NBA — From the logo to a dribble

The player who inspired the NBA logo is Jerry West, a Los Angeles Lakers legend. A simple photograph of him dribbling became one of the most recognizable symbols in sports.

A photograph becomes an emblem

The story begins in 1969. The NBA was competing with another league, the ABA, for players, audiences and media attention. Its commissioner, J. Walter Kennedy, wanted a strong visual identity. He turned to graphic designer Alan Siegel, who had overseen the development of Major League Baseball's logo. The idea was to give basketball an equally recognizable symbol.

Siegel searched the archives of Sport magazine. A photograph by Wen Roberts caught his attention: Jerry West, leaning slightly forward, moving with the ball. He liked the upright composition and the sense of motion.

He simplified the player's outline into a white silhouette against a blue and red background, echoing baseball's visual identity. The choice of West therefore owed much to the strength of that image: a few lines were enough to convey basketball and movement.

A small anecdote: Siegel charged $14,000 for the work, as he later recounted.

Jerry West, an outstanding player

West spent his entire NBA playing career with the Lakers, from 1960 to 1974, and appeared in nine Finals.

He was an exceptional shooter and a strong defender. He finished his career averaging 27 points per game, with 14 All-Star selections. His other famous nickname was "Mr. Clutch": the player his teammates trusted with the ball when a game came down to its final seconds.

In 1969, he was named Finals MVP despite the Lakers' defeat. He remains the only winner of that award from the losing team.

He finally became an NBA champion in 1972. The player behind the silhouette already had an exceptional career, marked by individual achievements and a long quest for the title.

His influence continued after retirement

West later became a coach, scout and executive. He helped build the great Lakers teams of the 1980s, then played a decisive role in assembling the team around Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant.

This is another dimension of his story: he shaped several generations of basketball, first as a player and then by bringing together talent capable of winning.

A tribute that made him uncomfortable

The NBA long avoided officially linking the silhouette to a particular person, preferring to present it as a symbol of the entire league. Its creator nevertheless clearly confirmed that Jerry West was the inspiration.

West had mixed feelings. He said he was flattered, but found it difficult for the nickname "The Logo" to become such a large part of his identity. In 2017, he even explained that he would have preferred the public never to have discovered that the silhouette was based on him. He felt that a lifetime's work could be reduced to that single image.

Jerry West died on June 12, 2024, aged 86. His movement remains in the logo: the silhouette has endured for decades, including the lettering update in 2017. A moment on the court became an image that outlives him.