Two and a half million people have signed the petition to immortalize Kobe Bryant by making the NBA legend the new NBA logo.
“With the untimely and unexpected passing of the great Kobe Bryant please sign this petition in an attempt to immortalize him forever as the new NBA Logo,” the petition that keeps on getting new signatures reads.
According to the petition’s creator, Nick M., he wants “to see Kobe Bryant engraved into the NBA Logo,” whereas his silhouette would replace that of Lakers’ Jerry West.
NBA has been using the same logo, except for minor changes to the text, ever since 1971.
After the petition went viral, millions of people appeared to support it whereas plenty of them came up with their own ideas for the new logo. However, it is not clear whether the NBA would consider changing its logo as of this writing.
Following the NBA star’s sudden death caused as his chopper crashed on January 26, hundreds of fellow sportsmen, including West, paid a tribute to the basketball legend.
“To hear this news this morning, frankly… at first I was shocked, and then after a while it’s really sunk in… I really felt like a surrogate father to him,” West wrote.
“There’s no words to express the pain I’m going through with this tragedy of losing my niece Gigi & my brother @kobebryant I love u and u will be missed,” Shaquille O’Neal shared.
Joining West and O’Neal in paying a tribute were also LeBron James and Michael Jordan.
“It’s another guy that I looked up to when I was in grade school and high school. Seeing him come straight out of high school, he is someone that I used as inspiration,” Lakers’ LeBron James told the reporters.
“It was like, wow. Seeing a kid, 17 years old, come into the NBA and trying to make an impact on a franchise, I used it as motivation.
“He helped me before he even knew of me because of what he was able to do. So, just to be able to, at this point of my career, to share the same jersey that he wore, be with this historical franchise and just represent the purple and gold, it’s very humbling.”
“I am in shock over the tragic news of Kobe’s and Gianna’s passing. Words can’t describe the pain I’m feeling. I loved Kobe – he was like a little brother to me. We used to talk often, and I will miss those conversations very much,” Michael Jordan wrote in his touching tribute.
“He was a fierce competitor, one of the greats of the game and a creative force. Kobe was also an amazing dad who loved his family deeply – and took great pride in his daughter’s love for the game of basketball.
“Yvette joins me in sending my deepest condolences to Vanessa, the Lakers organization and basketball fans around the world.”
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Replaced!