Time appeared to stand still when the news broke that Kobe Bryant had died unexpectedly from a helicopter crash earlier this week. As the news continued to roll in, fans stayed in disbelief at the sudden death of the basketball legend. His daughter, Gianna Bryant, was alongside him when the helicopter crashed near Calabasas, California. Among Kobe and Gianna, there were 7 others who fell victim to this tragedy. Kobe left a legacy that will never be forgotten, but avid fans wish to solidify that by asking the NBA to change its current logo. Many people feel like it’s only logical to honor such a monumental figure in the league, by changing a logo that has existed in the organization since 1971.
Courtesy: Edgar Chaparro
This is all thanks to fan Nikyar Moghtader hailing all the way from Canada. Moghtader created a petition to change the current logo of the NBA. He felt he needed to “commemorate him for all he’s done.” according to CBS News. Moghtader was deeply touched by Bryant and all he did for the NBA. His point in creating this petition was to show how influential Bryant’s legacy is and will continue to be, especially with the change of the logo. True supporters of this movement have signed the petition which has already reached more than two million online signatures, according to USA Today. The current logo of the NBA is of Hall of Famer Jerry West. West feels like it would be a great way to honor Bryant. West personally says that he does not care whether the logo changes from himself to Kobe. Being known for his extremely private life, he already feels like the logo brings too much attention to himself, so why not change it? The NBA does not compensate Jerry West for his position as the famous logo. Some believe that the NBA is steering clear of having to reimburse anyone, making it easier to not change it. The organization does not acknowledge West being the logo despite Alan Siegel, designer of the logo, often mentioning that West was the inspiration for it.
Fans from all over are still pushing for this change to honor such an extraordinary person, on and off the court. Even though the NBA does not appear to be susceptible to the idea of changing it, that is not stopping anyone. People continue to sign the petition, only increasing its numbers drastically day by day. The change, or not change, of the logo has nothing to do with Kobe’s impact as a player, but everything to do with the fact that there are financial factors and other limitations to it. The want to tribute the death of such an iconic player is understandable, but the NBA will not allow it to discredit other players. Sources close to the organization have expressed that, though Bryant’s legacy was incomparable, there have been so many instrumental players who have also heavily influenced the growth of the league. The power of the petition is something that has shown the true sentiments and high regards the world held and will continue to hold, for Kobe Bryant.
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