Friday 5: Favorite NBA logos

[cyclones500]

This is a fall-back/fill-in (sorry — busy work week for me!)

NBA Playoffs are in full swing. Rank your top 5 NBA team logos. Even if you don’t follow the sport, anyone can make aesthetic judgments.

Use of graphics encouraged. Stick to current, primary branding. (You can add a favorite “classicâ€￾ after your top 5, if you wish.)

Handy link: NBA logos

I’ll post mine soon. Go!

Last week’s Friday 5: Show me the money

 

[ISUcyclones11]

1. Heat
2. Spurs
3. Bulls
4. Pacers
5. Cavs

Favorite classic: Previous Raptors logo

 

[Sigmapolis]

The "Pacman" Hawks (even if their overall identity and uniforms now are awfulness)

The Bay Bridge version of the Warriors (lovely colors and image, nice choice in emphasizing the East Bay side of their identity instead of the Golden Gate, homage to one of the best icons in the history of North American sports, and the suspension bridge elements on their uniforms are just awesome)

The "5 on 5" Trailblazers... maybe the only abstract logo in a major league, and it really works

Milwaukee Bucks (the new one)... the subtle "M" collar, the green'n'cream Milwaukee colors (consistent with the green'n'gold Packers, too), the basketball in the antlers, etc., a modern classic

Celtics... everything about it is just classic

 

[ZZZ]

1. Chicago Bulls

2. Boston Celtics

3. Los Angeles Lakers

4. San Antonio Spurs

5. Miami Heat

The first three were easy choices for me. The last two were simply personal preference.

 

[CycloneRulzzz]

Sorry 500 I'm breaking the Rulzzz :smile:

1. by a mile old school nuggets

2. Bulls

3. Boston

4. Old Jazz logo

5. Twolves 2nd logo

here is nba logos over the years link

http://www.nba.com/magic/cohen_feature_081611.html

 

[cyclones500]

My 5:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Runners-up: Bucks, Hornets

Classic favorite:

Possibly worst all-time:

 

[cyclones500]

And if Nets had stuck with the following, instead of including BROOKLYN underneath the shield, it'd be much further up my list:

 

[cyclones500]

The "Pacman" Hawks (even if their overall identity and uniforms now are awfulness)

The Bay Bridge version of the Warriors (lovely colors and image, nice choice in emphasizing the East Bay side of their identity instead of the Golden Gate, homage to one of the best icons in the history of North American sports, and the suspension bridge elements on their uniforms are just awesome)

The "5 on 5" Trailblazers... maybe the only abstract logo in a major league, and it really works

Milwaukee Bucks (the new one)... the subtle "M" collar, the green'n'cream Milwaukee colors (consistent with the green'n'gold Packers, too), the basketball in the antlers, etc., a modern classic

Celtics... everything about it is just classic

I like inclusion of the synopses.
:smile:

I think Bucks logo has a nice clean look -- nearly made my cut; I admit I didn't even notice the M-collar. (I think branding is even better when details like that are secondary and you don't realize it immediately, doesn't detract from the overall design).

 

[cyclones500]

The "Pacman" Hawks (even if their overall identity and uniforms now are awfulness)

Also: I didn't see the Hidden Pacman in that logo, either, until you mentioned it.

 

[cyclones500]

Note: I included Heat in my 5, because I still like the sun-through-hoop concept. It would, however, benefit from a tweak in the tired "Miami Heat" typeface-meh beneath it. Screams for an update.

EDIT: Now that I review it, I think Heat's basic theme still works, but whole thing needs redefined and modernized. .... I think will drop Heat out of top 5 and elevate Bucks. ...

 

[CycloneRulzzz]

On my computer none of your photos are showing 500, all I see is that picture icon graphic. Must be an issue with my computer.

 

[ZZZ]

On my computer none of your photos are showing 500, all I see is that picture icon graphic. Must be an issue with my computer.

Same problem here

 

[enisthemenace]

I've always liked the Pacers logo.

 

[exCYtable]

Sorry 500 I'm breaking the Rulzzz :smile:

1. by a mile old school nuggets

2. Bulls

3. Boston

4. Old Jazz logo

5. Twolves 2nd logo

here is nba logos over the years link

http://www.nba.com/magic/cohen_feature_081611.html

I'm on board with Rulzzz on this one at #1, but I have to put the old Milwaukee Bucks logo at a close #2

 

[clonedude]

BEST

1. Boston- classic
2. Nets- simple black and white is bad a** IMO. Also why I love the Raiders too.
3. Timberwolves- partial to my favorite team- but it also is a cool logo.
4. Hornets- I like the triangle shape aspect to it.
5. Bulls- simple, classic logo
6. Milwaukee

WORST

1. Detroit
2. Clippers
3. Memphis
4. Pacers
5. OKC

 

[Buster28]

here is nba logos over the years link

http://www.nba.com/magic/cohen_feature_081611.html

I like the current Golden State logo better than anything they've ever used before. Like someone mentioned already, I like the fact that the newest represents something that's actually Oakland/East Bay rather than San Francisco. I will say, they've recently started using the old late-60s/early-70s "The City" logo with the (presumably Golden Gate) suspension bridge since SF was the original Bay Area home to the franchise. This popped up around the time that plans for the new SF arena (as a new home for the Warriors) seemed to solidify. That one I like for it's simplicity, but the lettering seems kinda wonky when I see it.

That being said, here are my favorite currents:

1) Golden State
2) Portland
3) Cleveland
4) Houston
5) Minnesota

 

[jkclone]

The NBA has some really bad logos as far as I'm concerned, but that seems to be what they want.

My favorites:

1. Hornets
2. Timberwolves
3. Pelicans
4. Thunder
5. Bulls

Really some of the newer ones especially the alternates are pretty good. A lot of the logos though seem extremely outdated.

 

[MeanDean]

Don't follow NBA. Honestly the first one I thought of was Miami Heat. Somehow it looks slightly pornographically suggestive. Probably just because I have a dirty mind, Heh, heh, heh...

Looked at the link. Liked Cleveland Cavs and Houston Rockets.

Don't like Portland or Orlando

And that original Milwaukee Bucks looks like a Christmas Rudolph cartoon with the basketball the wrong color for his nose. Gonna vote "no" on that one.

 

[clonedude]

Don't follow NBA. Honestly the first one I thought of was Miami Heat. Somehow it looks slightly pornographically suggestive. Probably just because I have a dirty mind, Heh, heh, heh...

Looked at the link. Liked Cleveland Cavs and Houston Rockets.

Don't like Portland or Orlando

And that original Milwaukee Bucks looks like a Christmas Rudolph cartoon with the basketball the wrong color for his nose. Gonna vote "no" on that one.

That old Bucks logo is just WAY too busy for my liking. I tend to like more simple logos.

 

[klamath632]

Also: I didn't see the Hidden Pacman in that logo, either, until you mentioned it.

It took me years to realize that was a hawk in that logo. I always thought it was a pac-man.