Ranking All 30 NBA Logos — Worst to Best
A couple of months ago, I ranked all 32 NFL logos. It was such a great time that it’s only appropriate that I rank the logos of one of the other most important sports in my life: basketball.
Basketball is a bonding ritual for me. My brothers and I hardly ever see each other, but whenever a Timberwolves game goes on, we talk nonstop on Messenger.
And I fondly remember the days when my dad had season tickets to Target Center and would take me to games in my little black Wolves sweatshirt. Downtown Minneapolis in the early aughts, frosty air on the red-and-blue-framed Skyway windows, surrounded by Garnett jerseys.
That love has continued in deeper ways. At home, I love going to the basketball courts every day just to shoot. I get in at least 100 tries on average. I’m 6-foot-1. People automatically assume I’m good at basketball. I’m having fun proving that to be true.
Just like the NFL logo ranking, I determine my ranking based on the following criteria:
- Marketability and branding
- Aesthetic factor
- Creativity effort and uniqueness from other logos
- Cultural/historical significance
Let me be clear: this list is my opinion and does not reflect what I think of the team itself. There are teams that I highly respect who happen to have trash logos. And no, I’m also not putting the Wolves at #1.
For a rough guide: KIND OF GARBAGE — 30 to 26. DO BETTER — 25 to 21. PERFECTLY FINE — 20 to 16. BETTER THAN FINE — 15 to 11. DANG GOOD — 10 to 6. S-TIER ECHELON — 5–1.
All right, let’s get in the paint.
KIND OF GARBAGE
30. Brooklyn Nets
I know — a real hot take right out the gate.
But in seriousness, any NBA fan who has looked at any list of logo rankings finds the Nets near the bottom, with good reason. This black-and-white B on a basketball is a rebrand from the old crest that the Nets had. While I’ve seen fans admire the new level of simplicity compared to the old logo (which looks cleaner on the court), we have to call it for what it is. It’s a logo that barely tells you a story about the team. It’s the logo equivalent of Community’s Greendale Human Beings. I couldn’t believe this logo was real when I saw it. It’s unfortunately the worst in the NBA, without question.
29. Utah Jazz
A few expansion teams in the NBA refused to change their names: the LA Lakers (formerly of Minneapolis), the Memphis Grizzlies (from Vancouver), and the Utah Jazz. The Jazz were only in New Orleans for five years before moving to Salt Lake City and have since created a strong identity in its community. At this point, there’s no reason to change the name despite there being no connection to jazz and the Mormon capital of the world.
Still, the logo is an eighth note with a basketball. While I’m not against simplicity in and of itself — sometimes it can be effective in telling a team’s story — this logo is incredibly lackluster compared to every other logo on this list.
It’s also significantly worse than the old Jazz logos. The mountain with the word “Jazz” at least told you more about the city and looked visually interesting. Yet the Jazz has since rebranded themselves by doing the absolute bare minimum. Well, not as minimum as a basketball with a B.
28. Cleveland Cavaliers
I remember the Cavaliers winning the 2016 NBA Championship. There was a palpable excitement to everything, and it was so unbelievably satisfying seeing a team work their ass off and win the city’s first ring. I relate as a Minnesota sports fan…or at least wish I could relate (just once before I die! Please!) Furthermore, I connect with the Cavs because they got the Wolves’ Kevin Love. I can bond with this team.
But I can’t bond with a big, red C with a gold outline. Yes, I understand that I’m showing the domestic primary logo here and that their “official, official” logo has this C on a black crest — fine. It doesn’t make the logo better than the 27 other NBA logos ahead of it.
Like the Jazz, the Cavs downgraded themselves from their old logo with the name in front of a basketball with a sword cutting through it.
I’m aware that many of these logo changes are attributed to a lot of various factors. It’s a matter of rebranding, cost-cutting, marketability, etc. But you can cut costs and increase marketability while still telling me the story of your team.
27. Sacramento Kings
All right. Another rebrand. However, unlike the other rebrands on this list, the Kings are straight-up taking themselves back to their pre-1994 era with this logo. They’re reclaiming their old logo instead of trying to give you something significantly watered-down. Also, with a name as long as the “Sacramento Kings,” the logo does a good job of not making the writing look busy and dominating. Honestly, I like the design of the logo itself a lot better than the previous logo. This logo is cleaner, has a story to it, a history that it’s honoring, and a general vision.
But I can’t get over that awful color combination of gray and purple. That alone bogs this logo down to the number 27 spot for me. I like teams that go for unique color combinations beyond the usual reds, blues, oranges, and yellows, but gray as a principle color isn’t it. Basketball colors need to evoke energy and speed to reflect the nature of the game. Gray, with another cool color like purple, doesn’t do that. Had the colors been even a tenth more energizing, I would have probably bumped this logo up to the late-to-mid teens on this list. But, in the “Kind of Garbage” pile you go.
26. Washington Wizards
It’s cute (if not a bit goofy) to put the Washington Monument in the middle of the basketball and a star over it to make it look like a wand. And yes, I understand that there are no other appropriate colors for this team besides red, white, and blue.
Still, the Wizards logo is essentially just a basketball. Basketballs are perfectly fine, but not when that’s all the logo seems to be. You’ll see me take back this criticism in later logo rankings here, but why those placements are better than the Wizards is because here, the effort is apparent only to a point. The way the Wizards use their colors is also an eyesore to me — maybe it’s the stars, but I get “Fourth of July sale at Old Navy” vibes from this look.
I don’t like it, especially when there’s a MUCH better “America-themed” logo.
DO BETTER
25. Oklahoma City Thunder
Yes. The Thunder is an excellent team. But their logo? It can do much better.
This feels like a straightforward basketball logo with a nice, dynamic color scheme which tells you that they’re a fun and fast team. But there’s something so uncharacteristic about it.
There’s a lot more potential for this team’s branding. Notably, they’re one of the few expansion teams that changed their name and color scheme. The Thunder used to be the green-and-yellow Seattle Supersonics but smartly opted for a name more reflective of Oklahoma’s notoriously stormy weather. Yet there’s nothing indicative about this in the logo. There’s nothing stormy or weather-related.
They’re not harnessing any of the foreboding power in their name. Thunder is loud. It indicates danger. Get inside. You’re under the uncontrollable forces of nature.
But a clean-looking blue-and-orange crest? It could do better.
24. Orlando Magic
Maybe I just have a thing against stars in basketball logos. It feels cheesy to me. Still, unlike the Wizards, the Magic are at least moving the ball and evoking basketball’s air element. I like that.
It’s hard not to make a team called the “Magic” seem silly to some extent. Granted, you can get away with a team name like this in basketball a lot better than in any other sport. Basketball can get heated, but it isn’t an aggressive or angry sport. But let’s call it for what it is: Orlando named their basketball team after Disney World. No, seriously — they’re called the “Magic” after the most magical place on Earth.
If you’re called the Magic, you’re putting stars in your logo. That’s a “meh” from me. Gray and blue also get “whatever” points.
23. Phoenix Suns
The Suns’ domestic primary logo is just the basketball launching into the sun. It looks boring and low-effort. I nearly put it into the “kind of garbage” category. However, unlike the Cavs’ “full” logo, the Phoenix Suns do deliver a notable improvement. The basketball sun looks full, the font is right, and the black backdrop looks clean…but it could do better.
Let’s state the obvious — it may seem minor, but it’s a key part of the team’s branding. There’s no purple in this logo. It’s one of the main colors— no, THE main color of the team — and it’s not in the logo. Purple was in previous versions, but they dropped it for black.
Black looks cool, but it’s not a main part of the Suns’ brand. And crest or not, the basketball sun is still lackluster to me.
22. Houston Rockets
If there weren’t any hot takes previously, this might be one here. The Houston Rockets have a pretty identifiable logo. I see the story with the “R” looking like a rocket ship taking off, with the dripping effect evoking fire launching everything up. This logo is also a step up from the — no joke — shark-looking rocket in logos past. The Rockets brought the cheese factor down big time.
Its biggest sin for me is how thin this looks. While I understand that there’s an iteration of this logo against a gray planet (meh, gray), this logo doesn’t look great on a court.
Again, it’s not garbage. It’s fine. But it could definitely be better.
21. LA Clippers
This is the most talked-about rebrand that I’ve seen. Finally, the Clippers are owning up to the fact that they’re the “ship” team. Cool. I get it.
I also see how the Clippers logo is evoking a compass. Again, pretty cool. There’s thought into it. The logo is no longer just an “L.A.C.” basketball above “CLIPPERS.”
But how could it “do better?” Everything in this logo feels so thick. The lines, the dark ship, the detail…it’s too easy for everything here to feel lost aesthetically.
I do appreciate that the Clippers didn’t go the easy route with the rebrand by using another giant basketball, like so many other teams do (again, nothing wrong with using a basketball for your, well, basketball team. It’s about how you use it). But the Clippers have created a logo that could easily get lost on people. Only time will tell.
PERFECTLY FINE
20. Detroit Pistons
I’m actually staying in Michigan for a temp job as I write this and living with a wonderful couple here. The man of the couple learned I was making this list and tried to think of what the Pistons logo even was. “It’s a red basketball with the team’s name on it,” I said. “Oh, and with a blue outline.” He scoffed. “If even a lifelong Michigander doesn’t remember what the team’s logo is, it’s a bad logo.” I concur.
But aesthetically, it’s not assaulting to the eyes. It’s at least honoring the team’s history (the current Pistons logo is a direct homage to their “Bad Boys” era). But it’s a downgrade from the fire-horse of the previous logo.
The biggest reason for the Pistons being here: the league has more teams than it did in the ’80s. There are more logos for the Pistons to compete with, and comparatively, this one is just…forgetful. And that’s a pretty damning sin for a logo to commit.
But for what it is? It’s perfectly fine.
19. Atlanta Hawks
This is my guy Anthony Edwards’ hometown team, so there’s a special quality to me for the Atlanta Hawks. I love Atlanta sports fans. Atlanta is a great, solid sports city.
The Hawks logo is effective enough. This is an example of a logo that uses simplicity well. My only gripe is that I wish there were more than two colors. It’s red and white. That’s a nice, classic color combination, but I want it to pop just a bit more with some depth — a black outline, for example. Also, on a pickier note, the thick lining of everything gives the logo a heavier feel than it needs.
That said, I’m putting the Hawks in the “perfectly fine” category because they knows what their brand is, they know how to convey it, and they stick with it. The Hawks logo also knows how to pull off a real “basketball team” feel. This looks perfect on a pair of Converse high tops, the original basketball shoe.
It’s a logo that does the job.
18. San Antonio Spurs
The middle-of-the-road logos are the hardest to rank because each one is a different level of “fine.” I have no particularly strong feelings against the San Antonio Spurs logo — but it’s by no means aesthetically interesting to me. This is one of those logos that connects the fans. It’s special to those who followed the Spurs their entire life, but to everyone else, it can easily get lost.
I see this logo and immediately know the team it represents. It does the basics of branding. That said, there’s nothing exciting about it. Could it do more? Perhaps. Does it need to? Not necessarily.
But is it a great logo? No. It’s just fine. It’s a spur. But there are better logos.
17. Memphis Grizzlies
I like how the current Memphis Grizzlies logo is less busy and more straightforward than the old logo of the ’90s. On a pickier note, I liked the old colors more than this dusty blue, but it looks fine. I also like the yellow eyes. The grizzly looks like it’s hunting you down at night. Nice touch.
However, there are 16 better logos than this because the Grizzlies have no intention of telling you anything more than what they're saying with this logo — it’s a grizzly looking at you. It’s not even aggressive-looking. There are no teeth or claws like the old logo had. I’m mildly threatened by this grizzly, but I’m not excited.
Again, basketball is a fast game. Instead, this grizzly is waiting, staring at you in the woods. It’s passive.
But it’s a clean logo that does everything that it needs to do. It’s perfectly fine.
16. Indiana Pacers
The dark blue and yellow combination looks great, and that italicized “P” with the basketball is iconic to the team at this point. There has been no other logo beyond that P for the Pacers, and I respect that. It’s good branding.
However, this is one of those logos that gets its placement largely because there are better logos in my opinion on this list. This logo does everything that it needs to, and it looks good doing it, but I just so happen to like 15 other logos more. I have nothing against the Pacers, but it’s a very fine, straightforward logo.
More creativity, more thought, and more energy would bump this logo up more. However, the Pacers don’t need to do anything more to what they already have to be perfectly fine.
BETTER THAN FINE
15. Philadelphia 76ers
I know this goes against my cardinal sin of having stars in the logo. Lots of stars. But damn it, this is a classic logo and I love it. I see this ‘76ers logo and immediately think of Dr. J, Wilt Chamberlain, and everything my dad from Wilmington, Delaware grew up with as a kid. I like other logos a little more, but the ‘76ers are better than fine.
Each logo on this list was created by a team of marketers and designers. They were audience-tested, quality-controlled, and approved through multiple rounds. However, you can tell when decisions were made with the fans and the team in mind. Keeping this old, classic logo that tells you the entire story of the Philadelphia ‘76ers reflects everything. And to take a page from the Hawks, this would look awesome on a Converse.
14. Toronto Raptors
Just like the ‘76ers with their million stars, the Raptors are breaking my rule of being nothing but a big basketball. So why are they so high on the list?
In Jurassic Park, you’re introduced to the T-Rex a full hour into the movie…with a vibrating glass of water. The movie is stronger for it because everything is left to the audience’s imagination. How terrifying is this T-Rex? My God, it’s so big that it makes the world shake! You know it’s coming before you see it. How terrifying is it? Thus is the case with those giant claw marks across the basketball on the Raptors logo.
What could be perceived as a very low-effort logo actually becomes a purposeful psychological play on you because of those claw marks, and the Raptors are so smart to do this.
Remember, this is the dinosaur team of basketball. Too many logos in the past have accidentally taken the “silliness” route — think the Rockets with their “evil rocket.” Laughable. Imagine the Raptors putting a dinosaur on their logo, even a shadow of a dinosaur. It’s an obvious route for them to take (a route that they’ve even taken in the past), but the logo is not nearly as serious as it could be.
Here with these claw marks, the logo is telling you that the Raptor has already been here…and you don’t know where it is now. Yes. This is a big basketball logo done right.
13. LA Lakers
A huge reason why the Lakers logo is ranked as high as it is has to do with legacy. Legacy, legacy, legacy. It is one of the most well-known logos in basketball because the Lakers have been absolute juggernauts. Its fan base is one of the proudest in basketball, with good reason, and the team has produced some of the best players in the sport. Also, that purple and yellow will always look amazing. Granted, I’m a Vikings fan. I may be biased.
The Lakers went with a very classic route — understandable. That was a smart choice. Nothing hokey, nothing messy. It’s straightforward. But at the end of the day, the Lakers logo is a basketball with the name of the team zooming across it.
There’s not much you can do with a name like the “Lakers.” What are you going to do, put a giant lake on it? No. But to that end, we could get into how LA has never managed to find a way to really connect with the name itself after moving from Minneapolis. I don’t hate how they kept their name because the alliteration of it works, but LA needed to find its way of rebranding the name in its favor. It’s done that with rings, championships, players…a history.
Meanwhile, the team is asking for the logo to just speak for itself. It does, but it will do nothing more.
12. New Orleans Pelicans
I never liked the New Orleans Pelicans’ name, but I love their logo. It looks like a pilot badge. It’s eye-catching and detailed. That beige and blue is also quite eye-catching — not so bold as to yell at your eyes, but not so muted as to seem hidden and almost apologetic for being a team.
I also appreciate how they managed to make the pelican look menacing, at least to some extent. There’s only so much you can do to make us scared of a bird.
That said, I think that because it’s so detailed with thick lines, the logo feels weighed down. That thin beak, for example, becomes more hidden because of this. I’d call it a factor of an ambitious logo.
Still, I think this a pretty awesome logo. The wingspan element also easily makes it one of my favorite-looking logos on a court.
11. Charlotte Hornets
There’s a lot here putting the Hornets at #11. Firstly, the colors: this could have easily been a gaudy black-and-yellow basketball team with some kind of “stripe” element associated with the brand. Instead, they went with blue and teal, an eye-popping color combination that’s memorable and complementary.
I see effort and intention in everything from the silhouette to the sense of fullness to the…basketball butt? Basketball abdomen. And yet it’s the last logo before “dang good” because, as intentional and aesthetic as this logo is, it still runs the risk of looking busy.
Like the Pelicans, the Hornets have a lot of fine detailing in their logo. While I like the color scheme, the lining could have been taken down by even half a thickness point to really balance the look out.
We’re getting picky at this point in the list. But now onto my top 10.
DANG GOOD
10. Minnesota Timberwolves
I try to take my emotions out of this ranking, but we are human. My Wolves are in the top 10 — yes!
But in all seriousness, the Minnesota Timberwolves created a clear story here. A wolf howls in front of a basketball with a little green star on the rib to represent the North Star for Minnesota. This logo is purposeful, right down to our pretentious color names (it’s not just green — it’s “aurora green” because it represents our northern lights and forests).
Notably, the wolf howling shows a powerful call to action that I think has defined this current Timberwolves era. The wolf is calling for others in the area and uniting his pack. Like the Raptors, there’s an implication that there’s more happening outside of the logo.
We could just rest our laurels on one wolf, Anthony Edwards, but we pride ourselves in building a deep roster. Naz Reid, Mike Conley, Rudy Gobert, promising new additions like Donte DiVincenzo and Rob Dillingham...
Of course, I’ll always have a soft spot for the previous logo of the wolf growling straight at you. That black, white, and green color combination? The Garnett era? Those absolutely sick-looking black jerseys? I think the wolf looks a lot better in this logo, but I have to give props to the old look.
But the Timberwolves are down at number 10 because the colors do not make the logo pop as well as it could. Yes, I hate gray…but this is at least a very appropriate use of gray.
It’s also wildly similar to the domestic primary of the next logo, and I take points down for losing uniqueness.
9. Dallas Mavericks
The Mavericks booted the Wolves out of the 2024 Playoffs, and they’re booting them down again in this logo ranking. I’m sorry.
There’s more movement in the Dallas Mavericks’ logo, from the way the horse curves into the basketball design to the way the name leans up. Basketball logos that are able to capture any kind of energy and speed move up in the scale. White also evokes more energy and excitement and makes the logo pop. Good lining, good movement, good branding.
And talk about an upgraded rebrand from their old logo years ago. The Mavericks used to have a green “M” with a cowboy hat. Then, realizing how f**king stupid that looked, they decided to become the horse team of the NBA. Fantastic move. When in doubt, be an animal.
I’ll note a downgrade. The domestic primary is just the horse in front of the basketball, which as I said previously, looks really similar to the Timberwolves logo. There’s even a star here to represent the Texas “Lone Star.” However, the Mavericks logo is older than the Wolves’, and therefore gains slight originality points. Animals in front of basketballs…a clear branding story.
And I think the “Mavericks” font looks more squished together than it needs to be. Pickiness. Details. But 9 is pretty dang good.
8. Miami Heat
Here’s an iconic logo. Miami Heat — even for those not into basketball, this logo is memorable. Huge points up.
The name alone is iconic. It takes two seconds to say and sticks in your brain. Basketball is guilty of having really long team names: the Min-ne-so-ta Tim-ber-wolves. Phil-a-del-phi-a Se-ven-ty-six-ers. But “Miami Heat?” Whoosh. Like basketball, it’s fast.
And while I don’t love it when a logo is simple, sometimes simple really works. It’s good branding, not a mess of details. We have a fire basketball going through a hoop. Even the little tail on the “T” evokes fire juuuust enough.
This logo is as high as it is because there’s no Miami Heat logo that can ever top this iteration. For this team, this is forever the logo. No notes. No changes needed. The colors, the design — this is the Heat. Better yet, it’s not basketball without the Heat in the league. But, there are 7 better logos to look at.
7. Milwaukee Bucks
As iconic as the Heat’s logo is, I am always drawn to the Bucks. I love this logo. The forest green against that cream color is such a winning combination to me, which is something that I would not expect to feel about a basketball team. But those antlers…chef’s kiss.
Milwaukee’s previous logo had a more detailed-looking buck, but the design here looks more emotional and straightforward. The old buck just looked at you. This buck is grimacing at you.
While I could go on about logos like the Wolves or the Raptors, sometimes I just have to put a logo at number 7 because of pure eye-catching quality. Why are the Bucks here? I just simply love it.
6. Portland Trail Blazers
Here’s one that you either love or hate. The Portland Trail Blazers is the only team in basketball that doesn’t have a basketball, a mascot, a city symbol, or an aspect of the name in the logo. Instead, it’s a pinwheel of five lines representing the defensive and offensive players, respectively, coming together in competition.
Red, white, and black. Classic color combination. Five lines meeting each other. A logo silhouette that’s like no other in the league. You can identify this logo from a mile away. It’s simply designed, yet probably one of the most unique logos on the list. The Trail Blazers are also one of the few teams in the NBA that are so confident in their logo that they’ve smartly stuck with it for the entirety of their existence, with only changes to the slant of the pinwheel and the look of the team’s lettering.
What’s most impressive to me about this logo is how it navigates around the “who are we?” question. What is a Trail Blazer? The Mavericks had this issue and went with a horse, the Lakers can’t do anything more than put their name on a basketball…but the Trail Blazers know how to represent the abstract quality of their name. We are Rip City, a pinwheel you can put on everything. We are the competition of basketball. We are movement, blazing a trail with lines coming together.
That’s a successful logo.
S-TIER ECHELON
5. Chicago Bulls
Talk about an iconic team in basketball. While the Bulls’ best era is now sadly a shadow in the past, this logo will remain as a staunch reminder of who this team is. I always love a basketball team with an awesome, straightforward name. It’s short and assertive: “the Chicago Bulls.”
Movement is big in basketball, as I’ve said a million times in this article. The Chicago Bulls went with a mascot that isn’t just powerful, but is known for charging at you. The horns, the eyes, that red…these are all power elements in a logo. Every element is correct in this. Nothing overpowers anything.
It’s similar to the Grizzlies’ logo in that its an animal staring you down, but unlike the Grizzlies, this bull really does have you by the horns. There’s nothing muted about this logo. It’s a mainstay in the NBA.
You can’t change this logo. It’s S-Tier.
4. New York Knicks
There are a lot of detailed logos on this list, but the Knicks are one of the masters. The blue and orange gives the logo a pop that doesn’t compete with other teams, and they use gray to their advantage. Gray doesn’t dull the logo down, it uplifts it. Like the Mavericks, there’s also motion in the lettering here that makes the logo stand out and give it more energy and movement.
It also doesn’t insist on what a “Knick” is. What’s a Knick? We are. End of story.
But my favorite element of it? With so much going on here, the Knicks are the best at lining. They know how to use line thickness very well — everything outlines and complements each other. There’s no mess. There’s no competition between elements.
This is an absolutely fantastic logo.
3. Golden State Warriors
Blue and yellow. Great basketball colors. However, what really strikes me about the Golden State Warriors logo is how it manages to feel both classic and modern at the same time.
This logo doesn’t show speed or strength, but it shows something that makes me respect it more than any of those elements ever could: authentic pride. The previous logo showed an actual “Warriors” mascot that looked like some kind of comic book superhero, but it didn’t work. What is a “Golden State Warrior?”
This new logo shuts everything down and starts over. Who are we? We’re the Bay. We are both modern and timeless. We don’t demand respect, we assume respect. Here’s a logo that’s in the absolute Goldilocks zone of detail. There isn’t too much, but it tells you everything. I look at this logo and can tell that this is a team that doesn’t try too hard to create an identity. Simplicity works in its favor, because it’s a purposeful simplicity.
2. Denver Nuggets
I was surprised myself with having the Denver Nuggets this high, because it’s not a particularly iconic logo compared to others on the list. And yet that’s the thing. Looking at the Heat or the Bulls, I am immediately reminded of a history that has plastered those logos all over the country. Exposure to these logos is partly why I love them so much.
Meanwhile, Denver’s winning legacy is new with the addition of superstar multi-MVP winner Nikola Jokić. With that, the NBA world is actually starting to notice the Nuggets more — and their logo. Here we have a basketball, two pickaxes, and a mountain in a compact medallion. Is it the most detailed, fancy-looking logo? Is it the deepest logo in meaning? No, but logos don’t always need that to make their statement.
The colors are a striking gold, navy blue, and burgundy. Here’s a color scheme that is both safe in the NBA yet striking enough to stand out. This logo is crisp, clean, and beautiful. The elements elevate each other and fill the space out in an efficient way. There’s nothing gaudy, there’s nothing try-hard, there’s nothing horrible. Still, because of the color scheme and the layout of the design, there’s depth. It’s also a lot cleaner and more compact than the logos of its past.
While there are many logos that achieve the same thing as the Nuggets in terms of efficiency, smart design, pleasing color scheme, and meaningful branding, the Nuggets are my personal favorite in all of those factors. I love what the Nuggets have done with their logo.
But there can only be one logo worthy of beating the other 29 teams.
1. Boston Celtics
There are some truly fantastic logos in the NBA. But who else could possibly be number 1 besides the Boston Celtics?
Admittedly, the Celtics could earn goofiness points with the leprechaun on their logo winking at you. It could even seem outdated to some. But this is the legacy team of the NBA. Go to TD Garden, and it’s always a sea of green — THIS green. There is an unmatched pride in Boston for their Celtics, 18 rings strong, and the Celtics have the logo to cement that legacy.
It doesn’t assume the legacy like the Lakers logo, or muddies its details like the Pelicans. SO MUCH is packed in this logo, from clovers on Lucky’s outfit to buckles on his shoes. Personality, cleanliness, unmistakable branding. The details are all completely correct. Nothing gets lost. The entire story of this 78-year-old team exists to perfection in this single logo.
Furthermore, I’m seeing an element of basketball that I can’t find in any other NBA logo: playfulness. Everything is assertive, loud, fast…but the Celtics remind you what basketball is really about. Basketball, at the end of the day, is a game.
As dominant as the Celtics are, they aren’t winning games by tearing you down, running faster than the wind, and making balls fly in the air at a million miles an hour. They’re not here to hurt you. They’re beating you game after game with a smile on their face. Winning isn’t hard for them. They can win in their sleep.
And if anything, that makes them that much more of a juggernaut.
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