The hidden meaning behind the Portland Trail Blazers' unique logo

I’ve been watching a lot of Portland Trail Blazers basketball lately, mostly because Dame Lillard is so fun to watch play basketball.

Also, it’s part of my job, but whatever. I’d watch their games anyway.

By the way, they start their series with the Nuggets in Denver tonight.

While watching these games I’ve often noticed their crisp logo (often because Lillard shoots from it at home games) and have wondered what the heck means. Some teams’ logos are easier to figure out just by looking at the them, like Boston’s, for instance.

Maybe you already know the meaning behind Portland’s logo and good for you if you do. I didn’t know it and I’m guessing others out there don’t know, either.

So I did what any investigating journalist would do – I Googled it. And here’s what I found from a We Are Fantatics explainer, and it was also backed up in a story by the Oregonian:

A valid argument could be made that the Trail Blazers logo isn’t quite like the other logos in the NBA. If you’ve never had any connection with the Trail Blazers, you may not even know what the logo is exactly. Well, for all of you waiting with bated breath to know, we’ve got the answer. The logo is a pinwheel, but not just any pinwheel. There’s a deep meaning behind the logo, and it’s actually pretty cool.

The five lines on either side of the graphic represent five offensive players and five defensive players coming together to compete in the game of basketball. The curved lines represent the movement and speed of the individuals on the court. The graphic genius who came up with this concept is the cousin of the Trail Blazers founder and first general manager, Harry Glickman. Frank Glickman was a graphic designer in Boston, and when Harry needed a logo for his new team, he gave Frank a call.

So there you go. It’s a pinwheel with five guys on each side.

Pretty sure this won’t change anybody’s life but the more you know…