Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving has an idea to change the NBA logo to honor Kobe Bryant – and Bryant’s widow, Vanessa Bryant, fully supports it.
In an Instagram post on Wednesday, Irving tweeted a modified NBA logo with Bryant on the front and center, with the caption “Gotta Happen, idc what anyone says. BLACK KINGS BUILD THE LEAGUE”.
Vanessa Bryant shared Irving’s post through the Instagram story with her own caption, “I love it. @KyrieIrving.” LaMelo Ball, Stephen Jackson and Dez Bryant also posted comments supporting the idea in Irving’s original post.
Since Bryant’s death in a helicopter crash in January last year, the idea of changing the logo to Bryant’s silhouette has gained momentum. A change.org petition in support of the idea has won 3.2 million signatures since the beginning of 2020. NBA logo creator, current CEO and president of Singlevision communication and brand identity consulting firm Alan Siegel, told the Newsweek at the time “It’s pretty clear that [Bryant] he was a very respected figure by the players and around the world and this is a very serious thing that must be considered by the league. “
Former Laker Jerry West is the current silhouette of the NBA logo that has been in place since 1969. West has supported the idea of the logo being changed in the past, including a 2015 interview with HuffPost Live.
“I hate to say that it is not a Laker, but Michael Jordan,” said West. “He’s been the best player I’ve ever seen. And I’m probably a strict talent judge in the sense that I admire players who are really good defenders and really good offensives. And I felt that in his time in the game, he was the best defensive player in the game, but more importantly, he was the best offensive player. And he made his team win. “
West was also effusive with his praise for Bryant throughout his career. In a one-hour TNT special honoring Bryant after his death, West recalled Bryant’s call.
“I said, Shaquille, we just chose a boy who is the best player in the draft,” West remembers telling Shaquille O’Neal. “I said I know you have a lot of good players in Orlando. But I said we have better players here, and we have one who will be the best player in the league one day. A very bold statement, but for me it was obvious.”
The National Transportation Safety Board on February 9 said the pilot of the helicopter accident that killed Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, the pilot himself and six others were against his training flying in thick clouds.