Is Jerry West the NBA Logo?
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Many people consider Jerry West to be the NBA’s logo, but is this actually the case? Let’s take a look at the evidence.
Jerry West’s History in the NBA
Jerry West is a retired American basketball player who played his entire professional career for the Los Angeles Lakers. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest players in NBA history.West was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1980.
Drafted by the Lakers in 1960
The Lakers had just moved from Minneapolis, and they were not a very good team. They had the seventh pick in the draft and they took Jerry West from West Virginia. The kid was 6-foot-2, he weighed 175 pounds, and he had played two years of college basketball. He was skinny, he was frail, but he could really shoot the basketball. He could put the ball in the basket.
Helped the Lakers win 9 NBA titles
Jerry West was born in Chelyan, West Virginia in 1938. He was drafted by the Lakers in 1960 and helped the team win 9 NBA titles, including their first ever championship in 1971-72. He is also remembered for his signature shot, a 60-foot buzzer beater that gave the Lakers a 106-104 win over the Knicks in the 1970 NBA Finals. After his playing career, West became a coach and then an executive. He is currently the Presidential Advisor for Basketball Operations for the Golden State Warriors.
Named to the NBA All-Star team 14 times
From 1960 to 1974, Jerry West was named to 14 NBA All-Star teams, 10 times on the first team. He was also named the All-Star MVP in 1972, the only player from a losing team to ever receive the honor.
The Creation of the NBA Logo
Jerry West was an American basketball player who spent his entire professional playing career with the Los Angeles Lakers. He played 14 seasons with the Lakers, winning one NBA championship. West has been described as one of the greatest basketball players of all time. He was also a member of the 1972 United States men’s Olympic basketball team, which won the gold medal.
Based on Jerry West’s silhouette
The NBA logo is one of the most recognizable in all of sports. Featuring a silhouette of Jerry West, the logo has been in use since 1971, and has undergone very few changes in the nearly 50 years since its inception.
West, who played his entire career with the Los Angeles Lakers, was one of the greatest players in NBA history. He was a 14-time All-Star and 10-time First Team All-NBA selection, and was named the NBA Finals MVP in 1969 despite his team’s loss to the Boston Celtics. He also helped lead Team USA to a gold medal at the 1960 Summer Olympics.
After his retirement from playing in 1974, West became a successful coach and executive. He served as head coach of the Lakers from 1976 to 1979, and then became the team’s general manager. He is credited with helping to build the Lakers teams that won five championships in the 1980s.
In 1996, he joined the executive staff of the NBA’s expansion Charlotte Hornets, and later served as president of basketball operations for both the Hornets and their spin-off franchise, the New Orleans Pelicans. He retired from his position with the Pelicans in 2017.
Despite his many accomplishments, West is perhaps best known for being the man behind one of sports’ most iconic logos. According to legend, NBA commissioner David Stern asked West to pose for a photo that would be used as part of a new logo for the league. West agreed, but only if he could remain anonymous.
The resulting image has been used as the basis for the NBA logo ever since. In 2011, as part of Jerry West Day (declared by then-Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa), West’s identity as the man behind the logo was finally revealed to the public.
Created by Alan Siegel in 1971
The NBA logo was created by Alan Siegel in 1971. Jerry West, who was the inspiration for the logo, was not consulted during the design process nor did he receive any compensation for his likeness. He has since said that he is “flattered” by the connection.
The Impact of the NBA Logo
The NBA logo is one of the most iconic images in all of sports. It is a simple silhouette of Jerry West, one of the greatest players in NBA history. The logo is so recognizable that it is often used to represent the league as a whole, even though West is not the only player featured in it. This simple image has become one of the most influential and recognisable logos in the world.
One of the most recognizable logos in the world
The NBA logo is one of the most recognizable logos in the world. It’s also one of the most controversial, with many people believing that Jerry West, the player pictured on the logo, didn’t deserve to be immortalized in such a way.
The story of how Jerry West came to be the NBA logo is a long and complicated one. In 1971, the NBA was looking for a new logo, and they asked Jerry West to pose for a photographer. West agreed, and the resulting photograph has become one of the most iconic images in sports history.
However, there are many who believe that Jerry West doesn’t deserve to be the face of the NBA. These people point to his relatively average statistics, and they argue that there are other players who are more deserving of such an honor.
Whether you believe that Jerry West deserves to be the NBA logo or not, there’s no denying that he has made a lasting impact on the league. His image is synonymous with the NBA, and it’s safe to say that he will be remembered long after his playing days are over.
Helped the NBA become a global brand
In the early days of the NBA, the league was not as popular as it is today. In fact, it was struggling to stay afloat. Then, in 1971, a young graphic designer named Alan Siegel was tasked with creating a new logo for the NBA. His design, which featured a silhouette of then-Los Angeles Lakers player Jerry West, proved to be a game-changer. The logo helped the NBA become a global brand and is now one of the most recognizable logos in sports.
Jerry West’s Legacy
Jerry West is a NBA legend. He played his entire professional career for the Los Angeles Lakers, winning one NBA championship. He was also named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History. After his playing days, he became a successful coach and executive. He is currently the president of basketball operations for the Los Angeles Clippers.
Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1980
Jerry Alan West (born May 28, 1938) is an American retired basketball player who played his entire professional career for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). His nicknames include Mr. Clutch, for his ability to make a clutch play in a close game, such as his famous buzzer-beating 60-foot shot that tied Game 3 of the 1970 NBA Finals against the New York Knicks; Mr. Outside, for his outside shooting; and Mr. Logo, for being the NBA logo designer. West played a total of 14 seasons (1959–74) with the Lakers, and was the co-captain of their 1971–72 season championship team.
West was chosen to play in 12 All-Star Games, 10 times on the First Team, and was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996. He won one NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award (1972), and was voted as the Finals top player four times (1969–1972). He has four championship rings with the Lakers; he also held several scoring records, including highest points averaged per All-Star Game (30.8), most points scored in an All-Star Game until it was broken by Anthony Davis in 2017 (42), and most seasons leading an NBA conference in points per game average (seven). In 2010 he was inducted into FIBA’s Hall of Fame and in 2016 he was inducted into Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996
Jerry West was born on May 28, 1938, in Chelyan, West Virginia. He was the only child of Howard Stewart West, a coal miner, and his wife, Mildred Faye-Cowan. Jerry excelled at sports from an early age and was offered a basketball scholarship to West Virginia University when he was only a sophomore in high school.
West declined the offer and instead opted to play for the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers. He was selected as the overall number one pick in the 1960 NBA Draft. As a rookie, West averaged 17 points per game and helped lead the Lakers to the NBA Finals where they lost to the Boston Celtics.
Over the course of his 14-year career with the Lakers, West established himself as one of the greatest players in NBA history. He was a nine-time All-Star and named NBA Finals MVP in 1969 after leading the Lakers to victory over the Celtics. He retired from playing in 1974 and was immediately inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
In 1996, Jerry West was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History. His impact on the game of basketball cannot be understated. He is truly a legend of the sport.