950-1968 are :lol:

Bobcats: 2004-2007: Older colour scheme of logo was better.

Bulls: N/A

Cavaliers: 2003-2010: Colours are more understated now current one.

Mavericks: Current logo: I always thought the old one was turrible.

Nuggets: 2003-2008: This colour scheme is best.

Pistons: 1996-2001: As far as logos go, this is the pick of the bunch. If jerseys, colour schemes came into the equation then I would pick the 2001-2005 logo.

Warriors: 1969-1971: One of best NBA logos ever.

Rockets: 1972-1995: I don't like any of their logos, least of all the 1995-2003 version, however this gets nods due to nostalgia.

Pacers: 1990-2005: Better colouring and design than current logo. I also had a cool cap from this era with this Pacers' logo.

Clippers: Current logo: slightly better design and colour scheme than previous one.

Lakers: Current logo: slightly better colour than previous one.

Grizzlies: 2001-2004: slightly bolder colours than original Vancouver logo.

Heat: 1988-1999: This is purely as a logo. As a logo the flaming ball wins. If we were talking logo/jersey/colour schemes etc then I would definitely go with the current one.

Bucks: 1968-1993: It's quirky, I like it. Plus the current and previous logo suck.

Timberwolves: Current logo: This was almost a dead heat between current and previous but current is slightly more polished overall.

Nets: Current logo: They're all shit. This is the most polished turd of the lot.

Hornets: 1989-2002: This was no contest.

Knicks: 1995-2011: Don't know why they want to downgrade from this to current version :?

Sonics/Thunder: 1995-2001: Edges out the 1975-1995 due to it being too dated.

Magic: 1989-2000: Slightly edges out 2000-2010 logo for some reason.

76ers: 1977-1997: Not inspired by any of them.

Suns: Current logo: slightly better than previous one.

Trailblazers: 2003/04: I also don't mind the 1990-2002 logo.

Kings: Current logo: This one is a gimme and others are putrid.

Spurs: Current logo: No pink for me please.

Raptors: 1995-2008: Original logo had much better colouring with purple. Shame they've gone downhill (like the jerseys) ever since (N)

Jazz: 1996-2004: This stood out to me the most, followed by the 2004-2010.

Bullets/Wizards: 1997-2007: It's a lot better than the horrid colour scheme on the current one :P

Re: Evolution of NBA Team Logos Feature

Wed Aug 24, 2011 9:39 pm

The X wrote:Spurs: Current logo: No pink for me please.


As I am a lazy fellow to look around the net, why are those colors (teal/pink/some-kind-of-yellow) in that Spurs logo?

Re: Evolution of NBA Team Logos Feature

Thu Aug 25, 2011 1:05 pm

Discussing logos is actually pretty fun in my books. My favorites of each team:

Hawks: 1995-2007. Hawk on the logo looks more like a Hawk, but I really don't mind the current logo. I like their current jerseys that match that logo anyways.

Celtics: Definitely the current one. It's the one I'm used to seeing and the other ones just don't look right.

Bobcats: Current one. Doesn't make much difference the lighter tone of the orange color.

Bulls: Current one as well. Not that there was a lot of logos to choose from. :P I like it though, don't really think a change is needed.

Cavaliers: Current one. The sword stands out more with the brighter color. 1970-83 looks pretty cool to me too.

Mavericks: Current one. Like with the Celtics, it's the one I'm used to seeing, and it's much more complex than the first.

Nuggets: 2003-2008. I like the light blue and yellow despite me usually preferring darker colors. Maybe the blue and yellow combination goes well.

Pistons: 2001-2005. I've always asked myself why they switched logos, especially since the horse is the selling point to me.

Warriors: 1997-2010. The only logo that actually resembles a warrior and corresponds to the actual team name. Orange and blue combo looks cool.

Rockets: I really liked the 1995-2003 one, but the one preceding it and following it aren't bad either. And of course, being biased, it's my favorite logo in the league. :D

Pacers: Not the most appealing or creative logo, but the current one is cool. The P stands out more with the gray border around it.

Clippers: Current one. Darker red and blue looks much better.

Lakers: Neither. It sickens me. Nah, but if I had to pick, the current one with the darker colors looks more appealing to me.

Grizzlies: I'd have preferred the first Memphis logo, but the color of the "Grizzlies" letters kinda kills it. Current one is cool, though.

Heat: I actually like the original logo, ball looks like an actual orange flame. I like both logos altogether, though.

Bucks: Current logo with the darker colors and the font looks much better than the precedent one.

T-Wolves: Current one as well. The trees and the wolf stick out more with the bigger black border.

Nets: Current one. It's the one I'm used to seeing.

Hornets: Giving the stripes of the hornet and the letters a darker color makes it more likeable. Current one it is.

Knicks: 92 to 2011 looks pretty much the same. I don't like the lighter color on the new logo so definitely the two before it are my favorites.

Sonics: The 1970-75 logos are too simple, but I like them all. The one from 1995-2001 is definitely my favorite; colors are appealing, and of course the space needle just makes it even better. (Y)

Thunder: I don't understand why people knock on the Thunder logo so much, looks alright to me.

Magic: The font on the current one improves it more. Though the older one has a more magical look to it. I like 'em both.

76ers: Definitely the 1997-2009 one. It was the logo during the Iverson era, and of course the ball whooshing through looks badass.

Suns: Current one I guess. Looks more 3-dimensional and the basketball stands out more than in the one from the 90's.

Blazers: Current one. Actually the darker color on the 03/04 one looks better.

Kings: The current one, it looks more royal to me.

Spurs: Definitely the current one. Silver and black put together makes it really appealing. And I hate the pinkish and teal colors of the logo from the 90's, really doesn't mix well with black imo.

Raptors: Purple just didn't look like it belonged with the red raptor. Definitely the current one.

Jazz: I love the one from 1994-2004; normally I don't like purple but mixed with blue makes it more appealing to me. I also like the current one, nice combination of green and blue.

Wizards: 1997-2007. Darker colors. (Y)

Re: Evolution of NBA Team Logos Feature

Thu Aug 25, 2011 1:53 pm

Axel. wrote:Thunder: I don't understand why people knock on the Thunder logo so much, looks alright to me.


It's a clean design and I've grown used to it, but it's pretty generic and doesn't have all that much to do with the team name or city beyond the text. They should be allowed to change it sooner rather than later.

Re: Evolution of NBA Team Logos Feature

Thu Aug 25, 2011 4:30 pm

benji wrote:That's it I'm banning every single person who likes the teal Pistons jerseys and logo.


I agree. I can't believe people like that hot mess. Pure garbage. Same goes for the Sixers logo during the Iverson years. First rule we learn in design class - "keep it simple, stupid". I love that both teams went 'retro' with their logos. It was an improvement.
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