By Ryan Wong on

On Monday, the Atlanta Hawks became the latest NBA team to unveil new primary and secondary logos. Unlike other teams, the Hawks also revealed a new team identity as well.

The Hawks’ new primary logo takes the team’s admittedly amazing “Pac-Man” logo and encircles it in a badge not unlike what the Bucks, Raptors, Warriors and Nets have done with their recent logo redesigns.

As for the team’s new secondary logo, it takes a flaming basketball and attaches some Hawk wings to it. According to the Hawks’ official website, the logo represents “how the city of Atlanta rose from the ashes to become one of the nation’s leading international cities.”

As for the new team identity, as one can see from the primary logo’s wordmark, the Hawks have taken to calling themselves the Atlanta Hawks Basketball Club. While that sounds dangerously close to the name of a soccer team, the Hawks gave a pretty good explanation for the change (outside of selling heaps upon heaps of new merchandise):

The Atlanta Hawks Basketball Club moniker expands on the idea that we are more than just a team of 15 players. Our Basketball Club recognizes the contributions of the entire staff to our success. It respects and honors past players and coaches and their significance. Ultimately, the new Basketball Club designation reflects our commitment to building an emotional connection with our fans and maintaining an inclusive environment that welcomes all people. In the Atlanta Hawks Basketball Club, “everyone matters” and all are welcome.

The “Pac-Man” logo is one of the best in the NBA, so its evolved form is welcomed, even if it does follow the ever-so-popular circular wordmark badge design that every NBA redesign has seemingly adhered to recently. At least here, the circular logo makes complete sense and references the history of the team.

[Hawks] via [SB Nation]

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