The Boston Celtics have a solid logo history as an NBA franchise. However, most logo changes occur within the first thirty years of an organization. From 1977 to the present, the Celtics have maintained a recognizable and iconic logo that has withstood the test of time. Yet, a closer look at the Celtics’ primary logo history reveals some reflective essay samples and attractive designs that warrant further examination. This piece will rank the primary logos in the Boston Celtics' history.
6. 1961 - 1969
In this logo, an excited leprechaun can be seen leaping with a skinny pipe in his mouth. He has a black cane in his left hand and a white crown on his head with a wordmark that says “NBA.” He is also wearing a green outfit with shamrocks as a design. The logo is surrounded by an orange background shaped like the design.
5. 1951 - 1961
This logo encompasses all of the elements described above. The only difference is that there is no orange background surrounding the logo. There is no background at all.
This helped to accentuate the design and make it stand out more. It made the green outfit with shamrocks stand out more.
4. 1947 - 1951
This logo can be appreciated for its simplicity. It is a simple circular logo with a green background that symbolizes its team color.
The design is accentuated by a large white shamrock design that starts at the bottom of the circular logo and extends to the middle.
Right above the shamrock design is a white “CELTICS” logo. The wordmark is shaped in a semicircle and occupies most of the background space.
3. 1969 - 1977
This represented the first version of the Celtics logo, featuring many familiar elements known and loved by Boston Celtics fans.
The background of this logo is a standard red basketball with black outlines depicting the outlines of the basketball. The main feature is the winking leprechaun. He is leaning on a white cane. He is wearing a green hat and a green and white outfit. He is also spinning a white basketball.
The Boston Celtics can also be seen. The “Boston” wordmark is on the left side, while the “Celtics” wordmark is on the right side.
This design was a good foundation for the iconic logos that followed.
2. 1977 - 1997
Like the logo with the basketball background, the leprechaun is leaning on a white cane and spinning a white basketball. However, his hat is now white with a green shamrock design. His outfit has the same pattern as the hat. In a callback to earlier logos, the leprechaun is smoking a pipe.
The most significant update is a green ring that complements the team’s colors and integrates seamlessly with the design.
Like the logo with the basketball background, the “Boston” wordmark is on the left side of the green ring, while the “Celtics” is on the right.
1. 1997 - present
While the predecessor to this logo was superb, this logo is an upgrade due to the color incorporated into critical aspects of the design.
The leprechaun's pants, shoes, and the top of the leprechaun’s hat were changed from white to black. This made him look stylish. The designer also added a splash of green to the leprechaun's outfit and bow tie. Red was added to the leprechaun's cane and the basketball that the leprechaun was spinning. The addition of color brought life and energy to this logo. This is why it reigns supreme above all others.
