Who Made the NBA Logo?
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The NBA logo is one of the most recognizable logos in the world. But who made it?
Jerry West
The NBA logo is one of the most recognizable logos in the world. It is a silhouette of Jerry West, who was an All-Star guard for the Los Angeles Lakers. He is also one of the most successful basketball executives, serving as the general manager of the Lakers for over two decades.
Jerry West’s playing career
Jerry West was born into a poor family in Chelyan, West Virginia. He was the fifth of six children of Cecil Sue West, a housewife, and Howard Stewart West, a coal mine electrician. As a child Jerry excelled at sports, especially basketball. He was also tall for his age and by the time he entered high school he was 6 feet 2 inches (1.88 m) tall.
West played organized basketball for the first time when he was in ninth grade. He played for his high school team and led them to a 26-1 record. During his senior year, West averaged 32 points per game and was named first team All-State and All-American.
Jerry West’s coaching career
Jerry Alan West (born May 28, 1938) is an American basketball executive and former player who is the Logo of the National Basketball Association (NBA). During his playing days, West set numerous records that have since been broken. He played mostly for the Los Angeles Lakers, but also briefly with the Atlanta Hawks and the Seattle SuperSonics. His nicknames included “Mr. Clutch”, for his ability to make a big play in a clutch moment, such as his famous buzzer-beating 60-foot shot that tied Game 3 of the 1970 NBA Finals; “The Golden Boy”, which referred to both his archery skills (he was an Olympic alternate in 1960) and blonde hair; and “Mr. Outside”, as he was well known for his outside shooting while Rickey Russell was known as “Mr. Inside”.
West has had a long and successful career as a head coach, winning one NBA championship (with the Lakers in 1972), leading the Lakers to nine NBA Finals appearances, and earning NBA Coach of the Year honors in 1977. He also served as general manager of the Lakers from 1982 to 2000, building a team that won five NBA championships between 1987 and 2000. In 2004, he was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame for his successful playing and coaching career.
Jerry West’s executive career
Jerry West became the president of basketball operations for the Lakers in June 1982. His primary responsibilities were to rebuild a team that had become one of the worst in the NBA. Under his watch, the Lakers improved dramatically, reaching the NBA Finals in 1983-84 and 1984-85. In 1985-86, they won 62 games, setting a franchise record at the time.
In 1987-88, West traded for All-Star center Vlade Divac and drafted All-Star forward James Worthy. The Lakers won their first NBA championship since 1972 that year, defeating the Detroit Pistons in seven games. They would go on to win titles in 1988-89, 1989-90, 1991-92 and 2000-01 with West as their president of basketball operations.
In 2002, West stepped down from his role with the Lakers but remained with the organization as a consultant. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1980 and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a contributor in 1996.
Bob Lanier
Bob Lanier was the man responsible for creating the NBA logo. He was an accomplished artist and also had a keen interest in basketball. He designed the logo with the help of his wife, Pam, who was also an artist. The two of them worked together to create a simple, yet iconic logo that would represent the NBA for years to come.
Bob Lanier’s playing career
Bob Lanier was born on September 10, 1948, in Buffalo, New York. He played college basketball at St. Bonaventure University, where he was a two-time All-American. Lanier was drafted first overall by the Detroit Pistons in the 1970 NBA Draft. He spent his first nine seasons with the Pistons, where he was a six-time All-Star and averaged 20.1 points and 10.1 rebounds per game.
Lanier was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks in 1979, where he played four seasons before retiring in 1984. In his 14 NBA seasons, Lanier averaged 20.1 points and 9.8 rebounds per game. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1992 and the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2015.
Bob Lanier’s coaching career
After his playing days, Lanier became head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks from 1976 to 1987. He then shifted gears and took on various front-office roles with the Detroit Pistons from 1990 to 2001. In his time as general manager and senior vice president of basketball operations for the Pistons, Detroit won two NBA championships (1989, ’90).
Bob Lanier’s executive career
During his executive career, Bob Lanier was known as a tough negotiator. He worked for several companies, including General Motors and Coca-Cola. He also served on the board of directors for many organizations, including the NBA.
In his role as an executive, Bob Lanier was instrumental in negotiating some of the biggest deals in NBA history. He helped to secure television contracts that made the NBA one of the most popular sports leagues in the world. He also negotiated merchandising deals that helped to grow the league’s revenues.
Bob Lanier’s work as an executive helped to make the NBA into the global brand it is today. Thanks to his efforts, the NBA is now one of the most valuable sports properties in the world.
Michael Jordan
Before there was Jumpman, there was the NBA logo. The man behind the logo is Jerry West, who played for the Los Angeles Lakers. He is often called “Mr. Clutch” or “Mr. Logo” because of his design.
Michael Jordan’s playing career
Michael Jordan is widely considered to be the greatest basketball player of all time. He was one of the most marketed athletes of his generation and was considered instrumental in popularizing the NBA around the world in the 1980s and 1990s. Jordan played 15 seasons in the NBA, winning six championships with the Chicago Bulls. He was one of the most effectively marketed athletes of his generation and was considered instrumental in popularizing the NBA around the world in the 1980s and 1990s.
Jordan was one of the quickest players to ever play in the NBA and was known for his trademark “jump shot.” He also became known for his defensesive prowess, earning him the nickname “Air Jordan.” Upon his retirement from basketball in 2003, he held numerous NBA records, including highest career regular season scoring average (30.12 points per game) and highest career playoff scoring average (33.45 points per game). Today, he is the principal owner and chairman ofthe Charlotte Hornets.
Michael Jordan’s coaching career
Michael Jordan is one of the most successful basketball players of all time. He is also one of the most popular athletes in the world. After his playing career, Jordan became a successful coach. He coached the Chicago Bulls from 2001 to 2003.
Jordan’s coaching career got off to a rocky start. The Bulls lost their first eight games under Jordan. They finished the season with a record of 13-37. The next season was even worse. The Bulls went 12-38.
Despite the poor start, Jordan was able to turn things around. In his third season, the Bulls improved to 30-52. The following year, they made the playoffs with a record of 49-33. They lost in the first round, but it was a step in the right direction.
Jordan’s coaching career ultimately failed because he was not able to replicate his success as a player. He was not able to lead the Bulls to an NBA championship as a coach.
Michael Jordan’s executive career
After his playing days were over, Jordan remained in the public eye. In 1999, he became part-owner and head of basketball operations for the NBA’s Washington Wizards. During his tenure as Wizards president, from 2000 to 2003, the team posted a 97–130 record. In the summer of 2002, Jordan also assumed control of the NBA’s struggling expansion franchise, the Charlotte Bobcats. After a season that saw the Bobcats post a league-worst 18–64 win/loss record, Jordan stepped down as head of basketball operations in June 2005 but remained as the Bobcats’ major shareholder.
In April 2010, it was announced that Jordan would become majority owner of the Bobcats upon approval by the NBA Board of Governors. His purchase of the team from fellow owner Robert L. Johnson was approved by the board on October 25, 2010; at that time, Jordan became the first former player in NBA history to become majority owner of a franchise. In February 2014, Forbes estimateed that Jordan was worth $625 million and ranked him as the 177th-richest person in America and 730th in the world.