Top 5 NBA logos
By Ben Eagle
The unveiling of the New Orleans Pelicans’ new logo got us thinking: What are the best logos in the NBA? Find our picks below. Disagree? Let us know your favorites in the comment section.
5. Chicago Bulls: In the ’90s that furrowed brow was emblematic of Michael Jordan’s take-no-prisoner attitude. Today, it meshes with the rugged, defensive mindset Tom Thibodeau instills in his team every night. Any logo that stands the test of time like that deserves to crack our top five. (Photo above by Manny Millan/SI)
4. Boston Celtics: It’s campy and busy, two things a logo should never be. And yet it just works. The leprechaun is instantly recognizable in any context, and his lucky touch has propelled the Celtics to 17 titles. (Photo: Manny Millan/SI)
3. San Antonio Spurs: Solid, but not flashy, this logo embodies the ethos of Tim Duncan and the Spurs to a tee. Bonus points for the clever integration of the spur into the “U.” Sadly, much like Duncan himself, this logo is underappreciated by fans. (Photo: Greg Nelson/SI)
2. Miami Heat: Some say Miami is all style, no substance, but its logo is anything but. Can you blame LeBron for taking his talents to South Beach? (Photo: Greg Nelson/SI)
1. Philadelphia 76ers: The birthplace of our nation fields a fitting logo, which mirrors the American flag in color and detailing. The Sixers flirted with a more modern logo in the late ’90s and early ’00s, but eventually came to their senses, bringing back the iconic basketball in 2009. (Photo: Paul Kennedy/SI)
the City
The Sixers logo is great, which is why it is surprising that THEY WENT AWAY FROM IT FOR YEARS! I think the Lakers have to break in here (their old logo) and the Heat need to get kicked out. I though the old logo used by the Hawks when Dominique played for them was great!
The strongest pure 'logos' for the NBA are the heat, rockets, pacers and blazers. The strongest brands are the Lakers, Celtics, Bulls, Heat and Spurs. Not coincidentally they are the strongest organizations with the best players year over year. It funny how that bloody Bull went from being the baddest mark in sports to ironic the moment Jordan retired.
Heat logo in this group??
C'Mon, Man!!!
ditch all the cartoon charater logos and fuzzy mascots. what is wrong with simply new orleans basketball. period. chicago basketball. brooklyn basketball. the city a basketball team is from is regional enough without having to throw in some animal or cartoon character.....
@yournamehere Good one.
The opening line says "got us thinking", but there's only one name on the by-line. Who's "us"? Is this Mr. Eagle's list, or was a poll taken?
I think the classic 76ers logo's pretty good, but the Iverson era one kicks its ass; it combines class and modernity, with the gold elevating the colour scheme.
I tried to pick a top 5 and got 6, those being the Bulls, the Cavs, the Nuggets, the Rockets, the Spurs and the Kings. I'd say the Pelicans' new logo is in the top 5, too, odd as I think the name is. "New Orleans Pelicans" doesn't exactly roll off the tongue.
The person who wrote this is a moron. I know it's all about someone's personal taste but it seems we're talking about beauty and they just named the most successful teams, not the most beautiful logos. Otherwise, how can you name the Spurs and Celtics(which is a team I support, but it doesn't matter) and forget the Kings or Cavaliers? How about the Suns'? Last but not least, let me say loud that the oldest 76ers logo, though more meaningful to Americans, is nothing compared to the one from the Iverson era.
lol who wrote this, a couple of 12 yr olds? Heat logo is especially lame.
The 76ers logo is #1? Really?!? If that's the case, then next year you better put the Pelicans up to #1, because it spanks the 76ers logo.
I've always hated the Miami Heat's logo because I don't understand it. Somebody who thinks it's great please explain it to me.
@stashu It's a flaming basketball going through a hoop. What is there not to get?
@gp20 @stashu Looks more like a flaming sperm busting through a rolled condom.
@scBlais @gp20 @stashuHahahaha! The Miami Flaming Sperm. It's even a better name.
@deckie007 @scBlais @gp20 @stashu
Man, I like that team already!!
@scBlais @gp20 @stashu
The Miami Gonorrhea ?
@scBlais @gp20 @stashu might be the funniest thing I've read in weeks!
@gp20 What the he!! kind of "hoop" is that. It's certainly not a basketball hoop. Maybe an angel's halo? But since it appears to be solid while in the middle, perhaps it's a drumskin? Or a trampoline?
@RF2 @stashu @gp20 When was the last time you saw a white basketball hoop? Answer: Never.
@stashu @gp20 There's not supposed to be solid white in the middle. That's just the itern's lazy photoshopping.
From the Heat's website, here's how it should look against a background: http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/simgad/9489305868147018750