The Los Angeles Lakers primary logo is a gold basketball with the wordmark “LAKERS” set across it in purple lettering with motion lines trailing from the text. The design has remained structurally consistent since the mid-1960s, with periodic refinements to color and detail rather than wholesale redesigns.
Design and History
The Lakers have used two distinct logo designs since relocating from Minneapolis to Los Angeles in 1960. The first was a temporary double-blue graphic with “LAKERS” italicized across a basketball. That general concept evolved into the familiar gold basketball with “LAKERS” scripted across it in Forum Blue lettering with speed lines.[1]
The original purple and gold logo was first introduced during the 1965-66 season, prior to the club adopting those colors on its uniforms. Officially known as Forum Blue, the Lakers switched from double blue in anticipation of their move to their new arena, The Forum.[2] This logo was updated in 1971 with lighter colors and with the basketball seam lines removed from behind the team name.[2]
In the early 1970s, the logo was modified again: the LAKERS wordmark remained across the front of a gold basketball, but colors were lightened to better match the team uniforms of Forum Blue and gold.[3] The primary and secondary logos remained the same from 2001-02 until the 2023-24 season.[4]
In June 2023, the Lakers introduced a new partial logo and updated their shade of purple for the 2023-24 season. The main logo remained the same in composition, with only the purple color changed to a darker shade, a change that improved contrast with the gold.[5] The new partial logo features the Lakers’ “L” in the new purple shade, encased in a white box outline.[6]
Meaning and Symbolism
The Lakers’ official team site describes the shift from powder blue and white to purple and gold as “a pursuit of greatness and royalty.”[7] The team’s official uniform schedule page states that “Lakers Gold stands for wisdom” and that “bold purple and gold command attention.”[7]
The “L” in the alternate logo introduced in 2023 is a nod to the city of Los Angeles, featuring a six-pointed star in the center.[6]
Typography and Design
The Lakers’ official brand guidelines describe the stacked wordmark as “directly derived from the primary logo,” indicating that the typography system is built around the primary mark rather than a separate typeface.[8] The guidelines also specify clear-space and minimum size requirements for the logo, along with restrictions against stretching, distorting, applying 3D effects, or adding drop shadows.[8]
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