How Jerry West became the NBA logo — and why David Stern never admitted to it

The NBA logo at half court that was inspired by Lakers great Jerry West, who died Wednesday at 86. (Ashley Landis / Associated Press)

David Stern went to his grave without admitting that Jerry West was the inspiration for the NBA logo. West died Wednesday at 86 knowing with certainty that he was “The Logo” — and he wasn’t really happy about it, especially the capital letters.

Stern spent 30 years as the NBA’s longest-serving commissioner before handing the title to his longtime lieutenant Adam Silver in 2014. He is credited with shepherding the league through turbulent times and growing it into the global powerhouse it is today.

Yet he refused to acknowledge that West was the one, the logo, the iconic silhouette developed in 1969 when West was at the peak of his 14-year Hall of Fame career with the Lakers.

Stern’s reason for staying mum is unclear because offering an explanation for something he denied in the first place would have defied logic. Even after the designer of the logo, Alan Siegel, told The Times’ Jerry Crowe in 2010 that “It’s Jerry West,” Stern wouldn’t relent.

Siegel was a brand identity consultant hired by then-NBA commissioner J. Walter Kennedy to create a logo that mirrored the one Siegel supervised a year earlier for Major League Baseball’s centennial.

Read more: Jerry West, Lakers legend and architect of ‘Showtime’ era, dies at 86

The late sportswriter and broadcaster Dick Schaap was Siegel’s friend and gave him access to the photo archives at Sport magazine.

“I found this picture of Jerry West dribbling down the court,” Siegel said. “And, of course, growing up in New York and my father having season tickets for college and pro games at Madison Square Garden, I’d seen West play a lot.”

Siegel came up with nearly 50 designs, several inspired by the shot of West dribbling taken by Wen Roberts. Kennedy chose the derivative of the baseball logo with its All-American red, white and blue colors.

“And in those days, it was top down,” Siegel said. “[Kennedy] made the decision. There was no research. There was no discussion. He said, ‘We’re doing this.’”

Kennedy was succeeded by Larry…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/jerry-west-became-nba-logo-182340673.html

Author : LA Times

Publish date : 2024-06-12 18:23:40

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