Who Is The Person On The Nba Logo?
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We all know the NBA logo, but have you ever wondered who the person depicted is? Well, wonder no more! In this blog post, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about the man behind the logo.
The Person on the NBA Logo is Jerry West
The person on the NBA logo is Jerry West. He was an All-Star guard for the Los Angeles Lakers for 14 seasons. He is considered one of the greatest players in NBA history, and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1980.
Jerry West’s Career
Jerry West was born in Chelyan, West Virginia in 1938. He was an All-American in college and was the seventh overall pick in the 1960 NBA Draft. He played his entire 14-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers, winning one NBA title in 1972. He was a 14-time All-Star and is widely considered to be one of the greatest players in NBA history. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1980. In 1996, he was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History. In 2004, he was inducted into the West Virginia Sports Hall of Fame. His silhouette is featured on the NBA logo.
Why Jerry West is on the NBA Logo
In 1971, Jerry West achieved something no other player has done before or since: He was selected as the NBA logo. The decision was made by Alan Siegel, the designer of the famous “champion” image.
“I wanted somebody who conveyed that energy, that dynamism, and also somebody who had a kind of latent film-star quality about them – and Jerry West fit that description to a T,” Siegel told former NBA executive VP and CMO Sal LaRocca in a 2015 interview.
The original painting of West (which can now be found in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame) was done by artist Fred Minor. It is based on a photo taken by Jerry Cooke during West’s rookie season with the Lakers in 1960-61.