Late last month Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving sparked controversy when he demanded that the NBA change its logo.
The current logo is widely presumed to be an image of Los Angeles Lakers legend, Jerry West – though this has never been officially confirmed.
Irving wants the logo to become a homage to Kobe Bryant.
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“Gotta Happen, idc what anyone says,” Irving wrote on Instagram. “BLACK KINGS BUILT THE LEAGUE.”
This weekend, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver held a press conference ahead of All-Star weekend. There he addressed Irving’s suggestion rather bluntly.
“There are no ongoing discussions right now at the league office,” Silver said. “…It just doesn’t feel like the right moment.”
Regardless of whether Silver wants Bryant as the logo or not, there is one big practical reason not to do it: money.
The league has never actually acknowledged that West is the current logo because doing so may expose them financially for using his likeness. Similar concerns preclude Bryant from becoming the new logo.
Beyond the practical stuff, though – some people simply don’t want Bryant as the logo. Philadelphia 76ers head coach Doc Rivers is one of those people, and he recently explained why.
Barring something crazy changing, it’s unlikely that Bryant will become the NBA’s new logo at any point in the foreseeable future.
While that may not be the answer some fans were hoping for, there are plenty of fun All-Star storylines to take their minds off that disappointment. Everything from the real reason for Devin Booker’s decision to miss the big game, to DeMar DeRozan’s outrage over being snubbed, to Instagram models being forced to live in cars this weekend.
All-Star festivities have had something for everyone this year – just not the folks who had their hearts set on Bryant being the next logo.
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Charles Kruger has been credentialed to cover two Super Bowls, four NBA Finals, and one World Series. A 20-year veteran in the sports world, he has sources spanning the NBA, MLB, NFL, UFC and NASCAR. Currently residing in Los Angeles, Calif., he is Game 7’s go-to source for rumors surrounding the Lakers, Clippers and Dodgers.
