Contents
  1. Before you start
  2. Step-by-step instructions
  3. Check the output
  4. Common problems and next steps

Before you start

This process is local research, not a tool that runs on your device. You need a stable connection only to open official team, league, or archive pages and to view image files. The key requirement is source discipline: distinguish an image you can see directly from a description or label found in a search preview.

For visual comparison, download or screenshot the marks at the largest available size. Keep the original filenames and the page titles where you found them, because later checks depend on knowing which image came from which source.

Step-by-step instructions

Start with primary sources rather than fan edits or clip-art collections. Open the official team site and look for a newsroom, media, or history section. League publications and official archive pages are also useful because they may preserve older versions that no longer appear in the current navigation.

Collect one image for each version you can confirm: the mark used at launch, any mid-cycle adjustment, and the current mark. Save the page title, date if shown, and image filename. If a page calls an image an official logo but it differs from the on-court or on-site mark, treat that label as unverified until another source matches it.

Compare the marks side by side in the same viewer. Note concrete changes: silhouette, wing shape, typography, color, outline, and any element added or removed. Record only what you can see in the images; do not assign reasons or branding narratives unless the source states them.

If you need to share the comparison, place the images in a slide, document, or local editor and label each with the source and season or version. Avoid overlaying versions with different proportions, because scaling can exaggerate differences that are only presentation issues.

Check the output

Verify that each version is represented by an actual image you have opened, not merely a search result or a text description. Confirm the image is from a primary or clearly documented source, and that the same version appears in another independent page if the claim matters for publication.

Check legibility and color at the size you need. A logo that reads well on a large screen may lose detail in a small inline image. If you are preparing a comparison for the web, keep file size reasonable and avoid sharpening or recoloring that changes the evidence.

Common problems and next steps

If versions contradict each other, prefer the mark shown in an official current publication or league record over decorative artwork. A social-media avatar can be a modified crop and is not automatically the primary logo.

When a date is missing, use the surrounding page context such as a roster year, news item, or archive label. If no supported date exists, say that the timing is unclear instead of guessing a redesign year.

For a timeline, keep only changes you can prove with images. Small color adjustments may not represent a formal redesign; note them as rendering differences unless an official source describes the change.