Bobblehead Nation 2018

I just got one question to ask NBA fans getting ready for the 2018-2019 season. That question of course is...who's ready for some bobbleheads? I mean the season starts Tuesday. It's about time I got this annual post out of the way.

If you are in Salt Lake City or Houston or Chicago or Oakland or Phoenix or Delaware or Los Angeles or Cleveland or Detroit or Milwaukee or Fort Wayne or Charlotte or Santa Cruz or Brooklyn (maybe) or Atlanta (also maybe), you know you are going to be rewarded for answering that question in the affirmative if you then take the time to show up at your local NBA arena on the right gameday. Heck, if you are a Warriors fan in the Bay Area (or even if you are not a Warriors fan but just happened to go to the right preseason game) it's already well into bobblehead season because the Dubs routinely hand out bobbles to paying customers and die-hard fans before the regular season even tips off. Lucky bastards!

Now, if you are in Memphis or San Antonio...sorry, folks. Promotional schedule is out and there ain't no bobbleheads on it. Although maybe I'm breaking the news too soon. Last year the Milwaukee Bucks released their bobblehead-less giveaway schedule and then added a bunch of bobbles later on as part of their Legends of the Rafters celebration last year. Oh...and the Los Angeles thing is Clippers, not Lakers. Sorry, Lakers fans. 

Don't know if your team has or has not released their freebee schedule yet? Check the bottom of this post. There's a list of those teams I haven't found dates for yet. In the meantime, let's get to the list of those who are on board with the cause.

September
29 Draymond Green (Golden State Warriors)
Last year the Golden State Warriors celebrated the preseason by giving away two bobbleheads during their two home games. The two years before that? Three per season. How are the Dubs simultaneously the best team in the NBA on the floor and in the bobblehead giveaway department? I'm jealous as hell here. This year the team starts handing out bobbles in September (yes, most of you already missed this one) with Draymond Green and his three Larry O'Brien trophies.

October

8 Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors)

Every year in Golden State is Steph Curry bobblehead year. I sometimes complain about the repeat player bobbleheads the Wizards hand out because there's only one precious bobblehead per year in most years. I wouldn't complain about having five or six Steph bobbles considering the Dubs hand out six or seven of these things per season. This preseason in Oakland it's throwback Steph. He's got his old school Warriors jersey on (the design that matches the awful old Wizards jerseys so closely that I'm convinced Golden State and Washington got a two-fer here) and his RUN TMC hat celebrating the fast paced Warriors featuring Tim Hardaway (the T), Mitch Richmond (the M) and Chris Mullin (the C) back in the 1990s. This bobble (along the September Dray bobble) look amazing. Is it just the pics or are these things really of superior quality?

12 Kevin Durant (Golden State Warriors)

The past few years have seen various Warriors players in San Jose Sharks sweaters for their annual preseason gig in San Jose just down the 101. This year, fans are treated to Kevin Durant in a goalie's uniform while also somehow holding a basketball in his glove. Impossible? Who cares? It's a free preseason bobblehead. I'm still jealous but at least the preseason portion of this post is over. And don't get upset if you are a Warriors fan and want a KD bobble in hoops gear. That will happen soon enough...

17 James Harden MVP (Houston Rockets)

Win an award, get a bobblehead, at least that's what some teams are doing. I guess that's justified. Last year the Rockets gave Eric Gordon his very own bobble for winning the 2016-17 NBA Sixth Man Award. This year, James Harden gets his very own bobble with an MVP trophy in his hands. This thing is seriously impressive; check out the detail on the statue the Beard is holding. But what exactly is Harden wearing? Is that matching pajamas and overcoat? Not sure I'm understanding things right here. Get there early for this one, Rockets fans. They are only handing out 3,000 of these babies. This is, by the way, at least the fourth Harden bobblehead handed out by the Rockets in the last five years.

20 Joel Embiid (Delaware Blue Coats)

OK, so I've never ever featured a G-League team giving away a bobblehead in this post before but this Embiid bobble is so spectacular that I had to break tradition (spoiler alert: he's not the only G-League freebie in this post). Embiid is ultimately going to be one of those opposing players that I love to hate because (a) he's really good and (b) he's got a big mouth. For now, the 76ers haven't been successful enough that it's getting to me. For now. The Delaware Blue Coats used to be the 87ers but they are recently renamed and moved to Wilmington (or will be later this year). November 20 they are playing a game at the Sixers' home Wells Fargo Center. Go there (not Delaware) to pick this one up.

28 Lou Williams Sixth Man of the Year (Los Angeles Clippers)
Last year the Wizards blew an incredible number of games they shouldn't have through lack of effort and sheer stupidity including an early December game in Los Angeles against the Clippers. Down two with 8.0 seconds remaining, the Clips put Lou Williams in the game who proceeded to drain a three with just 1.0 second left and kill the Wizards. It's stuff like this that got Williams the Sixth Man Award last year. He's available for pickup at Staples on October 28 complete with his award.

31 Kevin Durant (Golden State Warriors)
Told you there would be a KD bobblehead in hoops gear soon. Can't even get out of the first month of the regular season without another Dubs bobble to go with your three from the preseason. Of course, it's the Warriors so this bobblehead like all the rest comes with a pile of hardware. Jealous. Again.

November

12 Dominque Wilkins (Atlanta Hawks)
Atlanta's back in the bobblehead game after nothing but crickets for years. Makes sense that they would start with the human highlight reel because honestly if you asked most people to name anyone past or present who played for the Hawks, Dominique would be the ONLY person they could name. And yes, there is some disrespect intended to the current roster. A couple of notes about this night and the Hawks' schedule in general. First, this bobblehead is available to the first 300 (that's not a lot) orders of tickets for this night, so by the time you read this, they may all be gone. And second, there's an image of a Harry the Hawk bobblehead on their website alongside their promo calendar link but the Harry bobblehead isn't on the schedule. Mystery!

26 Kevin Love (Cleveland Cavaliers) / Splash Brothers (Golden State Warriors)

No more Kyrie Irving. No more LeBron James. Might as well start cozying up to Kevin Love in the bobblehead department because he's the closest thing to a superstar the Cavs have left now. And with Love signing a contract extension in the offseason after apparently being told Cleveland wasn't tanking, he's either there for the next few years or a good trade chip at the deadline later this season. Either way, odds are pretty good that Love's on the roster when Cavs fans (or the ones that are left anyway) show up at the Q on November 26.

Speaking of teams that made the Finals last year (were we?), it's been about a month since the Warriors have handed out a bobblehead to their fans so it must be about time for one right? Or more accurately, two. This paired bobblehead features both Steph Curry and Klay Thompson for diehard Warriors fans to add their shelf of bobbleheads. Actually, check that. What am I thinking? I meant shelves of bobbleheads. The Dubs aren't the first team to roll out the double bobble (heck, even the Wizards have already done that) but you know I'd be standing in line for this one if I was a Warriors fan (or just a frontrunner I guess).

December

11 Carmelo Anthony (Houston Rockets)

Seriously? Was this in 'Melo's contract when he signed with Houston, do you think? Carmelo is on his third team in three years (assuming you don't count the day he was with the Hawks between the Thunder and Rockets). He's a bench player now and he's apparently OK with it which he wasn't in Oklahoma City. What changed? It had to be the Rockets promising him a bobblehead, right? 'Melo's not really deserving here but when it comes to bobbleheads and basketball players, deserve's got nothing to do with it.

12 DeMarcus Cousins (Golden State Warriors)
When the Warriors signed DeMarcus Cousins this offseason the rest of the NBA shook its collective head at the rich getting richer. The reality is that Boogie may not even play for the Dubs this season and if he does he might not be anything close to the player he was before tearing his achilles tendon last season in New Orleans. There are two things Cousins might get out of this season: (1) a championship ring, even while doing about as much as me to win one and (2) a bobblehead likeness of himself to add to his mantel next to the Kings version of him from three years ago.

14 Muggsy Bogues (Charlotte Hornets)

If there's a team I'd want to be a fan of this year just for their bobbleheads, it's the Charlotte Hornets. They are celebrating the team's 30th anniversary down in Buzz City this year and they are handing out a series of throwback giveaways featuring icons of the team's history, including three in bobblehead form. It all starts on December 14 with Muggsy Bogues who at 5'-3" in height is the shortest player ever to play in the NBA. Bogues was originally drafted in 1987 by the Washington Bullets but in true Bullets/Wizards fashion, left unprotected during the 1988 expansion draft and he was snatched up by the Hornets. He is still the Hornets franchise leader in minutes played, assists and steals.

I can't let the Hornets 30th anniversary celebration go without pointing out some math. This season is 30 years from the team's first season but it's not the 30th season the team (or maybe I should say a team) is playing in the Queen City. It's the 29th season of hoops in Charlotte because there was no basketball team in the city for two seasons in the early aughts between the time they moved to New Orleans (where they ultimately ended up as the Pelicans) and the NBA gave the city the Bobcats (who are now the Hornets again). Still, there are some killer Hornets bobbleheads this year.

28 Steve Martin (Charlotte Hornets)

No, not THAT Steve Martin. This Steve Martin was the Hornets original play by play TV guy who followed the team down to New Orleans when the team moved further down south before returning back to Charlotte when the Bobcats started playing. Martin retired following the end of the 2017-2018 season. Appropriately, Martin's bobblehead is a talking bobblehead. Happy retirement. I'm assuming the team will reserve one of these for Martin.

January

2 Deandre Ayton (Phoenix Suns)

Number one pick overall. Dismal franchise the last few years. You get a bobblehead no questions asked. Your first ever free Deandre Ayton bobblehead in Phoenix is a draft night bobblehead with Ayton showing off the Bahamian, Jamaican and Nigerian flags sewn into the lining of his jacket. The detail on this one will give any other bobblehead being handed out this year a run for the best bobblehead of the year trophy (there is no such trophy to my knowledge but there should be).  The flags? Ayton's from the Bahamas, his mom is of Bahamian and Jamaican descent and his dad is from Nigeria. There you go.

8 Andre Igoudala (Golden State Warriors)
Another month, another Golden State bobblehead. That's eight (counting the double Splash Brothers bobblehead as two) in case you are counting. Even if you are not, it's still eight. Iggy comes with a couple or maybe more championship trophies as most Warriors bobbleheads do. Showing off is not cool, although I guess they earned it.

19 Glen Rice (Charlotte Hornets)

Glen Rice was drafted by the Miami Heat with the fourth overall pick in the 1989 NBA Draft but he made all three of his All-Star Game appearances as a member of the Charlotte Hornets after being traded there in exchange for Alonzo Mourning, who apparently disliked fellow Hornet Larry Johnson so much that he demanded to be traded. In the second of his three All-Star appearances, Rice ended up as the MVP. He's in boxes waiting for Hornets fans on January 19 complete with his All-Star MVP award. No word if Sarah Palin's showing up to get her hands on Glen's trophy.

25 Lauri Markkanen (Chicago Bulls)

How many Finnish NBA players have had a bobblehead night? I'm guessing before January 25, 2019 there are none. Markkanen bucks that trend and will probably be the only dude to do so for a long time. Markkanen made a splash in Chicago last year. This year, he gets one of the highest honors bestowed on an NBA player: his own bobblehead.

29 Colin Sexton (Cleveland Cavaliers)
What's up with the almost total lack of rookies on this year's bobblehead slate? Sure we got Deandre Ayton earlier in January but other than that to this point in the season, that's it! Sexton was taken at the number eight overall spot by the Cavs in this year's draft out of Alabama. I guess the Cavs are a little strapped for choices this year, right? If you are a Wizards fan traveling for a roadie in Cleveland, might want to pick this game if you want to pick up an opponent's bobblehead.

February

4 Josh Jackson (Phoenix Suns)
The Phoenix Suns selected Jackson number four overall in the 2017 NBA Draft, their second consecutive number four overall pick. So far (admittedly after a small sample size of a singe season), he's looking better than the guy they picked up the previous year (Dragan Bender). Jackson made the All-Rookie Second Team last year. Phoenix is going all in on Jackson, Ayton and Devin Booker. I mean what else are they going to do?

6 Shaun Livingston (Golden State Warriors)
By this point in the season, I'm tired of writing about the Golden State Warriors and their trove of bobbleheads. Let's move on shall we? Besides, there are other bobbles by this team to get to that don't have hardware.  Livingston, by the way, is my favorite Warrior. I'd show up for this one over all others. Just don't feel like writing a lot about him right now.

12 Baron Davis (Golden State Warriors)
Before the current team started winning titles, Baron Davis had sort of cemented larger than life status for himself in Warrior-land, leading the Dubs to a first round upset as the eight seed over the number one and defending NBA Champions Dallas Mavericks in 2007. It was the first time an eight seed had upset a one seed in the NBA playoffs in a seven game series. The atmosphere at Oracle was crazy and Baron Davis was the leader of everything that season. It's fitting that he gets a throwback bobblehead. Throwback bobbles can be awesome. This one is.

24 Surfin' Klay Thompson (Santa Cruz Warriors)

I don't know what's up with me and G League bobbleheads this year but here we are again. If you are a SC Warriors fan, I suppose you already know that there are parent team bobbles available for pickup at the G League level. This year, the Dubs are giving away Draymond Green, Steph Curry, Kevin Durant and Splash Brothers bobbleheads that are identical to those you can pick up at Oracle Arena at the major league level but this one is unique to a Santa Cruz game, even if the actual game is in Oakland. I love this. It gets team bobblehead collectors to circle a game on the G League calendar. I'd love the Wizards to do this with the Capital City Go-Go but let's face it, no way is that happening.

25 Larry Nance, Jr. (Cleveland Cavaliers) / Jerry West (Los Angeles Clippers)

If you know much about the non-LeBron Cleveland Cavaliers history, you'll know that one of the great teams in Cavs history was the late 1980s to early 1990s team with Brad Dougherty, Larry Nance, John "Hot Rod" Williams and Mark Price. Cavs fans actually thought they had a shot at it all those years while completely ignoring the ascendancy of Michael Jordan. Of course, they were totally wrong. Last year, the Cavs while chasing another title the couldn't and didn't win traded for Larry Nance's kid, Larry, Jr. who was drafted by the Lakers in the 2015 NBA Draft. The Cavs actually un-retired Nance's jersey so his son could wear it which is honestly pretty cool. This year, you can pick up a Larry Nance, Jr. bobblehead wearing a Larry Nance jersey. Although updated to the current awful Cavs jersey.

Speaking of legends in NBA cities, Jerry West is an icon in Los Angeles where he played professionally for 14 years and his likeness in bronze is prominently displayed right outside the front entrance of Staples Center. So it seems only natural that a trip to Staples on February 25 would get you a bobblehead of the logo himself, right? But at a Clippers game? Yep, West is now on the board of the Clips. Seems like this is taking advantage of the situation and/or sticking it to the Lakers.

March

8 Larry Johnson (Charlotte Hornets)

The last Hornets bobblehead of the season is Larry Johnson, complete with gold tooth (that he later ditched in his resurgence as a playoff star with the New York Knicks) and center part. Johnson was one of the first truly national Hornets stars when he made several commercials for Converse under his alter ego grandmama, a superstar dunking...well...grandma. I loved Larry Johnson when I was a Knicks fan before I moved to Washington in 1999. If there's one road team bobble I'd love to have this year, it's this one. Coincidentally, the Hornets are playing the Wizards this night. Unfortunately, I'm out of the country. Otherwise, I'd be mighty tempted to sneak down to Charlotte mid-week and pick this one up.

17 Reggie Jackson (Detroit Pistons)
Stan Van Gundy is gone from Detroit but the Pistons somehow are still all in on Reggie Jackson. Jackson is the first of three Motor City bobbles this year for the revamped (via questionable trade) Pistons. While Detroit clearly has more star power this year, they may not have much more success, even with reigning coach of the year and recently fired from Toronto Dwayne Casey at the helm. Get a new point guard, Detroit. But pick up this bobblehead. A boblehead's a bobblehead.

20 Hall of Fame Benny the Bull (Chicago Bulls)

I have no idea (1) what the heck a Hall of Fame Benny bobblehead looks like and (2) why the Bulls feel like they need to give out Benny the Bull bobbles in two consecutive years (the pic above is last year's not this year's HOF model). I guess this is celebrating Benny's 2017 induction into the Mascot Hall of Fame. The Mascot Hall located in downtown Whiting, Indiana promises it's going to be opening the doors sometime this year; we'll see I guess. For what it's worth, I have Benny ranked as the fourth best mascot in the NBA. Neither Hugo the Hornet, Stuff the Magic Dragon nor our beloved  G Wiz, all of whom I have ranked ahead of Benny, are in, although it's worth noting Stuff was in Benny's voting class but didn't get the votes I guess.

22 Larry Nance, Sr. (Cleveland Cavaliers)
One Larry Nance bobblehead not enough for you this year, Cavs fans? On March 22, you can pick up a Nance Sr. bobblehead to go with your Nance Jr. bobble you picked up about four weeks prior. Please issue this thing without the orange and powder blue unis. If there's any Cavs jersey worse than the current one, it's those things.

23 TBD (Fort Wayne Mad Ants)
Yep, more G League. Other than that, I got nothing else here. I only know that there a to be determined bobblehead on the Fort Wayne Mad Ants schedule. Maybe it's a Pacer; maybe it's not. Only time will tell.

30 Devin Booker (Phoenix Suns)
I should point out here that March 30 is superhero night at Talking Stick Resort Arena so I'm assuming the Booker bobblehead is sporting a cape or an "S" on his chest or a mask or something along with his Suns jersey and shorts. Booker's about as close as the Suns have to a superhero down there right now so I guess he deserves it.

April

7 Andre Drummond (Detroit Pistons)
Please please please tell me this is an Andre Drummond shooting free throw bobblehead. I might have to check my schedule for 4/7 just to see if I had plans if the Pistons decided to issue the 'Dre bobble in that variety.

9 Blake Griffin (Detroit Pistons)
Why do people like Blake Griffin so much? He robbed John Wall of Rookie of the Year by being injured during his actual rookie year. He also robbed JaVale McGee of the 2011 Slam Dunk Contest by jumping over a tiny corner of a Kia and making it seem like a big deal. And then there's the whole Kendall Jenner thing with her dumping Blake as soon as he was no longer convenient to Los Angeles after the Clips shipped him to the Pistons. OK, so the last one was a low blow that was completely uncalled for. I'm sticking by the other two.

10 Ralph Lawler (Los Angeles Clippers) / Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks)
If the Clippers giving away a Jerry West bobblehead seems out of place, them handing out one featuring Ralph Lawler does not in any way. Among NBA broadcasters, they don't come much better than Lawler, whose career with the Clips spans 40 years from the time they moved to San Diego from Buffalo in 1978 (they were the Braves in Buffalo and became the Clippers in SD). April 10 is Ralph Lawler's last day broadcasting with the Clippers. Congrats, Ralph. Enjoy retirement.

On the same day the Clips give away Ralph Lawler in every sense of the word, the Bucks hand out their one lonely bobblehead for the season. Surprise! Surprise! It's a Giannis Antetokounmpo bobble. Again. I swear I'm never going to be able to spell Giannis' last name without looking at it written somewhere else. I learned how to spell Oleksiy Pecherov just fine but I can't get this one down quite yet.

Missing from this list? Any bobbles that may be in the works or ready in boxes to be handed out to fans in Boston, Toronto, Philly, New York, Brooklyn (except as noted below), Indianapolis, D.C., Orlando, Miami, Dallas (also with the below exception), OKC, Denver, Portland, Minny, Sacto and New Orleans. They may just have not released their promo schedules yet or some may just be not giving their fans the love they deserve by handing out some free bobbleheads.

Also missing? There are definitely other bobbleheads available this year around the NBA that will require a little more effort or money than just showing up to a single game.

The Brooklyn Nets are selling an 11 games for the price of 10 package in celebration of Jason Kidd's enshrinement into the Naismith Memorial Basketball hall of fame. The package features a HOF Kidd bobble available for pickup starting December 23. Just in time for Christmas, I guess. No word on whether the bobblehead will bail on you when there's a whiff of getting a better offer elsewhere. Want to pick this one up? Try this link.

Out west in Utah, the Jazz have rolled out five (FIVE!!) bobbleheads available to fans for picking up a three pack of tickets. Are you kidding me? Five bobbles for buying tickets to just three games? And these bobbles are no slouches. Rookie of the Year Donovan Mitchell, Rudy Gobert, Darrell Griffith/Dr. Dunkenstein, Joe Ingles and Jae Crowder. This is five years of Wizards bobbleheads just for showing up for three games. I'm tempted to call up the Jazz and get my three pack just so I can have these bobbles. And, yes, I know Ben Simmons was ROY last year. I'm still bitter about the whole Blake Griffin / John Wall thing so I'm naturally in Mitchell's camp here. Simmons is scary good, though.

Finally, there's Dallas. The Mavs ran a contest online called the Dirk Nowitzki "Golden Dirk" Bobblehunt for fans to be able to win one of ten unique gold colored Nowitzki bobbles, in case the ten (yes, ten) Nowitzki bobbleheads they gave out last year to fans wasn't enough. Want to participate in this contest? Too bad. It's over. Congrats to whoever got these.

If there's any other news posted by end of December-ish, maybe I'll do another post with an update. For now, that's all I got. Happy bobble hunting, NBA fans.

NBA Logo Rank 2016 Update

Three years ago in this blog, I ranked every NBA mascot from 30 to number one. Two years ago, I did the same thing with team names. Last year, I offered my thoughts on each of the logo packages (one just isn't enough any more it seems) rolled out by the franchises that make up the Association.

Team names are pretty much a constant so I don't think I'll be needing to update that countdown any time soon. But mascots and logos are an entirely different story. I've had to update my mascot rank each of the last three years because the NBA owners can't leave well enough (or bad enough) alone when it comes to sticking some dude in a costume. I rolled out my revised mascot rank last month. This month I'm tinkering with my logo rankings because well, folks keep tinkering with these things. Here's what the same and what's new and how I believe this all stacks up this year starting with the bottom of the bottom.

30. Los Angeles Clippers

One year into their 2015 re-brand, the Clippers logo package looks as terrible as it did when it was first rolled out. I struggle to believe Steve Ballmer sleeps well at night knowing he paid some good money to have a group of marketing folks come up with the awful wordmarks and graphics that the Clippers sport. Going to be difficult to convince me the Clips are ever going to climb out of last on this one.

29. Oklahoma City Thunder

On the other hand...the Thunder aren't much better than the Clippers. I still don't get the design of the Thunder's logo. I love the nod to native American imagery that the bulging triangle represents but it's just not doing it for me. I'd prefer a cartoon grey cloud to what they have now.

28. Denver Nuggets

For me, the Nuggets have one of the golden oldies of the old ABA in their miner with a pickax in one hand and a red, white and blue ABA ball in the other. Recently, the Philadelphia 76ers, Washington Wizards, Atlanta Hawks and Golden State Warriors have re-worked their old beloved logos to spectacular effect. Please, Denver, do the same here. The bulging Nuggets wordmark topped with the mountain ain't doing it for me.

27. Detroit Pistons

Detroit, just like Denver, had one of the best NBA logos of all time. All they had to do was, well, nothing. Just leave it alone. But instead, they had to go get some hack logo designer to draw them a new horse with tailpipes logo in some amazingly bad shade of dark teal. About a decade later they realized the error of their ways and went back close to the original logo (the NBA doesn't allow exact resurrection of old logos since for marketing rights they are all owned by a separate division of the NBA...or something like that) but the small differences make all the difference. Top 10 logo for sure mutated into a bottom five logo. Smh...

26. Dallas Mavericks

I could easily put the Mavericks further down towards the bottom of this countdown. I think they are saved by the fact that they have never had a super exciting logo that they've tried to resurrect and screwed up like the Pistons. The Mavs are pretty much the definition of boring in the graphic design department. Although I have to confess, I have no idea what's going on with the sideways leering "M" logo that looks like something out of a Spy Vs. Spy comic. Time to re-brand. Just don't do what the Clips did.

25. Cleveland Cavaliers

Boring in Dallas is preceded by boring in Cleveland. I hate the font the Cavs have elected to use here, almost as much as I hate the team itself. The Cavaliers have never had a good logo in their entire history and I think now that they have won a title (God, I hate writing that!) I think we are stuck with this sort of mediocrity for a while.

24. Orlando Magic

Ummm...it's a basketball with some stars. Doesn't seem that magical to me. However, it's better than six other logos in my opinion. Might be higher if it weren't for that terrible font the Magic insist on using.

23. Phoenix Suns

In 1968, the Phoenix Suns joined the NBA and rolled out the logo above. WHY WOULD YOU EVER CHANGE THIS LOGO??? It's simple, it's clear, it's a sun (the Suns aren't always that clear on equating their name with symbology - check out their mascot) and it's of its time. It looks like it's straight out of the late 1960s. I love it. I'd take this logo over any logo in the NBA today. Keep this intact and the Suns would be number one. As it is, they go with a flaming ball with their airport code. Pass!

22. Houston Rockets

Houston, we have liftoff. Unfortunately, the current Rockets logo doesn't do it for me. It's not the worst logo the Rockets have ever had by a long shot but it's not good all the same.

21. Minnesota Timberwolves

Rounding out my bottom 10 are the Minnesota Timberwolves, a team with a logo so complicated and intricate that there's no way a kid sitting in study hall could quickly and easily draw this thing (I spent a lot of time as a kid drawing sports logos in study hall - it's like a litmus test).  Word is that Wolves owner Glen Taylor is exploring a rebrand. They have to move up, right? I mean they just have to. Dear Mr. Taylor: don't hire the folks the Clippers hired.

20. Brooklyn Nets

The Nets are the anti-Timberwolves. They have definitely erred on the not complicated side of the equation. For sure. And this definitely passes the kid in study hall test. The problem? The kid can't spend ENOUGH time drawing this thing. Love the black and white. Don't love how simple it is.

19. Atlanta Hawks

The Hawks, like the Pistons, decided to resurrect and update one of the NBA's classic logos, the so-called Pac-Man Hawks logo. They had to change it a bit but it looks pretty much as good as it did when the team abandoned it 21 years ago. Way better than the Pistons. Bravo! But then the Hawks went off the rails with a secondary logo that looks like a winged teardrop missing the top part of the drop. I don't understand this thing at all. Big drop because of the secondary logo, Atlanta. If I were a Hawks fan no way I'd wear anything with this weird thing on it.

18. Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers logo is classic, simple, understated and boring all at the same time. However, they have won 16 NBA titles so that's good enough to get them almost in the top half of this ranking.

17. Sacramento Kings

The big news of the offseason this year in the NBA logo department is that the Sacramento Kings finally, mercifully abandoned the tired and clunky crossed lances logo they've been using for the past 22 years. Last year, I had the Kings ranked 26th among NBA teams logo-wise. This year, they move up nine spots.

The Kings, much like the Golden State Warriors, Washington Wizards and Philadelphia 76ers have done recently are drawing on their past in determining their future. In other words, they are going back to what worked, which in the Kings' case, is totally smart. When the Kings moved to California, their logo consisted of a basketball topped by a crown which sort of doubled as a mountain range (see above left). I love the mountains and how they relate to the mountains around Sacramento, even though the team first used this motif when the franchise moved to Kansas City. I've been to KC and there are no mountains around there so I don't quite get that but it totally works in Sacto.

The new primary logo (above right) is pretty much a copy of the old one but in purple and gray. These are just horrible colors for this logo but maybe it will grow on me. While it's a huge step in the right direction for the Kings, I greatly prefer the proportion of the old logo to the new one and the font in the new logo quite honestly is not very good; waaaaaay too boxy. The old logo's not perfect; it's just better than the new one.

Of course since it's 2016 and the more logos you have, the more merch you can sell, the Kings have produced not one, not two, but three alternate logos which are shown below. Very briefly (left to right): I don't like it (too heraldic - I get that's the point - and that lion looks worse than the clumsiest big man ever dribbling a basketball; I hate it (just lose the crown logo - it's just way too simple); and I kind of like it (I like how the seams of the basketball integrated into the lion's mane).

Much improved, Sacramento, but I think at least half the NBA is still ahead of you. 

16. Indiana Pacers

Top of the bottom half and the Pacers are about the cusp of the logo sets that I actually really like. But they are not quite there. I like some aspects of the Pacers logos, but the font is off-putting for sure.

15. Toronto Raptors

The Raptors deserve a ton of credit for turning things around in the logo department the last couple of years. and for that, I'm moving them up two spots over last year's ranking. For the first 20 years of their existence they were convinced the way to get people excited about their team was to roll out a logo that looked slightly (and I really mean slightly) more scary than Barney. Their new raptor claw marks on a basketball logo is way better. Their name still sucks though and they should still change it. Huskies, please.

14. Milwaukee Bucks

I love pretty much everything about the Bucks' re-brand of last year from the colors right down to the logo package. I love how Wisconsin-centric it is to include more than just the city of Milwaukee. Can't help thinking of a deer's head on a wall when I see their primary logo though. It's going to take a long time to get over this one. Maybe like forever.

13. New Orleans Pelicans

The Pelicans have a primary logo, a partial primary logo, three secondary logos and an alternate logo that comes in four different color schemes. No other team has even close to this many truly different logos. I would say I dislike their primary logo (and partial primary), one of their secondary logos and all of their alternate logos. But I so intensely love the Crescent City Hoops and the Pelican-de-Lis logos that they make up for all the failings of all the other members of their logo family. If I were a Pels fan, I'd load up on apparel with the logos I like and aggressively boycott the others.

12. Philadelphia 76ers

I love the current 76ers primary logo. Unfortunately for the Sixers, it's not quite as good as the one they replaced which is pretty much the exact same thing but just a bit better. Also, the Ben Franklin dribbling a basketball is not a good image. Lost points for that one, Philly.

11. Utah Jazz

So let's start this with my standard disclaimer or complaint or whatever you want to call it when I discuss the Utah Jazz: worst nickname for a team given the location ever. I cannot think of a bigger disconnect between a state and a thing than Utah and Jazz. But these logos...damn they are works of art. The Jazz have made them even better this year. Not a complete re-design; the Jazz refer to it as "refreshed brand identity."

First, let's go back to last year. My biggest complaint about the Jazz logo when I first ranked all the NBA teams'  logos was the one on the left above. Like everything about it. Well, now it's gone. No more Jazz wordmark like it's going down a ski slope with some mountains on top of a basketball in the background. See ya! Good riddance!

The rest of these logos? I mean what can I say. I'd be quibbling with any negative feedback. Sure I'm not crazy about the font but I love the colors, I love the musical note and I love the reductive form of the note as a simple basketball. I love all of this. 

Except I can't get beyond Utah and Jazz. For that, these works of art finish 11th. Up five spots from last year but I'm still stuck on the name thing.

10. Portland Trail Blazers

What on Earth is the Trail Blazers' logo? It's unlike any other logo in professional sports in that it's an abstract artistic statement about the game the team plays and has nothing to do with the city or the nickname of the team itself. For that reason alone, it's timeless and never needs changing in the slightest (although the Blazers have tweaked it from the original). Rather than being confused and angry about it's lack of laterality, embrace the statement that it represents.

9. Charlotte Hornets

Depending on how you view the Hornets logo package, you might be able to argue that they have as many as the Pelicans do. But I disagree. I think the Hornets have four different logos and I think most of them are pretty good to pretty great. I don't like the C-H logo with the strange crown on top of it. Ditch that thing and the Hornets might be top five for me.

8. Miami Heat

I have a strong dislike for four Eastern Conference franchises and three of them are in the top eight in my logo rank (see 25 above for the other). Miami is the first of these three. Simple, clean, no fuss, no clouding the picture with a series of other logos. The Heat logo does the job. So why aren't they higher? Well, just like the Pelicans and Hornets, the Heat had to go tinker and introduce a second logo which is about as unimaginative as they come.

7. Golden State Warriors

I don't love the Dubs' rebrand of 2010 as much as a lot of people out there but I think it's still pretty good all the same. It bothers me tremendously that the cables on the bridge in their logo (which I assume is the Golden Gate Bridge) run diagonally not vertically as on the real thing. I like the "SF" secondary logo which they'll need if they ever finish designing and building a new arena on the San Francisco waterfront.

6. San Antonio Spurs

Silver. Black. Spur. This is the image of the Spurs that I love. It's simple, to the point and I don't even mind their reductive partial logo that they introduced in 2002. Most people I talk to about NBA uniforms and logos generally view the Spurs uni and logo design unfavorably. I think it's awesome. It's non-fancy and it wins. Just like the Spurs the last couple of decades.

5. New York Knicks

New York City Subway token logo? A+!! Basketball logo? A+!! Knicks primary logo with the triangle behind it? D-!! The Knicks are sort of the like the Pelicans here for me: two incredible logos and the rest are just bleh! Fortunately for the Knicks in this ranking, they only have one logo I dislike as opposed to the Pelicans' four to seven objectionable logos.

4. Memphis Grizzlies

The grizzly bear head is the best logo in the NBA today. So why not number one? Well, because they have other logos which are diluting the product. Not the one with the text underneath it. Just the head. Don't change the head, Memphis.

3. Washington Wizards

Go ahead, tell me this is yet ANOTHER homer pick (see my year after year mascot rank that has the Wizards at number one). I won't quite believe it 100%. I think the Wizards 2011 repackaging was well done, ditching the horrible Wizard jumping over the moon logo while also harkening back to the past of the Bullets without actually having to change the name. Maybe it's just so good to me when compared to the Wiz blue, black and bronze color scheme days. Regardless, they are number three for me.

2. Boston Celtics

The Celtics are one of those franchises that I truly dislike and yes, it's all because they beat the Wizards (and historically about everyone I guess) more often than not in front of a pro-Celtics crowd at Verizon Center. So I truly hate that I think their logo is better than the Wizards logo. But it is. Some of my best memories at Verizon Center came sitting in Section 402 when the Cs had Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen and watching the Wizards beat Boston while seemingly surrounded by Boston fans.  Those memories take the sting out of me ranking the Celtics at number two here.

1. Chicago Bulls

50 years. One logo. Got it right the first time. Winner!!! I'd have a difficult time believing the Bulls will ever be anything but number one in this ranking. The only thing that can possibly screw this up is if they decide to start introducing alternate or secondary logos that dilute their brand. Don't do it, Chicago.

About 12 months until I do this again. I guarantee someone will change something in the next year.

NBA Logo Rank, Part 3

Part three of my logo rank represents the halfway point of this journey. While we have seen some pretty good designs once or twice before this, I'm astonished by the overall lack of stellar designs produced for the tons upon tons of money that I am sure was paid from the teams to their graphic consultants. I'm not sure my opinion of all that is changed much by this post. Let's keep going.

18. Atlanta Hawks

Alright, Atlanta, I admit it…the Pac-Man logo (top left above) is awesome and its return to the Hawks family of logos has to be welcomed with open arms. It's slightly different than the 1970s version and looks quite honestly less like Pac-Man eating a dot than its predecessor but it's still an awesome design and conjures up memories of Dominique Wilkins battling Larry Bird in an epic 1988 playoff series. Kudos on the retro re-brand introduced earlier this year.

But what was the club thinking with the rest of these logos and these absolutely hideous colors? Yep, the Pac looks great in traditional team colors red and white, not so much in putrescent green and black which makes me think of Mr. Yuk more than Atlanta hoops. And we already know how I feel about airport codes in team branding from my rant about the Phoenix Suns in part two of this countdown; at least the Suns logo surrounding the airport code is reasonably attractive. What's the deal with this crazy wordmark? Is there some sort of subtlety that I'm missing?

Finally, I'm also not a fan of the golden snitch logo (top right). I get it's a basketball with bird wings but the truncated top of the teardrop shape is awful and it really does look like Harry Potter should be racing to grab it ahead of Draco Malfoy. Quidditch anyone?

The Hawks are 18th because of the Pac. Nothing else. Could have been way lower.

17. Toronto Raptors

If you had asked me before I started this ranking how the Toronto Raptors were likely to place among the 30 NBA teams, my answer would likely have been "not well" or something to that effect. This team has a huge image problem in my opinion, mostly due to their absolutely incomprehensible nickname. I'm still pushing for a Huskies name change.

But lo and behold when I started looking at all the current NBA logos, I found that the raptor imagery, which started out as a less cuddlier version of Barney, has mostly gone away and the Raps have focused their branding around a basketball which looks like it's either held by or has been slashed by a velociraptor. No more cartoon dinosaurs, no more logos dripping blood, no more fossil imagery and thankfully no more purple. And thumbs up to all of that.

Now, let's remember this is still just one logo repeated three times and the font is terrible and it is only in 17th place, but it's actually a decent design and it's not cluttered with inferior secondary and alternate logos. Well done, Raptors. Never thought I'd write that.

16. Utah Jazz

Put the franchise name out of your minds, folks. I know jazz doesn't belong in Utah. This is not about the name; it's about the logos. And talking about the logos is pretty simple.

I hate the Jazz primary logo on the left above. It embodies Jazz in absolutely no way whatsoever, unless you are going to make the case for the "J" being a stylized saxophone. I think the mountains are great for Utah but for me this thing is a dead loss.

The musical note "J" logo however is a freaking work of art. I love the simplicity, clarity and genius of this logo. It screams jazz and basketball at the same time and it's absolutely brilliant. The Jazz re-introducing this look a couple of years ago was a huge step in the right direction of branding this franchise. But there's still that pesky Utah disconnect.

There's so much potential here but ultimately it's about the entire collection of logos, not just one. And, yes, I can't put the franchise name out of my mind. Rename this team. PLEASE!!!

15. Los Angeles Lakers

I love tradition. I love consistency. I love simple clear designs. The Lakers have all three. Their primary logo on the left above is uncomplicated and dates back to the franchise's move to Los Angeles in 1960, albeit in slightly different tones. And in that time the Laker tradition is probably unmatched in the NBA, even by the Boston Celtics.

But graphic mediocrity had to catch up with the Lakers sooner or later and it does so at number 15. This logo is of another time, and I don't mean that as a compliment. It's a basketball with the team name in front and some movement marks on the name to give the illusion that the name is moving really fast. There's just not much here and despite its simplicity and consistency of message over the last 45 years, it's just not very inspiring.

The Lakers introduced the way clunkier and not graphically attractive at all secondary logo (above right) in 2001. While it makes their original logo look sleek and sophisticated, it doesn't help out the Lakers brand at all. Let's move on.

14. Indiana Pacers

Combine the Raptors (recycling one logo into three separate logos) and the Lakers (simplicity and tradition) and you get the Pacers. And in my countdown, they end up ahead of both. They finish ahead of the Raptors because the logo they are using is better than the logo the Raps are using; they finish ahead of the Lakers because they were wise enough to not introduce a terrible secondary logo which makes their brand worse.

The Pacers started out in American Basketball Association with an abstract "P" (for Pacers) logo made up of an arm and hand shooting a basketball. They adopted the current look in 1990 and have refused to change it since. It's a testament to how poor the NBA family of logos is overall that Indiana can finish this high in my ranking with so little imagination.

I do like the center logo above, by the way, a lot. It has a high school or collegiate look that somehow feels very appropriate for a team representing the state of Indiana. If the Pacers ever re-brand, I'd keep that one as an alternate or secondary logo for sure.

13. Milwaukee Bucks

In this offseason, there have been two teams that have undergone significant re-branding. The Clippers look like they rushed the whole thing and were rewarded with a set of logos nobody has claimed to like which got them the number 30 spot by a mile in this ranking. The other franchise was the Milwaukee Bucks, whose new set of designs is both pleasing and a HUGE upgrade over their prior look.

There are a number of things I like about the new look Bucks. First off, the green, blue and beige colors are way better than the green and burnt orange they had last year and way way better than the green and purple they had before that. I hesitate to compliment any color scheme that features beige as a primary component but this is truly a color upgrade.

The second thing I like about the new Bucks logos is the connection to the state of Wisconsin. I don't know that I've ever seen the state of Wisconsin extracted from the rest of the United States but I think it works to smartly connect the city's team to the state with two borders less than an hour's drive to two other NBA teams.

I also love the basketball imagery in the lower points of the Buck's antlers (on the left) which is re-iterated in their third logo (on the right). It almost makes the dot after the "EST" and the awkward looking "M" in that logo palatable.

There are a couple of negatives for me. First, the font is horrible, although considering the "antler" font the Bucks had before this, it's a big improvement. Finally, I can't get over the fact that their primarily logo looks like a hunter shot their mascot and mounted its head on the wall of his basement den as a trophy. Maybe I don't get the idea of a deer being ferocious. Wouldn't be the first time I've offered that opinion.