The New York Knicks Logo Almost Looked Very Different
When you think of the New York Knicks, the iconic blue-and-orange basketball logo with the team's bold lettering probably comes to mind instantly. It's one of the most recognizable symbols in professional basketball — a design that feels as much a part of New York City as the skyline itself. But what if that logo had included one of the most famous buildings in the world? As it turns out, it nearly did. The story behind the Knicks logo is a fascinating chapter in sports branding history, and it all starts with a freelance illustrator named Michael Doret working out of New York City in the early 1990s.
Who Is Michael Doret?
In 1991, Michael Doret was a freelance illustrator and designer making a name for himself in one of the most competitive creative markets in the country. He promoted his work through publications like American Showcase and The Black Book — industry directories widely distributed to art departments, design studios, and advertising agencies across the United States. These publications were the LinkedIn profiles and portfolio websites of their era, the primary way a freelance creative could get noticed by major clients before the internet changed everything.
Doret had already built a reputation for his highly stylized, typographically rich design work. His style was immediately distinctive: bold, intricate, and deeply American in its visual vocabulary, drawing on influences from vintage signage, Art Deco lettering, and classic commercial illustration. He was exactly the kind of creative mind you'd want working on a sports team's visual identity — someone who understood how to make a logo feel alive, energetic, and deeply rooted in a sense of place.
The Commission That Changed Knicks History
When the New York Knicks reached out to Doret in 1991, the franchise was ready for a visual refresh. The NBA was entering one of its most commercially vibrant periods, with merchandise sales booming and team logos becoming cultural icons in their own right. Getting the branding right wasn't just an aesthetic decision — it was a business one with enormous implications for merchandising, marketing, and the team's overall identity for years to come.
Doret dove into the project with the kind of thoroughness that defines great design work. He explored multiple concepts, experimenting with different typographic approaches, color compositions, and imagery that could authentically represent one of the NBA's most storied franchises. And at some point during that creative process, he considered incorporating one of New York's most recognizable landmarks: the Empire State Building.
Why the Empire State Building Made Sense
At first glance, the idea is almost obvious. The Empire State Building is one of the most universally recognizable symbols of New York City. It carries with it decades of cultural weight — ambition, grandeur, toughness, and that unmistakable New York energy. For a sports franchise that trades heavily on its city identity, weaving that landmark into the logo could have been a powerful statement of place and pride.
Many sports teams have successfully incorporated architectural or geographic elements into their branding. The approach can root a franchise in its community and give fans a visual shorthand for local pride. In theory, placing the Empire State Building within the Knicks logo would have done exactly that — screaming "New York" from every jersey, hat, and arena banner.
The Direction That Was Actually Chosen
Despite the visual potential of the Empire State Building concept, the direction ultimately taken was a more typographically driven design. The result was the now-iconic Knicks logo — a design that has endured with relatively minor modifications for decades. It communicates the Knicks' identity through lettering, color, and the basketball itself rather than through a literal architectural reference.
This outcome reflects a truth that designers and brand strategists know well: sometimes the most powerful logo is the one that distills an identity down to its essential elements rather than trying to illustrate it literally. The Knicks logo that emerged from this process feels dynamic and sporty without being geographically literal, allowing it to travel well across markets and generations without feeling dated or overly tied to a specific visual moment.
What This Story Teaches Us About Sports Branding
The near-miss of the Empire State Building Knicks logo is a reminder of how much creative exploration goes into the logos we ultimately take for granted. Behind every iconic sports brand is a process filled with roads not taken — concepts explored, debated, and set aside in favor of something that works better in the long run.
- Great logo design is never accidental. It results from rigorous creative exploration and a willingness to pursue multiple directions before arriving at the right one.
- Incorporating a city's landmarks can ground a sports brand in local identity, but it can also limit the logo's flexibility and longevity over time.
- Freelance designers have shaped some of the most enduring visual identities in professional sports, often working behind the scenes with little public recognition for their contributions.
- The early 1990s were a pivotal period for NBA branding, with teams investing seriously in visual identity as merchandise revenues became a central part of franchise economics.
Michael Doret's Legacy in Design
Regardless of which elements made it into the final Knicks logo, the project stands as a noteworthy chapter in Michael Doret's career and in the broader history of sports design. Doret's ability to land a commission of this magnitude as a freelancer — through nothing more than the quality of his portfolio work appearing in industry publications — speaks to the power of craft and reputation in the creative industries.
His story is also an inspiring one for designers and illustrators today. In an era before social media portfolios and digital networking, Doret built his career the old-fashioned way: by doing exceptional work and making sure the right people could find it.
A Logo That Almost Was
New York Knicks fans who spot the Empire State Building on their trips through Midtown Manhattan may not realize how close that landmark came to appearing on their team's official branding. The what-ifs of sports design are rarely discussed publicly, which makes stories like this one especially worth preserving. The Knicks logo we know today is the product of a creative process that included some genuinely surprising possibilities — and the building that defines the New York skyline almost made the cut.
Next time you see the Knicks take the court, take a moment to appreciate not just the logo they wear, but the design history hiding just beneath its surface.