If the NBA ever decides to change its logo, we know who the model for the current one would like to see replace him.
Los Angeles Lakers Legend Jerry West, the shooting guard whose silhouette has served as the league's face since 1969, recently told The Huffington Post that he would want Michael Jordan to take the mantle if such an event were to occur.
Talking with host Jordan Schultz, West said:
"I hate to say it's not a Laker, but Michael Jordan. He's been the greatest player I've ever seen, I'm probably a harsh judge of talent in the sense that I admire players that are really good defensive players and really good offensive players. And I felt that at his time in the game, he was the best defensive player in the game, but more importantly he was the best offensive player. And he made his teams win."
Jordan is of course, a player who needs no introduction. A six-time champion and five-time league MVP, the 52 year old Chicago Bulls icon is among the most decorated and revered figures in the entire sport of Basketball.
"He would be a wonderful person to have there." West concluded.
77 year old West is no slouch either. A 14 time All-Star and 10 time NBA first team selection, he earned the nickname 'Mr. Clutch' thanks to his penchant for hitting big baskets when it mattered most.
In the past, West was reluctant to acknowledge that his likeness was used for the logo. But Alan Siegel, the man who designed the iconic image, has always said West was the inspiration. He told The LA Times back in 2010:
"They want to institutionalize it rather than individualize it It's become such a ubiquitous, classic symbol and focal point of their identity and their licensing program that they don't necessarily want to identify it with one player."
