Jerry West, NBA Logo Inspiration, Dies at 86

NBA Legend Jerry West Passes Away

Unofficial Face of the League Departed

In 1969, the NBA commissioned a new logo from designer Alan Siegel, who had become renowned for his work on the Major League Baseball logo. Jerry West, the late Los Angeles Lakers star, was a natural choice for inspiration.

Although never officially confirmed, the NBA logo is widely recognized to depict the silhouette of West, who died on Wednesday at the age of 86. The NBA's previous logos had been simple designs featuring the league's name, but the West-inspired logo became an iconic symbol of the sport.

David Stern, the NBA commissioner who died in 2020, never divulged the identity of the logo's inspiration. However, West's likeness has been universally acknowledged, and his passing has brought renewed attention to the legend behind the NBA's enduring emblem.