Seattle’s First NBA Jersey and the “Lightning Bolt” Wordmark

The Sonics entered the NBA in 1967 alongside the San Diego Rockets, at the beginning of a ten-year period of growth and acquisition for the league. The two new franchises were born at the height of the Space Age, and both teams opted for futuristic monikers - nods to the booming aerospace industry.

At the time, it was conventional for NBA teams to adopt a name that paid homage to their city’s industry or cultural heritage. E.g. the Piston’s nod to Detroit’s (and earlier Fort Wayne’s) auto industry and the Celtics’ tribute to Boston’s Irish heritage.

Seattle’s team adopted a similar approach. The SuperSonics name, submitted by a school-age boy and selected by original owner Sam Schulman, pays homage to the Boeing 2707, a state-of-the-art supersonic transport designed to fly at Mach 2.7 (2.7 times the speed of sound). The name perfectly captured the spirit and ingenuity of Seattle.

As a fresh franchise in a city new to the professional sports scene, the Sonics needed to make a statement with their jerseys. And make a statement they did. At the time, NBA jerseys tended towards traditional wordmarks and fonts (think Russell’s Celtics or Wilt’s Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors). However, Seattle elected for a more cutting-edge look.

The inaugural 1967 jerseys have an electric feel to them; featuring big, showy font underlined by a flashy lightning bolt. The “i” in “Sonics” is dotted with a star. These unique customizations gave the Sonics’ jerseys an otherworldly, futuristic feel, setting them apart from other jerseys of the time.

The Sonics’ branding gamble paid off and helped establish the team as one of the league’s signature franchises. The Green and Gold became a uniquely recognizable color combination, and remains so to this day.

Looking for the lightning bolt logo tee? Shop it here.