So why not have a brand new look to go with it?
On Monday, the Clippers unveiled a new logo and new uniforms, all of which will debut at the same time the team relocates from downtown Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena to Inglewood at the start of the 2024-25 season.
This will be the Clippers’ second major rebranding in less than a decade. The last one came in 2015, about a year after current owner Steve Ballmer purchased the team from Donald Sterling. The logo was changed for the first time since the Clippers moved to Los Angeles in 1984, and the results weren’t exactly popular with many fans.
The organization is hopeful that the new look, which leans heavily into the team’s nautical roots, will receive better reviews.
(Clippers)
“We have been on a long journey, gathering feedback and insights from across Clipper Nation,” Gillian Zucker, Clippers and Intuit Dome president of business operations, said in a statement. “We listened to as many voices as we could and then engaged specialists to arrive at a timeless design that blends bedrocks of our past and our future. Our new marks are meaningful and strong, capturing our roots and our aspirations.”
The new logo features the letter “C” designed to look like a compass surrounding the silhouette of an oncoming ship. Easter eggs for sharp-eyed fans include the north marking of the compass pointing to the “N” in Los Angeles and the hull of the ship being designed to resemble the seams of a basketball.
Based on the comments on the Clippers’ Instagram and X pages, reactions are largely split down the middle. Some applaud the new logo, calling it “clever,” “classy” and “sick” (the good kind). Detractors call it “boring” and “pretentious,” with some comparing it to the logo from an expansion team or a small college.
Many people appreciate that a boat has been incorporated into the logo, with several fans admitting to not even realizing that a clipper is a nautical vehicle. Others have pointed out, however, that the illustrated vessel looks more like a cruise ship than a clipper.
The new jerseys will feature “a modernized classic script in naval blue, ember red, and Pacific blue,” the team stated. Limited-edition merchandise will be available at ClippersHQ.com and at the Grove on Monday and Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
A design for the court at the Intuit Dome, the home of the Clippers starting next season.
(Clippers)