Minnesota Timberwolves Logo PNG
A basketball club from Minnesota, founded in 1989, chose a wolf as its mascot. The modern Minnesota Timberwolves logo symbolizes aggressiveness, belonging to the state, the desire to be a worthy defender of the region’s sports name, moving forward, and respecting its past.
Minnesota Timberwolves: Brand overview
| Founded: | 1989 |
| Founder: | Glen Taylor |
| Headquarters: |
Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Website: | nba.com |
In 1960, Minnesota lost the NBA franchise after the Lakers team moved from Minneapolis to City of Angels. Now they are known as the Los Angeles Lakers.
The NBA franchise reappeared in Minnesota in 1989, when the Minnesota Timberwolves team was founded in Minneapolis, the largest city in the state.
The club owners announced a competition for the best name to choose the most convenient one. The most popular options were Timberwolves and Polars. To make a decision, 842 Minnesota municipal councils were polled. In the end, the club was called Minnesota Timberwolves – this option received twice as many votes.
Crunch the Wolf is a mascot of the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Meaning and History
The logos of the basketball club are associated with its mascot – Crunch the Wolf. In addition to it, they contain the full name of Minnesota Timberwolves, which was written in different fonts at different times. The emblems presented after the 1990s have two forms: round in the form of a ball and figured with the image of trees. Each version is conceptually thought out: the designers paid attention not only to the artistic but also to the semantic component.
Throughout the year, designers had been working on the new emblem. As a result, the creators of the logo preferred the variant with the evolution of the previous logos. But at the same time, designers added the elements that symbolize the state of Minnesota to the updated emblem.
In particular, the current Minnesota Timberwolves logo contains the Polar Star, marked on the state flag. The Wolf on the new emblem is looking ahead. “Of course, the team respects its past, but the new logo symbolizes the movement forward, and the desire to occupy new territory,” the official site of Minnesota writes.
Rodney Richardson and RARE Design were working on the new logo. Richardson has previously collaborated with Charlotte Hornets, New Orleans Pelicans, Atlanta Hawks, and Memphis Grizzlies.
Discussion of the new team logo caused a strong reaction among the club’s fans. According to many sports fans, the new emblem of Minnesota copied the logo of the National Hockey League (NHL) club called Arizona Coyotes, where a coyote is shown in a similar form.
What is Minnesota Timberwolves?
Minnesota Timberwolves is a sports franchise from Minneapolis. She is a member of the National Basketball Association and, as of 2021, has not yet won a championship. The team that appeared in 1989 since 1990 has been playing at the Target Center stadium.
1990 – 1996
New Minneapolis Basketball Club appeared relatively recently – in 1989. The locals voted for the title and ultimately chose the aggressive one – Timberwolves. Bob Stein, president of Minnesota Timberwolves, wished that the wolf on the logo would not look ominous, but aggressive. The artist Mark Thompson took up the realization of this idea. He painted the head of an animal against a gray basketball with blue and green outlines. The wolf does not seem dangerous, but its eyes glow with a pale green color, which indicates hidden hostility. The name of the club is under a circle: the font of the first word imitates handwritten, and the second is written in a sans-serif typeface.
1997 – 2008
After holding out with the first Minnesota Timberwolves logo for six years, owners decided to change it. The new logo, introduced in 1996, was designed by Peter Thornburgh. He made the drawing more emotional: he portrayed a grinning wolf with sharp fangs and used black to create a “way out of the shadow” effect. There are green trees to the right and left of the animal’s head and the inscription “Minnesota Timberwolves” on the bottom. The second word looks unusual, thanks to a stylized pointed serif font.
2009 – 2017
The logo was changed according to upgrades in a graphic design level. After 11 years, the creators decided to avoid big changes, but only corrected the details. The emblem of 2009 is not much different from the previous one. The artist left a recognizable pattern but changed colors. Now the wolf is gray with a white spot and a black outline, the trees are pale green, and the inscription “Timberwolves” is white with a blue and black stroke.
2017 – today
On April 11, 2017, the official release of the new logo took place. Its development was carried out for 12 months as part of the creative collaboration of designer Rodney Richardson of the branding agency RARE Design, NBA executives, and basketball club owners. They combined the iconic elements from previous emblems: the ball, the head of the wolf, and the team’s name.
The new Minnesota Timberwolves logo of the club has been changed significantly except for some symbols that designers have left. As in previous years, there is the blue Wolf in the very center, depicted against the blue ball and the green star. The Wolf is depicted in profile with the open maw. The animal’s grin symbolizes courage and energy with which the team moves on its way to glory. It is worth noting that the green eyes and the same color for the star were not chosen by chance. This is both a hint of the green state of Minnesota and the color of huge buds on the trees, which are in abundance in this state.
Font and Colors
The modern Minnesota Timberwolves logo is a tribute to the club’s historical heritage. Like many years in a row, the wolf is in the center of the composition. But this time he does not growl, but howls lingeringly, throwing his head back up. Here, a special meaning is hidden, because wolves use howls to strengthen ties with the pack, assert rights to the territory and warn outsiders that they should not come close to them.
The lines on the basketball ball intersect, forming a green four-pointed star. This is North Star, which, in turn, is the embodiment of Minnesota North. Inside the dark blue ring that acts as a frame, the name of the club is written in white letters.
The inscription “Minnesota Timberwolves” is made in simple hack font. The developers paid much more attention to the selection of colors. They tried to maintain the classic combination of green and blue, changing the usual shades. The palette includes white (#FFFFFF), blue (# 005083), gray (# C6CFD4), green (# 7AC143) and dark blue (# 002B5C).
Picturesque Minnesota landscapes inspire each color. The colorful gamut reflects the lake depths, moonlight, night forest, northern lights, and the contrasts of a snow-covered city.
Minnesota Timberwolves color codes
| Midnight Blue | Hex color: | #0c2340 |
|---|---|---|
| RGB: | 12 35 64 | |
| CMYK: | 100 76 12 70 | |
| Pantone: | PMS 289 C |
| Aurora Green | Hex color: | #78be20 |
|---|---|---|
| RGB: | 120 190 32 | |
| CMYK: | 65 0 100 0 | |
| Pantone: | PMS 368 C |
| Lake Blue | Hex color: | #236192 |
|---|---|---|
| RGB: | 35 97 146 | |
| CMYK: | 96 54 5 27 | |
| Pantone: | PMS 647 C |
| Moonlight Grey | Hex color: | #9ea2a2 |
|---|---|---|
| RGB: | 158 162 162 | |
| CMYK: | 19 12 13 34 | |
| Pantone: | PMS 422 C |
Who made the Timberwolves logo?
The 2017 logo was designed by Rodney Richardson, who is the founder of Rare Design. Peter Thornburgh created the 1996 version. And the very first version of the emblem was drawn by the artist Mark Thompson.
What color is Minnesota Timberwolves?
The colors of the team have picturesque names associated with the nature of the state of Minnesota: Lake Blue (# 005083), Moonlight Gray (# C6CFD4), Frost White (#FFFFFF), Aurora Green (# 7AC143), Midnight Blue (# 002B5C).
What is the Timberwolves logo?
The 2017 logo contains an image of a basketball. It is associated with the night sky because it serves as the backdrop for the howling wolf. Moreover, the intersecting lines on the ball form a four-pointed green star. The wolf’s head merges with the dark ring that frames the drawing. The name of the club is written at the top of the impromptu frame. The letters are white, angular, sans serif.
Why did the Minnesota Timberwolves change their logo?
The Minnesota Timberwolves team modified the logo to keep up with the times. She wanted to add to her identity elements associated with Minnesota and the United States in general. For example, the North Star, which is on the flag.
