Top 10 Best Sports Logos of All Time
Every sports team has a logo that not only represents the team but also represents the history of their city or state. Many logos have changed over the years, but you would be surprised at how many teams have not altered their logo in decades. These ten logos are ranked the best because of the immense amount of history and design strategy each team has poured into the image of their team.
What are the Best Sports Logos of All Time?
- New York Yankees
- San Jose Sharks
- Boston Celtics
- Chicago Bulls
- Detroit Red Wings
- Michigan State Spartans
- Montreal Canadiens
- Green Bay Packers
- Los Angeles Lakers
- Dallas Cowboys
1. New York Yankees
The iconic interlocking “NY” emblem of the New York Yankees may be the most well-known logo across all sports teams. This trademark may be the most popular because of its origin. The original design was created by Louis Tiffany of Tiffany & Co. as a medal of honor used to reward a New York police officer named John McDowell, who had been shot in the line of duty. The Yankees then adopted the logo from the medal in 1909 and have not made any major changes since. The team’s secondary logo is a baseball bat topped by a red, white, and blue top hat. The bat forms the stem of the “K” in “Yankees,” and the whole logo is surrounded by a baseball. The top hat logo was introduced in 1946 to announce spring training but never stuck as much as the original interlocking “N” and “Y.” The classic “NY” logo is unique because of how long the team has kept this simple yet sophisticated trademark with very few alterations.
2. San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks’ logo is a teal shark emerging from a triangle and biting a hockey stick in half. The original logo was introduced by Terry Smith Creations in 1991 and has remained unchanged for about 20 years. The importance of this logo was because it reflects the character and strength of the team. The logo was revised in 2013, with original designer Terry Smith taking charge of the revisions, but the alterations were minor, keeping the main logo the same and merely altering details to make the emblem more professional and updating it as technology has progressed.
3. Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics logo consists of a short man, presumably a leprechaun, leaning on a cane while spinning a basketball on his finger, holding a pipe in his mouth, and winking. The leprechaun is surrounded by a circle that reads “Boston Celtics.” This logo is important to the history of Boston because its Irish mascot pays heritage to the history of Irish influence throughout the city. “Lucky the Leprechaun,” as he is called, has been the main focus of the emblem since 1950 and has only been altered as resources have progressed. Since 1968, Lucky has remained in this pose, and the only changes to him have been alterations to his colors. This trademark is important because it perpetuates the Celtics’ respect for their home city’s Irish heritage, which has influenced much of the Boston culture.
4. Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls logo is a red bull with white horns that have red tips. The interesting thing about the Chicago Bulls trademark is that there is a mystery about who exactly designed the bull in 1966. Two different people have been credited for designing the infamous red bull: Dean Wessell and Ted Drake. Since both men have since passed away, there is no way to know for certain who should be credited for the design. Many people believe that Michael Jordan should be credited for making this logo infamous because of the dynasty he led throughout the ‘90s. This emblem is important because this is one of the few logos that had a singular person be named the reason for its success, and even after years without Michael Jordan, the Bulls remain a highly recognizable team, and their logo is just as famous as ever.
5. Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings’ logo is a cycling wheel with a pair of wings attached, all in red. This emblem was made in 1932 when James Norris bought the team and was looking for a way to turn the team’s luck. James went with this design because, when he was young, he played for the MAAA Winged Wheels, which was the first team to ever win a Stanley Cup. Norris thought the wheel was great for Detroit, which is known as “the Motor City,” and thus adopted the wheel and wings, changing the team name to the Detroit Red Wings. The remodeled logo seemed to help the team win the Stanley Cup since they won the same year it was introduced (1932), made it to the finals when the redesigned logo debuted in 1948, and then won the cup a second time in 1949. This logo is important because of how long the emblem has been around as well as the influence that the first Stanley Cup winners had on the name and logo change.
6. Michigan State Spartans
The Michigan State logo is a white profile of a Spartan helmet with a green background. Michigan State has been using a Spartan as their trademark since 1955; however, their first usage of this particular emblem was made out of papier-mâché and showed very little resemblance to their current design. Michigan State chose the Ancient Greek Spartans as their mascot because of their strength as warriors, their dedication to teamwork, and how a Spartan’s main goal in battle was to win. The green in their school colors was added for their agricultural education program, showing how the school values the field of agriculture and farming. Michigan State also uses three alternative logos for marketing reasons, and their many logos are recognized nationwide, showcasing the different variations of their green-and-white colors, complete with a stylized Spartan helmet.
7. Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens’ logo is a red, white, and blue “C” with a white and blue “H” in the middle of the “C.” The Canadiens are the oldest operating hockey team in the NHL. The team started as a solely French team under the name “Club Athletique Canadien.” The team was then known as Le Club de Hockey Canadien, and that is still the official team name today. The first time the “C” and “H” were used together in the team logo was in 1918. This current logo was finally settled-upon in 1925 and has not gone through many changes since. The Canadiens are on this list because of their history of being the longest-operating team in the NHL, and although this logo does not necessarily reflect much of Canadian history, it is one of the most historic and well-known logos showcased on this list.
8. Green Bay Packers
The oval-shaped white “G” with a gold oval border and forest-green background is infamously known as the logo for the Green Bay Packers, one of the most successful teams in NFL history. This emblem was created in 1959 by the Packer’s equipment manager, Gerald Braisherby, at the request of legendary team owner Vince Lombardi, and it was first added to players’ helmets in 1961. This logo is unique because Green Bay has trademarked it, giving limited permission to other organizations with similar logos, and this is the only logo to appear on the Packers’ helmets. Even after Lombardi’s exit from Green Bay, the emblem went through minimal changes, making it one of the oldest standing logos of all time.
9. Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers’ logo is a golden basketball with the word “Lakers” in purple, accented by speed lines, across the middle and “Los Angeles” sitting above. The Lakers began as a team in Minnesota, calling themselves the Lakers to pay tribute to the more than 10,000 lakes in the state. When the Lakers moved to Los Angeles, they kept their name and added this current logo with different colors, including a dark green basketball and reddish purple writing. The original 1961 emblem has gone through many color changes, but the concept of the logo has not changed. The Lakers are on this list because of their consistency in using a basketball and the stylized word “Lakers” since 1948 and because, even after moving cities and rebranding themselves, these consistencies remained in place.
10. Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are one of the most recognizable NFL teams in the United States and are sometimes referred to as “America’s Team.” Their simple, navy-blue star outlined in white on a silver background is familiar to millions of football fans in the United States. The Cowboys made their NFL debut in 1960, and their logo was a navy-blue Lone star, representing Texas, the Lone Star State. They kept this simple emblem until 1964 when they added a white outline around the star. The Cowboys’ logo is one of the best because of its simplicity and popularity. The Dallas Cowboys are often called “America’s Team” because of the amount of revenue they bring in each year and the numerous sold-out stadiums they have managed to gain. Their simple logo has stood for over 60 years and is one of the most recognizable logos of all time.
Honorable Mentions
- Boston Red Sox
- Pittsburgh Steelers
- Texas Longhorns
- Oakland Raiders
- Golden State Warriors
- Notre Dame Fighting Irish
- New York Mets
- New England Patriots
- Portland Trail Blazers
- Miami Dolphins