The passing of Kobe Bryant at a very young age of 41 prompted an online petition that calls on the NBA to change the league's official logo to that of the Lakers legend likeness. The campaign has now attracted millions of signatures but the NBA actually paying heed on the appeal seems a remote possibility.
That's not because Bryant will not make the cut. He is a certified NBA superstar. He was voted to the All-Star games 18 times, and he owned 5 championship rings. Bryant, too, was an MVP and Finals MVP on two occasions. The list goes on and will only prove he is a basketball icon and highly qualified to receive the honor of becoming the NBA logo.
This thought was supported by more than two million signatories, celebrities and ordinary people alike, on the petition found on Change.org, which Reuters said is only expected to keep growing.
However, this massive display of support is unlikely to make a convincing argument to the NBA. As far as the league is concerned, the existing logo represents no specific player, and that generic reflection might be the preferred mode no matter the sentiments now prevailing on anything about Kobe Bryant.
Yahoo Sports said there is no clear reason why the NBA logo will stay as it is. But the report proposed it has to be legal or financial.
It is a common belief that the NBA logo is a silhouette of Jerry West. The league, however, has been consistent on its claim that it is generic. West himself did not take action to prove his likeness was used when the logo was created despite the acknowledgment form the designer that he was indeed inspired by the Hall of Famer.
Good thing for the NBA, West has elected not to cash in on the logo. It seems to be a status that the league is unwilling to change. And that should explain why the NBA logo will stay as it is. There is no compelling sign, that is, for the NBA leadership to elevate Bryant.
Bryant, anyway, is not requiring an extra push to greatness from the league. He was great while living and even greater now that he has been immortalized. Like it or not by the NBA, he is now the representation of the league, with or without the logo.
In a related report, NBC Sports proposed that before taking action on the petition, which inarguably is emotionally-charged, it would be wise to allow first the rush of emotions to subside. A decision on the matter will not come easy and has to involve a process that ideally should take a long time to complete, added the report.
