Monday, May 5, 2025

National Basketball Association Official Colors: Franchise Records (1946-1947 through present)

National Basketball Association logo

A historical record of official team colors for all professional basketball franchises in the National Basketball Association (1947-present). All Hex/HTML, RGB and CMYK color code information is representative of current PANTONE® color publications on coated paper stock and within the sRGB color space unless specifically noted. Estimated colors are indicated with asterisks (*).


FORMER LEAGUE NAMES
  • Basketball Association of America (1946-1947 through 1948-1949)

ACTIVE FRANCHISE RECORDS
ATLANTA HAWKS (1968-1969 through present)
BOSTON CELTICS (1946-1947 through present)
BROOKLYN NETS (2012-2013 through present)
CHARLOTTE HORNETS (2014-2015 through present)
CHICAGO BULLS (1966-1967 through present)
CLEVELAND CAVALIERS (1970-1971 through present)
DALLAS MAVERICKS (1980-1981 through present)
DENVER NUGGETS (1976-1977 through present)
DETROIT PISTONS (1957-1958 through present)
GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS (1971-1972 through present)
HOUSTON ROCKETS (1971-1972 through present)
INDIANA PACERS (1976-1977 through present)
LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS (1984-1985 through present)
LOS ANGELES LAKERS (1960-1961 through present)
MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES (2001-2002 through present)
MIAMI HEAT (1988-1989 through present)
MILWAUKEE BUCKS (1968-1969 through present)
MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES (1989-1990 through present)
NEW ORLEANS PELICANS (2013-2014 through present)
NEW YORK KNICKS (1946-1947 through present)
OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER (2008-2009 through present)
ORLANDO MAGIC (1989-1990 through present)
PHILADELPHIA 76ERS (1963-1964 through present)
PHOENIX SUNS (1968-1969 through present)
PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS (1970-1971 through present)
SACRAMENTO KINGS (1985-1986 through present)
SAN ANTONIO SPURS (1976-1977 through present)
TORONTO RAPTORS (1995-1996 through present)
UTAH JAZZ (1979-1980 through present)
WASHINGTON WIZARDS (1997-1998 through present)

HISTORICAL FRANCHISE RECORDS
ANDERSON PACKERS (1949-1950)
BALTIMORE BULLETS (1963-1964 through 1972-1973)
BALTIMORE BULLETS (1947-1948 through 1954-1955)
BUFFALO BRAVES (1970-1971 through 1977-1978)
CAPITAL BULLETS (1973-1974)
CHARLOTTE BOBCATS (2004-2005 through 2013-2014)
CHARLOTTE HORNETS (1988-1989 through 2001-2002)
CHICAGO PACKERS (1961-1962)
CHICAGO STAGS (1946-1947 through 1949-1950)
CHICAGO ZEPHYRS (1962-1963)
CINCINNATI ROYALS (1957-1958 through 1971-1972)
CLEVELAND REBELS (1946-1947)
DENVER NUGGETS (1949-1950)
DETROIT FALCONS (1946-1947)
FORT WAYNE PISTONS (1948-1949 through 1956-1957)
INDIANAPOLIS JETS (1948-1949)
INDIANAPOLIS OLYMPIANS (1949-1950 through 1952-1953)
KANSAS CITY KINGS (1975-1976 through 1984-1985)
KANSAS CITY-OMAHA KINGS (1972-1973 through 1974-1975)
MILWAUKEE HAWKS (1951-1952 through 1954-1955)
MINNEAPOLIS LAKERS (1948-1949 through 1959-1960)
NEW JERSEY NETS (1977-1978 through 2011-2012)
NEW ORLEANS HORNETS (2007-2008 through 2012-2013)
NEW ORLEANS HORNETS (2002-2003 through 2004-2005)
NEW ORLEANS JAZZ (1974-1975 through 1978-1979)
NEW ORLEANS/OKLAHOMA CITY HORNETS (2005-2006 through 2006-2007)
NEW YORK NETS (1976-1977)
PHILADELPHIA WARRIORS (1946-1947 through 1961-1962)
PITTSBURGH IRONMEN (1946-1947)
PROVIDENCE STEAM ROLLERS (1946-1947 through 1948-1949)
ROCHESTER ROYALS (1948-1949 through 1956-1957)
ST. LOUIS BOMBERS (1946-1947 through 1949-1950)
ST. LOUIS HAWKS (1955-1956 through 1967-1968)
SAN DIEGO CLIPPERS (1978-1979 through 1983-1984)
SAN DIEGO ROCKETS (1967-1968 through 1970-1971)
SAN FRANCISCO WARRIORS (1962-1963 through 1970-1971)
SEATTLE SUPERSONICS (1967-1968 through 2007-2008)
SHEBOYGAN RED SKINS (1949-1950)
SYRACUSE NATIONALS (1949-1950 through 1962-1963)
TORONTO HUSKIES (1946-1947)
TRI-CITIES BLACKHAWKS (1949-1950 through 1950-1951)
VANCOUVER GRIZZLIES (1995-1996 through 2000-2001)
WASHINGTON BULLETS (1974-1975 through 1996-1997)
WASHINGTON CAPITOLS (1946-1947 through 1950-1951)
WATERLOO HAWKS (1949-1950)

UNOFFICIAL FRANCHISE RECORDS
BUFFALO (1946-1947)
INDIANAPOLIS (1946-1947)

– indicates NEW records for the current season
* – indicates estimated values
+ – indicates derived values


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TruColor
As well as being the founder of TruColor (formerly ColorWerx and The Society for Sports Uniforms Research), I am also a database developer and run a software development and consulting business with my wife Amy. The company is called Ethx. I have been interested in logos and uniforms since the early '70s, and am especially interested in team colors, including color science. I have also been a professional musician for 40+ years as well, and received a Bachelor's degree in Music (jazz studies - performance and arranging emphasis) from North Texas State University (now the University of North Texas) in 1985.