When the Brooklyn Nets revealed their new logo in 2012, TIME headlined their coverage with "Brooklyn Nets Reveal Bland New Logo." It wasn't a sentiment many people could argue with. The logo, as we've all grown accustomed to, is simple. The minimalistic black and white design was a departure from the bright red and blue of Nets team bygone. At the time, a more serious and sleek approach was a refreshing change for a team that had a combined .257 winning percentage in the three seasons before their move to Brooklyn.
However, it seems history is not entirely lost on the new Nets family, or at least their branding team. The logo for the Long Island Nets, Brooklyn's new D-League affiliate was revealed this week, complete with bright red and blue. For starters, the design itself isn't a drastic departure from Brooklyn's current logo. A basketball remains the centerpiece, while "Long Island" simply replaces "Brooklyn" above it. Despite the same framework, the new logo evokes something entirely different than what we've seen from the Nets logo or on the court, fun.
It starts with the colors. The red, white, and blue on Long Island's logo isn't just patriotic, it draws your eye. The jerseys (pictured in the photo above) take full advantage of the scheme as well. This isn't an overload to the senses, it's comfortable and complementary.
Even with color aside, the styling of the logo evokes character and interactivity that Brooklyn's logo sorely lacks. The sterile "Nets" wording on the black and white logo seems serious and, in a way, looming. The new "Nets", featured in Long Island's logo, has energy. Written in flowing cursive script, the red letters seem to be a subtle nod to the lettering of previous New Jersey and New York Nets jerseys. The final touch, almost unnoticed, are the three stars on either side of the logo. White, the stars play nicely against the blue backdrop and adjacent to the red lettering, harkening memories of Dr. J dominating in the ABA and happier times for Nets fans.
The Long Island Nets logo and uniform design isn't going to make or break their team, or Brooklyn's player development. But it does set a tone for the team, attitude for the fans, and reflects priorities of the front office. Based on this logo, expect the Long Island Nets to be a fun team to watch in 2016.
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