Kobe Bryant: Dennis Rodman Weighs in on Changing NBA Logo to Former Lakers Teammate

A growing number of celebrities and fans may be joining the call for the official NBA logo to be [...]

By Allison Schonter

A growing number of celebrities and fans may be joining the call for the official NBA logo to be changed to honor Kobe Bryant following the NBA legend's death late last month, but his former teammate, Dennis Rodman, prefers for the logo to "stay the way it is." Although Rodman, who mourned Bryant in an emotional Instagram post, said that Bryant certainly has the "charisma" to be forever encapsulated in logo-form, he said that for the moment he is favoring the current logo showcasing the silhouette of Jerry West.

"That's a tough one," Rodman told TMZ reporters outside the Staples Center, "The House the Kobe Built," on Tuesday. "You know, I'm a good friend of Jerry West, he's been a mentor of mine for a long, long time. But Kobe has the charisma for the signature of a logo, but I'm holding my vote on that one. I love you, Kobe. Rest in peace."

Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, and seven others had been traveling to a basketball game at the Mamba Sports Academy on the morning of Sunday, Jan. 26 when their private helicopter encountered dense fog and crashed into a hillside. There were no survivors.

Not long after news of the basketball star's death broke, a Change.org petition was created urging the NBA to change the official logo from a silhouette of West to one of Bryant.

"With the untimely and unexpected passing of the great Kobe Bryant please sign this petition in an attempt to immortalize him forever as the new NBA Logo," the petition's creator, Nick M., wrote.

The petition has since gone viral and drawn the support of a number of big-name celebrities, including Justin Bieber, Snoop Dogg, Usher, and Meek Mill. Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, who retired the Maverick's number 24 jersey in honor of Bryant, also voiced his support.

Meanwhile, the petition itself has received more than 3.1 million signatures, with its original 3 million signature goal having since been bumped up to 4.5 million. Although the NBA hasn't officially responded to the petition, sources have alleged that they currently have no interest in making the change.

"Sources familiar with the league's thinking said there is no interest in having an individual player as its logo because there are so many who have been instrumental in the growth of the game and the NBA," Dan Wetzel of Yahoo Sports reported. "Generic is better."

Created by Alan Siegel in 1969, the current logo features West, a former Lakers player, and was based off an image of West dribbling. The league has never officially recognized that West is the logo.

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