The Phoenix Suns unveiled today a new logo to commemorate their upcoming 50th season of Suns basketball. The original professional sports franchise in Arizona, the Suns were awarded an NBA franchise on Jan. 22, 1968 and will celebrate their golden anniversary throughout the 2017-18 season.
“It’s pretty special to be celebrating fifty seasons of Suns basketball with our fans. As part of the milestone, we will honor our rich history on the court and our role as a community ambassador off it,” said Suns President Jason Rowley. “We will pay tribute to the special people, places and indelible moments of our organization’s past, showcase our bright future and recognize our great fan base every step of the way. As we move into the franchise’s next chapter and welcome the newest additions to our team, it was only fitting to unveil this logo just before the NBA Draft.”
The commemorative emblem utilizes the classic Suns color palette, marks for “68” and “18” to highlight the Suns 50 seasons in the Valley and the rising phoenix bird featuring the iconic “PHX,” which emphasizes the unique bond between the team, its city and its fans. All of the logo elements are encased within a shield, signifying the Suns’ badge of honor as the original professional sports franchise in Arizona. There is also a gold and black version of the logo to accentuate the golden anniversary on Jan. 22.
“It was a great moment in our city’s history when Phoenix was awarded an NBA franchise,” said Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton. “Starting with Gar Heard’s ‘Shot Heard Round the World,’ so many of my best memories growing up in Phoenix are associated with the Suns — including those special occasions when my Dad would take me to a game at the Madhouse on McDowell. We’ve made unforgettable memories together for five decades and we look forward to our future success as a community and as a team.”
The Phoenix Suns have long been regarded as one of the most successful NBA franchises on and off the court. Since entering the league in 1968, the Suns own a .541 (2146-1824) winning percentage, the fourth-best mark all-time in the NBA, trailing only the San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics. The Suns made the postseason in 29 of the team’s 49 seasons, including 19 of the past 29 seasons, and reached the NBA Finals twice (1976 and 1993), plus hosted three NBA All-Star Games (1975, 1995 and 2009).
The Suns have also been an active part of the community and Phoenix Suns Charities will celebrate 30 years of giving back through its mission of supporting children and family services throughout Arizona. Since its inception in 1988, Phoenix Suns Charities has distributed more than $19 million to local non-profits and organizations in need and the entire Suns organization has embedded itself locally by supporting community efforts through hundreds of player appearances and thousands of volunteer hours by Suns players and staff.
The Suns will celebrate their 50th season with several activations, events and initiatives throughout the 2017-18 NBA campaign that will allow fans to participate in the festivities.