Image Credit: Portland Trail Blazers
It's not every day you're offered free tickets to an NBA game, much less court-side tickets, so when my girlfriend and I were asked by Family House if we wanted to go, we couldn't pass it up. So we cancelled whatever plans we had and went to our first-ever NBA game between the Golden State Warriors and the Portland Trail Blazers.
It was amazing to see players such as Stephan Curry, Chris PauI, and Anfernee Simons up close and personal, but what was truly interesting to me was seeing the iconic Trail Blazers’ logo in action.
Originally designed in the early 70’s by graphic designer Frank Glickman, the logo features a distinctive pinwheel design with red and white parallel lines converging on a radial direction forming an implied circle at the center. The lines according to Glickman, not only represent movement and speed but they also represent five offensive players and five defensive players.
Graphic Designer Frank Glickman | Image Credit: Portland Trail Blazers
What makes this logo unusual to some is that it’s one of the few NBA logos that does not depict a basketball, as famously rapped about by Jimmy Fallon. However, technically, there is a basketball incorporated in the logo, hidden in plain sight. The negative space at the center of the ‘pinwheel’ is meant to represent a basketball, according to Glickman, making it one of the most conceptual and unique logos in the NBA, and perhaps in all of sports.
The Portland Trail Blazers’ logo evolution.
The ‘pinwheel’ has been a Portland favorite for decades and is probably the second most recognizable logo in the state of Oregon, aside from the Nike swoosh. Over the years, it has seen subtle updates, maintaining its essence while evolving with the team's identity.
Image Credit: Nike
Today, it stands as a timeless symbol of the Trail Blazers' enduring legacy in the NBA, capturing the spirit of teamwork and innovation that defines the franchise.