The passage describes Jerry West, a legendary NBA player who passed away at the age of 86. It highlights that despite his significant accomplishments as a player, coach, and executive, West is most famously recognized as the model for the NBA logo.
This logo, featuring a silhouette of a player dribbling a ball, is based on West’s image from his playing days in the late 1960s.
However, during West’s lifetime, the NBA did not officially acknowledge that it was his silhouette on the iconic logo. Branding expert Alan Siegel confirmed this fact recently.
The passage credits Alan Siegel, a renowned artist, brand builder, and logo designer, with the creation of the iconic NBA logo featuring Jerry West’s silhouette.
Despite Siegel’s relative anonymity among basketball fans, he was hired for the logo project and saw West as the perfect embodiment of the NBA.
The red-white-and-blue logo, designed by Siegel in 1969, played a significant role in shaping the NBA’s image and contributing to its current status as a powerhouse in sports.
Overall, the NBA logo is recognized as one of the most iconic images in the world of sports, according to DesignRush.
Alan Siegel, now 85 years old, revealed to MarketWatch that he accepted the NBA logo design job for $14,000, confident he could handle it swiftly. He completed the task in just one week, reflecting on it matter-of-factly.
Siegel’s selection for the job was based on his prior success designing the Major League Baseball logo, which featured a similar color scheme and reversed-out player silhouette. NBA commissioner at the time, J. Walter Kennedy, sought something similarly impactful to enhance the league’s image.
This led to Siegel’s commission and the eventual creation of the iconic NBA logo, which has since become synonymous with the league’s brand identity.
“The NBA was not being appreciated or recognized” at the time, Siegel recalled.
Alan Siegel chose Jerry West as the model for the NBA logo based on several factors. Siegel, who had a strong basketball background from his high school days on Long Island and had seen West play in person at Madison Square Garden, was familiar with West’s style and prowess on the court. He discovered a powerful image of West in Sport magazine, which inspired his decision.
Siegel was drawn to the image because it captured West in a graceful and effortless moment while handling the ball, a contrast to other symbolic representations of basketball players he had seen, which often depicted players in the act of shooting or performing a hook shot. This photo resonated with Siegel’s vision for the NBA logo, emphasizing elegance and skill.
Despite widespread recognition and speculation over the years, the NBA has never officially confirmed that Jerry West is the player depicted in the logo.
The league’s website mentions “copyright issues” as the reason for not acknowledging the identity of the player, but it’s widely accepted and acknowledged that the silhouette is indeed based on Jerry West’s image.
Alan Siegel, the designer behind the NBA logo featuring Jerry West’s silhouette, believes the league intentionally kept the player’s identity ambiguous to avoid the logo being tied to a specific individual. The silhouette’s anonymity has actually benefited the NBA’s branding strategy.
Jerry West himself had mixed feelings about being the inspiration for the iconic logo. He humorously remarked on the negligible royalties he received from it, highlighting the irony of being the face of a sport without substantial financial benefit.
Siegel, known for designing numerous logos including those for City University of New York, Xerox, and American Express, considers the NBA logo his most renowned work. He plans to write a book about its creation and its impact, noting similar approaches in other sports branding.
Despite the business aspect, Siegel remains an admirer of Jerry West’s basketball prowess, describing him as an extraordinary player and one of the best. His acknowledgment underscores West’s lasting legacy beyond just being the silhouette on a logo.
