Can You Identify the NBA Team if We Change the Colors of the Logo?

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By: Gavin Thagard

6 Min Quiz

Image: NBA

About This Quiz

The NBA has branded its players better than any sports league in North America, but these players wouldn't have the same cultural impact if they didn't have a franchise to play for. That means wearing those signature logos across their chest throughout 82 regular-season games and, for the lucky ones, into the playoffs. 

NBA logos, of course, are defined by their colors. What would the Los Angeles Lakers be without that signature purple and gold, two iconic colors worn by some of the greatest players in NBA history from Jerry West to Earvin "Magic" Johnson to the late Kobe Bryant? It's hard to imagine any of those players sporting a different-colored jersey. 

All 30 franchises across the league have similar histories with players whose careers were defined while wearing a specific team's jersey. Of course, that doesn't mean these players all started and ended their careers in the same jersey, as some of the greatest NBA stars were journeymen across the league. While establishing their own legacies, they sported multiple logos in their careers.

Now, find out if you actually know the logos of all 30 teams across the NBA, especially when they're altered. Will you be able to get a perfect score? Take your best shot at this quiz and see for yourself.

This team took the league by storm with its three-point shooting in 2015. Who are they?

After reaching the NBA Finals for five straight years, the Golden State Warriors dynasty was finally put on hold for the 2019-20 season after Kevin Durant departed and injuries decimated the roster. However, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson are slated to come back, which should put energy back into the franchise.

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The lights have always been bright for stars who play for which team shown here with a different-colored logo?

It's hard to pinpoint the biggest star to ever play in a Los Angeles Lakers uniform. Earvin "Magic" Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar each won five championships and three NBA MVPs with the Lakers, but Kobe Bryant was a five-time champion himself. Now, the Lakers have LeBron James and Anthony Davis, who are both trying to establish a legacy as Laker greats.

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What's the name of this NBA team that has more titles than any other in the league?

The Boston Celtics have appeared in the NBA Finals on 21 different occasions. In those appearances, the Celtics only lost four times, giving them a total of 17 championships, with their latest title coming in 2008.

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Can you identify this team that ended the 2018-19 season as NBA champions?

Despite some spectacular regular seasons, the Toronto Raptors struggled to get to the NBA Finals with LeBron James playing in the Eastern Conference. James left the East in 2018, and the Raptors finally got over the hump after adding star Kawhi Leonard and head coach Nick Nurse.

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Do you recognize this logo with the color changed?

In 2019, the Houston Rockets traded for Russell Westbrook to pair him with superstar James Harden. The two are former teammates who both won NBA MVPs after spectacular seasons where they put up huge numbers across the board. The Rockets hope the trade will put them in championship contention.

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Head coach Doc Rivers leads the team that wears this logo. How well do you know the team?

The Los Angeles Clippers are coached by Doc Rivers, who led the Boston Celtics to a championship in 2008. Rivers joined the Clippers in 2013 via a trade and turned them into a perennial playoff contender since his arrival.

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Are you familiar with this team that recently watched Dwyane Wade, a franchise legend, retire in its jersey?

The Miami Heat are known for their intense team culture, which is all about winning. The culture was originally instilled by head coach Pat Riley when he took over the Heat in 1995 and has since been carried over by his protege, Erik Spoelstra.

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Foreign stars have been a staple of which franchise depicted here by its team logo?

Led by franchise legend Dirk Nowitzki, the Dallas Mavericks had an incredible playoff run in 2011. Nowitzki was able to lead the Mavericks to the first title in franchise history by defeating the Miami Heat in six games.

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Have you seen the team wearing this logo transition into a championship contender by relying on "The Process"?

The Philadelphia 76ers have been slowly improving the last few seasons, but they haven't quite turned their potential into success. In the 2019 NBA Playoffs, the 76ers suffered a devastating loss in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals that they vowed to redeem the next year.

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This logo has been the model of consistency in the NBA. Which team does it belong to?

Gregg Popovich took over as the head coach of the San Antonio Spurs in 1996, and he immediately turned the franchise around, leading it to its first of five titles in 1999. Since then, Popovich has been named NBA Coach of the Year three times and the NBA All-Star Game head coach four times.

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Even with altered colors, is this a logo you're familiar with?

The Milwaukee Bucks have the reigning NBA MVP, Giannis Antetokounmpo, on their roster. In the 2019 NBA Playoffs, Antetokounmpo helped lead the Bucks to the Easter Conference Finals, though they lost to the eventual champs.

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Select the team that honored the wishes of Anthony Davis when he decided to give up this logo by requesting a trade.

After getting the number one overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, the New Orleans Pelicans used the pick to select Zion Williamson. Plenty of excitement surrounded Williamson coming into the draft as he had both size and athleticism that rivaled anyone coming out of college.

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Did you watch this team put on some exciting performances in the 2019 NBA Playoffs before losing in the Western Conference Finals?

The Portland Trail Blazers won the only championship in franchise history in 1977. That year, the team was led by Bill Walton, who won the Finals MVP after putting up 18.5 points and 19 rebounds per game.

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As most of the league built offensive juggernauts, this team built a roster based on defense. Who are they?

With John Stockton and Karl Malone leading the way, the Utah Jazz went to back to back NBA Finals in 1997 and 1998. However, the team lost both series to Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls.

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Can you identify the team that wears this logo as it tries to get past the draft lottery?

The New York Knicks have struggled the past 20 years, as they haven't made it to the Conference Finals since 2000. The best run they had since then was in the 2013 NBA Playoffs, when they reached the Eastern Conference Semifinals but lost to the Indiana Pacers.

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What's the name of this team that dominated in the '90s with players like Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen?

After the Chicago Bulls dynasty ended in the '90s, the team had some up and down seasons until it acquired Derrick Rose in the 2008 NBA Draft. Rose immediately brought excitement to Chicago, winning Rookie of the Year in his first season as a Bull.

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Three future MVPs once wore this logo at the same time for which NBA team?

The Oklahoma City Thunder were the Seattle SuperSonics until they moved cities in 2008. During its final season in Seattle, the team drafted future superstar Kevin Durant, who spent nine seasons with the franchise.

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How well do you know this team that added two superstars in the 2019 offseason?

The Brooklyn Nets, called the New York Nets at the time, were part of the ABA before it merged with the NBA in 1976. The team won the final championship as a member of the ABA but haven't been able to capture another title since joining the NBA.

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This logo hangs high in the "Mile High City." Do you know what team it belongs to?

Byron Beck, who played for the Denver Nuggets from 1967 until 1977, was the first player to have his number retired by the team. Beck, who wore No. 40, played both power forward and center, where he was known for scoring and rebounding.

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Is this a logo you're familiar with despite its colors being changed?

The Phoenix Suns became one of the most exciting teams in the NBA when Mike D'Antoni took over as head coach in 2003. D'Antoni implemented a fast style of play that often required players to get a shot off in seven seconds or less, which increased scoring significantly.

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Are you able to identify this team that hasn't been to the playoffs since LeBron James decided to leave its logo behind?

With LeBron James leading the way, the Cleveland Cavaliers went to four straight NBA Finals between 2015 and 2018. They were able to capture the title in 2016 after coming back from a 3-1 deficit in the series.

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If you watched basketball in the late '80s, you would have seen the "Bad Boys" wear a version of this logo. What's the team?

In the 2004 NBA Finals, the Detroit Pistons surprised many by defeating the Los Angeles Lakers in five games. The Pistons relied on tough defense to win the series, which was required considering the Lakers had offensive stars like Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal.

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Select the team that wears a different-colored version of this logo.

The Atlanta Hawks have been trying to build a team around Trae Young ever since they acquired him via a trade in 2018. Coming into the NBA, Young was viewed as the next Stephen Curry because of his ability to stretch the floor with his three-point shooting ability.

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Despite its altered coloring, can you match this logo to the team it belongs to?

The Minnesota Timberwolves are coached by Ryan Saunders, who is the son of Flip Saunders. Flip was the longtime head coach of the Timberwolves whose coaching career ended when he died of Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2015.

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This logo is worn by which team that plays home games in Amway Center?

One of the first major superstars to put on an Orlando Magic uniform was Shaquille O'Neal, who the team drafted with the first overall pick in the 1992 NBA Draft. O'Neal played for the franchise through 1996, when he decided to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers.

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Have you seen enough games to identify the team that wears this logo throughout the NBA season?

Founded in 1923, the Kings did not move to Sacramento, California until 1985. Previously, the franchise was located in Kansas City, Missouri but also had stints in Cincinnati and Rochester, New York.

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What's the name of the team that sports this logo as it pushes for a higher seed going into the playoffs?

Nate McMillan, a former defensive star in the NBA, became the head coach of the Indiana Pacers in 2016. Since then, he's led the Pacers to three straight playoff appearances, though they have yet to make it out of the first round.

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Fans of what team wear this logo to games as they cheer from the stands?

The Charlotte Hornets are owned by former NBA legend Michael Jordan, who purchased the team from Bob Johnson in 2010. With the purchase, Jordan became the first former player to own an NBA team.

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Ja Morant is a rookie sensation who wears this logo for which NBA team?

Before moving to Memphis, Tennessee in 2001, the Grizzlies were located in Vancouver, Canada. At the time they were established, the Grizzlies were one of the first two teams to expand into Canada.

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How well do you know the team that wears this logo in the nation's capital?

Prior to becoming the Wizards in 1997, the franchise located in Washington D.C. called themselves the Bullets. However, owner Abe Pollin thought the old name didn't fit the current social environment and used a contest to eventually settle on the Wizards.

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