The NBA on CBS intro (1973–79)
Contributed by Stephen Coles on Mar 24th, 2019. Artwork published in
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Source: www.youtube.com License: All Rights Reserved.
CBS aired this jazzy intro to NBA basketball games during the 1973–1976 and 1978–1979 seasons. Aki Lines, released in 1970, was a hot typeface at the time, appearing in all sorts of ads and branding for entertainment and high-tech products. It fits right in with the electro-glow animation accompanying these titles.
The line “You’ll see the best in basketball when you watch the NBA" in the theme song was a swipe at the American Basketball Association (ABA), which was still around at the time this theme music was written and recorded. — altfactor
2 Comments on “The NBA on CBS intro (1973–79)”
See also the graphics for CBS’s coverage of the 1972 U.S. election. They were created by Akihiko Seki, the designer of Aki Lines, using what appears to be a precursor of his multiline typeface. Seki worked for Lou Dorfsman at CBS at the time. It’s quite possible that Seki was involved in the NBA intro graphics as well. As far as I can tell, Aki Lines wasn’t released before 1973.
Great find, Florian!