Similar to a pregnant woman deluged with questions about what she will name her baby, everyone with interest in Oklahoma City's NBA team wants to know the new nickname.
Fans will have to be patient.
It's a lot more complicated than simply choosing a name and color scheme.
"It's usually a 22-month process,” said Christopher Arena, the NBA's vice president for apparel, sporting goods and partnerships. "We're having to cram it into three or four months.”
Teams applying for a new nickname and logo usually submit between six to eight choices to league officials with a first preference and a second choice.
Arena said the NBA then must ensure any name or logo selected does not conflict with an existing basketball-related brand.
Legal, licensing and distribution issues must be resolved before the new nickname can be placed on T-shirts, hats, jewelry, key chains and posters.
It can be a tedious process.
Oklahoma City owner Clay Bennett and his partners already have the wheels in motion, but fans will have to wait.
"The complete team identity, including name, colors, logos and the uniform, will be completed by late September,” Arena said. "We will work with Mr. Bennett, the team and adidas on a plan to release some individual elements as soon as next month.”
Due to the organization's mid-summer move from Seattle, there is a time crunch. But preseason games don't begin until October. The NBA regular season doesn't begin until November.
Still, Bennett, his partners and NBA officials hope to have items printed up long before games are played.
"Each team does it differently,” said Kristin Conte, the NBA's marketing manager. "One team may announce a name, the logo and display the uniforms all at one time. Other teams put the name out there first, the logo a couple of weeks later and then the uniforms.”
The Minnesota Timberwolves are updating their logo this season and are tweaking their uniforms. The Timberwolves began the process last year. They finally unveiled their new logo on the night of the NBA Draft.
"Some teams work with a local design firm,” Conte said. "Other teams work with the NBA's creative services group. Adidas is our official outfitter. They can help develop a name or a logo or use all three. That's up to Mr. Bennett.”
Bennett has declined comment other than his July 2 statement that the team would try to announce the new nickname, logo and colors as soon as possible.
Items featuring Oklahoma City's new nickname probably won't be sold in most retail stores around the country. Conte, though, said fans often purchase out-of-market shirts and hats on the league's Web site (NBAstore.com).
"When it's finalized, displaced fans, someone who grew up in Oklahoma City but lives in LA now, can go there to purchase things,” Conte said. "And there are fans that have interest just because of a new logo.”
The OKC black-and-white jerseys and logos that were worn by players at the NBA summer league in Orlando are expected to go on sale sometime this week. They will be available in some Oklahoma City-area stores and on NBAstore.com.
