Kyrie Irving wants Kobe Bryant in NBA logo as showcase of 'greatness personified'

Cassandra Negley

Kyrie Irving meant what he posted: Kobe Bryant should be the new NBA logo.

The Brooklyn Nets guard continued his push for the new logo and explained further why it's something he wants to see done.

"This is excellence," Bryant told ESPN's Malika Andrews after a win over the Orlando Magic on Thursday night. "Kobe Bryant. Logo. Yes. It needs to happen. I don't care what anyone says. Black kings built the league. It's exactly what I meant. Exactly what I said."

Irving: Kobe deserves NBA logo

Irving posted a picture of Kobe over the NBA logo to Instagram on Wednesday, writing "Gotta Happen, idc what anyone says." He said a day later he's OK with leading the charge for the change if he has to be, telling ESPN's Malika Andrews the Bryants deserve to see it.

"He was the standard for our generation and he will continue on," Irving said. "And I want that to be something in history that is changed forever. That our generation was part of that change. And, you know, if that means that I have to lead that forward and get the conversation going, then great. But I think he deserves it, I think his family deserves it, I think we deserve it as seeing greatness personified, as Mamba. And anyone that's coming into the league should know that that's the example that was set."

Irving said he doesn't mean to discredit any of the league's other historical figures by naming Bryant as the logo. He called it "a refresher" one year after Bryant's celebration of life at Staples Center.

Vanessa Bryant, Kobe's widow, lent her support to the change. She shared the post by Irving to her story and wrote "Love this" on Wednesday.

Will the NBA change its logo?

The current logo is modeled after Lakers Hall of Fame guard Jerry West, even though the league has never acknowledged it to be designed after one player in particular. West has talked about changing it in the past and said he's happy to give it to someone else. Calls for Bryant to become the logo took off after his death in a helicopter accident in January 2020.

There are multiple change.org petitions for the league to change it with one listing 3.5 million signatures and counting. Alan Siegel, who created the NBA logo, told Newsweek last year it's a "really serious thing that should be considered by the league" since Bryant was clearly a well-respected figure by players.

Changing the logo to Bryant is highly unlikely. And while many are in favor of Bryant, as Irving mentioned on Thursday, many have other iconic players in mind. Cases could be made for Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Bill Russell, Julius Irving, LeBron James and more.

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