Realizing the immense impact the late Kobe Bryant had on the NBA, I truly believe that the Kobe-as-logo proposal is too emotion-of-the-moment based. Making his image the logo of the NBA would certainly give a boost to those mourning his loss, but it would also demean the present Logo, Jerry West, and other League stalwarts that were never considered for the honor.
I will start with West. The 14-time All-Star, 8-time Champion as Executive and 2-time Executive-of-the-Year earned the honor and is still deeply involved in the NBA. How about Bill Russell? He is an 11-time Title holder and 2-time Champion as player/coach of the Celtics. This proud man never received the accolades he deserved when he was active. And then there is Larry Bird - 3-time Champ, 12-time All-Star - and the only player to earn MVP, Coach-of-the-Year and Executive-of-the-Year. Those are fine credentials.
The Lakers Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul Jabbar would certainly be worthy of consideration. You get my point. Kobe had greatness about him, and he earned the plaudits through hard work and perseverance. He deserves to be revered and honored. But I draw the line at making him the new logo simply because the old one has been around too long and has dust all over it. Let the Logo stay as it is. If I wished it to change, it would become the image of the great Bill Russell. But Jerry West suffered too many losses at the hands of Russ and his cohorts, while Jerry labored and excelled in every aspect of the game. He deserves to remain "The Logo".
Follow Tom at @CelticsSentinel, @CausewayStreet and Facebook
I will start with West. The 14-time All-Star, 8-time Champion as Executive and 2-time Executive-of-the-Year earned the honor and is still deeply involved in the NBA. How about Bill Russell? He is an 11-time Title holder and 2-time Champion as player/coach of the Celtics. This proud man never received the accolades he deserved when he was active. And then there is Larry Bird - 3-time Champ, 12-time All-Star - and the only player to earn MVP, Coach-of-the-Year and Executive-of-the-Year. Those are fine credentials.
The Lakers Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul Jabbar would certainly be worthy of consideration. You get my point. Kobe had greatness about him, and he earned the plaudits through hard work and perseverance. He deserves to be revered and honored. But I draw the line at making him the new logo simply because the old one has been around too long and has dust all over it. Let the Logo stay as it is. If I wished it to change, it would become the image of the great Bill Russell. But Jerry West suffered too many losses at the hands of Russ and his cohorts, while Jerry labored and excelled in every aspect of the game. He deserves to remain "The Logo".
Follow Tom at @CelticsSentinel, @CausewayStreet and Facebook
Comments
Post a Comment