Have you been asked to design a basketball logo?

With basketball increasing its share in the sports market each year, it’s no surprise new teams are popping up all over the place.

As a result, older teams are looking to refresh their image.

A creative basketball logo helps a team to stand out. Not to mention, it can seriously increase merchandise sales. Here are the top tips for creating a perfect logo for your team, or for refreshing that old logo.

3 Tips for Creating a Fun Basketball Logo

1. Color

It’s key to have colors that stand out. High contrast and distinct color combinations will help the logo pop out on merchandise.

For example, if you visit this site about basketball hoop installation, you’ll see their logo uses yellow and green. The contrast of colors draws in your eye right away.

Try contrasting colors or simple black and white. The logo should also match the team’s uniforms, so it’s easily associated with them.

2. Get Inspired by the Game

Just like these classic NFL logos, you want your basketball logo to be inspired by the game itself.

Think about the classic NBA logo.

It’s a silhouette image of a player, in the dynamic movement of the game, running down the court, ball in hand. The image captures the excitement of the game — but is also clearly about basketball.

Gather inspiration from the game of basketball itself. The ball, the hoop, the players… all these elements can be used to capture the essence of the sport.

Keep in mind the icons you choose don’t need to be an exact depiction. Logos are known for being interpretive in their design. The image can be manipulated and stylized as long as it’s recognizable.

3. Think Simple

While it’s important to use imagery that speaks to the game, it’s equally important to keep it simple.

Choose one basic image and work off its premise. Don’t combine too many elements. The logo will be hard to remember and too crowded.

The most classic logos are extremely basic. Think of the golden arches, Nike swoosh, and classic Apple icon. They all have two things in common — simplicity and memorability.

Words also can be a part of the logo. But when it’s on merchandise or in the fine print, the words need to be easily read. Make sure your logo is recognizable no matter what size it is.

Many amazing logos in the NBA have the name of the team or town incorporated into them.

For example, the team logos for the Lakers, the Nicks, and the Raptors all incorporate their names into their logos.

Their logo, however, is still recognizable without the words. This is great for merchandising purposes.

Make Your Logo

You’re ready to make an awesome basketball logo. Just remember to:

• Think about color
• Get inspired by the game
• Keep it simple

If you use these three logo tips in your design, you’ll be sure to make a logo that resonates with basketball fans.

Need some more inspiration? Check out these sports logo ideas to get the ball rolling.