Nearly 3 million people have now signed a petition demanding the NBA replace the NBA’s logo to the silhouette of the late Kobe Bryant.
For generations, the NBA logo has been that of Hall of Famer and 14 time all star, Jerry West. Ironically also a former member of the Los Angeles Lakers. West has been “The Logo” since Alen Siegel designed it in 1971.
Of course this request is far less an indictment of West, but more an endorsement of Bryant. Bryant in many ways embodied what the NBA stands for: dedication, integrity, durability, and above all relentlessness. Bryant, more than most players, seemed to maximize his physical abilities. Consistently combining those physical tools with extreme conditioning and a legendary psychological approach to his craft, Bryant had virtually no weaknesses. Few players have ever been able to dominate both offensive and defensively for the period of time he was able to. What seems to resonate most with basketball fans was that he gave us everything he had nightly. Nothing epitomizes this more than his final game, where he scored a magical 60 points in the midst of his exit from the league. He owed us nothing, and ultimately gave us everything. The least we can give him is the immortalization of appropriately representing the league in this way.
This petition does not equal implementation however, and the league has yet to respond to the petitioners request. Regardless of the outcome, the gesture is incredibly fitting. As Kobe was so much bigger than basketball…he was motivation personified.