With all of the relocation and rebranding happening in the NFL, it feels like it’s been a while since we’ve had an NBA team introduce a new primary logo.
The teams are all mostly the same and their logos haven’t really changed that much in the last four or five years. They’re consistent, to say the least, even if they’re not always good.
Which team has the best logo, though? It’s time for a ranking.
So here it is. Your definitive ranking of each NBA team’s primary logo, starting with the undisputed best logo in the association, down to the absolute worst.
1. The Chicago Bulls: This logo is just timeless. Maybe it's just the Jordan nostalgia getting to me, but this one never gets old.
2. Los Angeles Lakers: Another classic. This logo means so much to so many people in and around the NBA.
3. Toronto Raptors: I'm a huge fan of the circle team logos and the Raptors' clawed effect on the basketball has been tugging at my heart strings since I was a kid. This is great.
4. Philadelphia 76ers: Again, these circular logos are incredible. And the 76ers team font is just so clean and simple. This is a great logo.
5. Atlanta Hawks: You're seeing the pattern here by now, right? That Hawk in the center also looks a bit like Pacman eating a bird's head, which gives it bonus points.
6. Miami Heat: The only thing the Heat could do to make this better is to put the flaming basketball meteor in Miami Vice colors. Please, somebody, make that happen.
7. Boston Celtics: The Celtics jerseys are not the best, but their logo is pretty dope. That leprechaun has always been pretty cool.
8. Portland Trail Blazers: The Trail Blazers are always going to rank top 10 in anything logo or jersey related. That lettering is clean, the logo is classic, and their colors are great.
9. Phoenix Suns: I love it when teams embrace their roots. The Suns are doing that with the luminous basketball on top of that black background. So good.
10. Milwaukee Bucks: Forest green normally isn't a good color, but it goes perfect with that cream in the logo. Plus, the Buck looks as fierce as ever. Fear the Deer.
11. San Antonio Spurs: The Spurs logo has always been super simple and that's what has always made it so good. You know what it is when you see it.
12. Golden State Warriors: I like this logo, but I can't help but yearn for the days when it included an actual warrior and not the Golden Gate bridge.
13. Washington Wizards: That Wizards basketball is pretty dope and as a native DMVer, I can totally appreciate the use of the monument in this thing.
14. Denver Nuggets: This logo confuses me a bit, but the colors save it. It looks a bit like something that could be a token in a Super Mario video game.
15. New York Knicks: This logo, like many others ahead of it, is timeless and classic. But that's part of the problem. The Knicks have been a mess for so long. They need a rebrand.
16. Brooklyn Nets: The Nets jerseys got points from me for being super simple, but this logo is just a lot. There's a random B in the basketball. Take that away and this is pretty good.
17. Memphis Grizzlies: This feels too video game-ish to be an actual team logo. I know it is, but it shouldn't be.
18. Indiana Pacers: This logo is fine. But that's all it is — just fine. It's a bit too simple.
19. Utah Jazz: The music note is a nice touch, I guess, but other than that this logo just kind of spells out Utah Jazz which isn't very creative at all.
20. Sacramento Kings: The crown animation here is a nice touch but that grey basketball totally ruins this thing. It's unnecessary.
21. Los Angeles Clippers: When the Clippers move, they should do something more creative with their logo. A basketball with LAC in it isn't doing it.
22. Houston Rockets: This logo is okay. You can clearly see there's a rocket in there blasting off. But that's kind of just it. There's no flare here.
23. Cleveland Cavaliers: This logo is just super boring, man. Cleveland needs to get more creative.
24. Charlotte Hornets: This logo is being punished, basically, for not being the old 90's logo. That's it.
25. New Orleans Pelicans: Pelicans is a bad team name and a bad team mascot.
26. Minnesota Timberwolves: The Wolves logo would be cool...but that lime green ruins it.
27. Dallas Mavericks: The Mavericks are a great team but, man, they could've used a rebrand about a decade ago.
28. Oklahoma City Thunder: This logo feels like Microsoft Word clip art.
29. Detroit Pistons: The Pistons need to bring that horse back. They need a mascot to liven this logo up.
30. Orlando Magic: The Magic should hit up Disney and see if they can use that Magic Kingdom castle as their logo. Or do literally anything else. As long as it's not this anymore.
