Finally! The history and evolution of NBA team logos revealed

The NBA is the top basketball league globally and one of North America's most well-known sports organizations. The NBA was created in 1946 in New York as the Basketball Association of America and has grown steadily since then, with its brand and sportsmen being some of the most well-known worldwide. The glitzy NBA has interesting origins, just like most things. The league now has 30 teams, 29 in the US and 1 in Canada. Discover more about these NBA team logos here.

The NBA emblem has gone through different phases to what it is today. Taking it back to the 1950s, the NBA team is one team renowned for its rich history. In this article, you will find NBA team logos and names explained.

What was the first NBA emblem?

The first NBA emblem was a Cowboy hat.

Who designed the NBA rebrand?

Alan Siegil, a top professional logo designer, designed the world-wide known NBA logo in 1971.

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History and evolution of NBA team logos

According to the recent statistics and publications, here is a list of the NBA team logos as of 2022.

1. Dallas Mavericks

In 1980, the Dallas Mavericks unveiled a logo that included a light green basketball and a blue M in the shape of a cowboy hat on the upper right. The shield, horse head, and name flowing outward over the basketball are reminiscent of the 2002 logo. It is regarded as the best NBA team logo as of 2022.

• Team name: Dallas Mavericks
• Division: Southwest
• Head coach: Jason Kidd
• Mascot: MavsMan, Champ
• Championships: 1

2. Denver Nuggets

The Denver Nuggets, like many other clubs on this list, changed their name from the Denver Rockets to the Denver Nuggets in 1967.

• Team name: Denver Nuggets
• Division: Northwest
• Head coach: Michael Malone
• Mascot: Rocky the Mountain Lion
• Championships: 0

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3. Golden State Warriors

This club began as the Philadelphia Phyllis, but it changed its name to the Warriors two years later. For the next 24 years, they preserved the insignia. After moving to San Francisco, the team was renamed the Golden State Warriors.

• Team Name: Golden State Warriors
• Division: Pacific
• Head coach: Steve Kerr
• Championships: 8

4. Houston Rockets

The name Rockets was chosen because of the club's origins: it began in San Diego, where the Atlas rockets were manufactured, and subsequently migrated to Houston, home of Nasa's space centre. Text is used in the present logo. The main attraction is a red-letter R on a red and black ball encircled by Houston Rockets.

• Team name: Houston Rockets
• Division: Southwest
• Head coach: Stephen Silas
• Mascot: Clutch
• Championships: 2

5. Los Angeles Clippers

The name of this team has changed many times, from Buffalo Braves to San Diego Clippers to Los Angeles Clippers. The company's logo in the 1970s was a bull standing on a ball surrounded by feathers; the logo designers utilized three triangles to depict a sail and a circle to represent the sun setting.

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• Team name: Los Angeles Clippers
• Division: Pacific
• Head coach: Tyronn Lue
• Mascot: Chuck the Condor
• Championships: 0

6. Los Angeles Lakers

This squad was given the name Minneapolis Lakers because of the numerous lakes in Minneapolis. They later relocated to Los Angeles and rebranded the golden basketball Los Angeles Lakers inscribed in purple.

• Team Name: Los Angeles Lakers
• Division: Pacific
• Head coach: Phil Jackson
• Championships: 17

7. Memphis Grizzlies

A grizzly became the mascot of this Vancouver squad. The team was relocated to Memphis, but the symbol remained. Since 1995, the grizzly has had fixed elements.

• Team name: Memphis Grizzlies
• Division: Southwest
• Head coach: Taylor Jenkins
• Mascot: Grizz
• Championships: 0

8. Minnesota Timberwolves

The first Minnesota Timberwolves logo, which featured an agitated wolf in blue and white inside a green ring at the top of a grey basketball with a blue outline, was introduced in 1989.

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• Team name: Minnesota Timberwolves
• Division: Northwest
• Head coach: Chris Finch
• Mascot: Crunch the Wolf
• Championships: 0

9. New Orleans Pelicans

The New Orleans Hornets were founded in 2002 by George Shinn, the former owner of the Charlotte Hornets. The initial logo had a hornet dribbling a lighter yellow basketball with the words NEW ORLEANS at the top.

• Team name: New Orleans Pelicans
• Division: Southwest
• Head coach: Willie Green
• Mascot: Pierre the Pelican
• Championships: 0

10. Oklahoma City Thunder

The Seattle Super-Sonics featured a space needle in a green basketball in their previous logo, introduced in 1967. In 1970, it was redesigned and this time with an all-green logo.

• Team Name: Oklahoma City Thunder
• Division: Northwest
• Head coach: Mark Daigneault
• Mascot: Rumble the Bison
• Championships: 1

11. Phoenix Suns

The Phoenix Suns were founded in Arizona. The company's management didn't like the artist's initial painting, which cost $5,000, but the one that was completed and accepted later cost only $200.

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• Team name: Phoenix Suns
• Division: Pacific
• Head coach: Monty Williams
• Mascot: The Suns Gorilla
• Championships: 0

12. Portland Trail Blazers

The initial logo for the Portland Trail Blazers was designed in 1970 and featured a pioneering track with a black top and red bottom.

• Team Name: Portland Trail Blazers
• Division: Northwest
• Head coach: Chauncey Billups
• Mascot: Blaze the Trail Cat
• Championships: 1

13. Sacramento Kings

This squad has had multiple names and city changes. In 1945, the Rochester Royals were the team's first name. The name was written on a purple shield-shaped emblem to create the logo.

• Team name: Sacramento Kings
• Division: Pacific
• Head coach: Alvin Gentry
• Mascot: Slamson the Lion
• Championships: 1

14. San Antonio Spurs

From the 1940s until the 1970s, this club was known as the Dallas Chaparrals before becoming the Texas Chaparrals. In 1973, the name was changed to San Antonio Spurs to honour the city.

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• Team name: San Antonio Spurs
• Division: Southwest
• Head coach: Gregg Popovich
• Mascot: The Coyote
• Championships: 5

15. Utah Jazz

This club's history dates back to the 1970s in New Orleans, one of the world's jazz capitals. Their birthplace defines the musical idea of the Jazzmen's brand identity.

• Team Name: Utah Jazz
• Division: Northwest
• Head coach: Quin Snyder
• Mascot: Jazz Bear
• Championships: 0

16. Atlanta Hawks

The Atlanta Hawks were not always known as such. This squad began as the Buffalo Bisons in 1946 in Buffalo, New York, before relocating to Moline, Illinois, and renaming themselves Tri-Cities Blackhawks.

• Team Name: Atlanta Hawks
• Division: Southeast
• Head coach: Nate McMillan
• Mascot: Harry the Hawk, Skyhawk
• Championships: 1

17. Boston Celtics

This group is interested in the history of Boston, which has a large Irish population. The logo used a white shamrock on a green backdrop in the 1940s, which is Ireland's national emblem.

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• Team Name: Boston Celtics
• Division: Atlantic
• Head coach: Ime Udoka
• Mascot: Lucky the Leprechaun
• Championships: 17

18. Brooklyn Nets

The Brooklyn Nets began as an expansion team in 1988. The design was inspired by a teal hornet dribbling a basketball. In 2004, the Bobcats were rebranded, and their logos were modified to include the word BOBCATS.

• Team name: Brooklyn Nets
• Division: Atlantic
• Head coach: Steve Nash
• Mascot: Duncan the Dragon, Sly the Silver Fox, BrooklyKnight
• Championships: 2

19. Charlotte Hornets

Charlotte Hornets were founded in 1988 as an expansion franchise. It began with a teal hornet dribbling a basketball as the logo.

• Team name: Charlotte Hornets
• Division: Southeast
• Head coach: James Borrego
• Mascot: Hugo
• Championships: 0

20. Chicago Bulls

This is one of the most costly, recognisable, and best NBA team logos since 1966. The name comes from a major slaughterhouse in Chicago's history.

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• Team Name: Chicago Bulls
• Division: Central
• Head coach: Billy Donovan
• Mascot: Benny the Bull
• Championships: 6

21. Cleveland Cavaliers

The initial Cavalier's logo is from 1970, and it depicts a swashbuckling cavalier in crimson with the words CAVALIERS on top and CLEVELAND on the bottom. They modified their emblem to CAVS in 1984 and then again in 1995 to an orange and black ball.

• Team Name: Cleveland Cavaliers
• Division: Central
• Head coach: J. B. Bickerstaff
• Mascot: Whammer, Sir C.C., Moondog
• Championships: 1

22. Detroit Pistons

The team was initially known as the Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons, founded in 1939, and when its owner relocated to Detroit in 1957, the name was changed to the Detroit Pistons. A cartoon figure composed of pistons was used for the original logo.

• Team name: Detroit Pistons
• Division: Central
• Head coach: Dwane Casey
• Mascot: Hooper
• Championships: 3

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23. Indiana Pacers

A white hand grasping a yellow basketball in a blue "P" appeared on the first Pacers logos in 1967. However, they only made a slight colour modification to the emblem in 1976. They went with a navy blue P in 1990 and added more yellow streaks to the basketball.

• Team Name: Indiana Pacers
• Division: Central
• Head coach: Rick Carlisle
• Mascot: Boomer
• Championships: 3

24. Miami Heat

The Miami Heat's logo has seen just two modifications. In 1988, the Miami Heat unveiled their original logo, which included a flaming basketball passing through a black hoop, the phrase MIAMI HEAT at the bottom, and a little flame at the edge of the T.

• Team Name: Miami Heat
• Division: Southeast
• Head coach: Erik Spoelstra
• Championships: 3

25. Milwaukee Bucks

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Since it is associated with speed and agility, "buck" won a fan contest to pick the best title for the team. A buck has been the team's mascot for several years.

• Team name: Milwaukee Bucks
• Division: Central
• Head coach: Mike Budenholzer
• Mascot: Bango
• Championships: 2

26. New York Knicks

The Knicks were founded in 1946, with Father Knickerbocker dribbling a blue, orange, and white basketball as their first emblem. In 1964, they changed the design by adding "KNICKS," which they have kept in several logo variants since 1979, 1983, 1989, and 1992.

• Team name: New York Knicks
• Division: Atlantic
• Head coach: Tom Thibodeau
• Championships: 2

27. Orlando Magic

The initial Orlando Magic logo was introduced in 1989. It was used until 2000 before being switched to smaller Orlando and a start in place of the old one.

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• Team Name: Orlando Magic
• Division: Southeast
• Head coach: Jamahl Mosley
• Mascot: Stuff the Magic Dragon
• Championships: 0

28. Philadelphia 76ers

Philadelphia was founded in 1946 with the term National with a logo that resembled a map of the United States. In 1776 the team was sold and relocated to Philadelphia, renamed the Philadelphia 76ers.

• Team Name: Philadelphia 76ers
• Division: Atlantic
• Head coach: Doc Rivers
• Mascot: Franklin the Dog
• Championships: 3

29. Toronto Raptors

The Toronto Raptors was founded in 1993 after the film Jurassic Park sparked interest in dinosaurs. The first logo had a raptor wearing a T-shirt with the word R printed on it and a ball.

• Team name: Toronto Raptors
• Division: Atlantic
• Head coach: Nick Nurse
• Mascot: The Raptor
• Championships: 1

30. Washington Wizards

The team was created in the 1960s as the Chicago Packers, but after relocating to Baltimore, it was renamed Baltimore Bullets.

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• Team Name: Washington Wizards
• Division: Southeast
• Head coach: Wes Unseld Jr.
• Mascot: G-Wiz, G. Man
• Championships: 1

The NBA team logos and their rich history mentioned above have been playing a big part in the evolution of the game. NBA has become one of the most lucrative sports as of 2022 with millions loyally following the sport.

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