Sure, basketball games come down to offense, defense, strategy, and heart. But don’t discount the motivating power of a great playoff shirt — and the debilitating influence of a bad one
The games have tipped off, half the first round series are over, Steph Curry’s thumb is the size of a grapefruit, and JJ Redick is seething with rage. What better time than now to go through each NBA playoff team’s playoff slogan for 2025.
Golden State Warriors – Win For The Bay
The Golden State Warriors have always been the Bay Area’s team. Clearly they belong to Oakland most, but the team has played home games in locations ranging from the Cow Palace in San Francisco to the SAP Center in San Jose to the Civic Auditorium, as well as Oracle Arena. Fremont, Pleasant Hill, Daly City, El Cerrito — the map of Warriors fandom is essentially a BART system map.
We like this one as well because, like much of their activities since moving to the Chase Center in 2019, it feels like an apology for abandoning Oakland for its wealthier cousin. It also works as part of this year’s epic Bay vs. Gulf battle with the Rockets.
Boston Celtics – Different Here
This slogan could not be more perfect for the narcissistic sports culture of Boston, celebrating the city’s exceptionalism and dismissing other fandoms. It’s annoying, it’s arrogant, and it’s also kind of right, because Boston teams have won 13 titles in the last 25 years. It’s different there, because the fans are passionate and knowledgeable, and a few of them still yell racial slurs at players. TD Garden has an an intense crowd that’s hostile to visiting teams, yet the Celtics play better on the road. The city is very sophisticated and highly provincial at the same time. Celtics fans might be annoying, but they’re also probably going to celebrate at least one more championship with this squad.
Cleveland Cavaliers – Win For The Land
“The Land” is a solid city nickname, which was popularized by Bone Thugs-N-Harmony. It’s also much better than Cleveland’s other choices. Imagine, “Win For The Metropolis Of The Western Reserve” or “Win For America’s North Coast.” It just doesn’t flow off the tongue or fit on a t-shirt. “Win For The Mistake By the Lake” is a non-starter, “Win For The Forest City” is confusing and no one really considers Cleveland the “Rock and Roll Capital of the World” unless they’re really into Machine Gun Kelly or Pere Ubu (R.I.P. David Thomas).
Fun fact: Cleveland was briefly known as the “City of Champions” in the late 1940’s. Truly, that was a Crossroads for the city’s sports future.
Denver Nuggets – We Believe
Boo! Booooooo! The Nuggets are shamelessly ripping off the fan-driven slogan of the 2007 Warriors, one of the most entertaining upstart playoff teams of all time. You can’t act like no one believes in you have home-court advantage, won a title two years ago, and have a player who has won three of the last four MVP trophies! Supposedly, the slogan is inspired by the perceived disbelief in the team’s chances after firing head coach Michael Malone, a completely self-inflicted wound. Plus, they attempt the fewest three-pointers in the NBA and have Nikola Jokic, the antithesis of Don Nelson-era small ball, though Nellie did always enjoy running the offense through a member of his front court.
If the Nuggets are going to persist with this “We Believe” campaign, then the team is obligated to start smoking weed with Woody Harrelson and Owen Wilson after games, getting ejected from games for clapping, and interim head coach David Adelman needs to bring cans of Coors Light to his postgame news conferences.
Detroit Pistons – None
The Pistons don’t appear to have selected an additional slogan for their first trip to the postseason in six years. Perhaps that’s because Detroit fans already have a slogan for that magical time in April when the Tigers, Pistons, and Red Wings are all playing at the same time: April In The D.
Three teams. Three leagues. One dream.
Houston Rockets – Liftoff/Always Us
First of all, the Rockets picked two playoff slogans, which is basically cheating. “Liftoff” is a classic team name-inspired slogan, which fits their astronaut-themed player introduction video which sees the players mean-mugging the camera while pretending to go to space.
“Always us” is a shortened version of an inspirational message that small forward/philosopher Dillon Brooks likes to quote: “Sometimes you, sometimes me, always us.” It’s a message about a collective approach, but for Brooks and the Rockets, it feels like a message about their inability to escape their own histories.
Who trash-talked another superstar who went on to torch their team? Always us. Who forgot how to shoot three-pointers during a crucial home playoff game? Always us. Who lost to the Golden State Warriors even though one of their best players was out with an injury? Always, always, always us.
Indiana Pacers – Yes ‘Cers
Yes sir, that is the slogan they’re going with in Indianapolis and one they’ve been using all season. Does anyone actually called the Pacers the “Cers”? Methinks we should asketh Sir Tyrese of Haliburton.
Los Angeles Clippers – Win For The Wall
While at a glance this seems like a slogan stolen from Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, this slogan is talking about The Wall! (TM), the Clippers-fans-only seating section behind one basket that forces fans to only wear Clippers gear, swear loyalty to Chuck the Condor, and never, ever suggest that James Harden occasionally exaggerates contact in order to get foul calls.
Look, The Wall rules, especially when fans are donning horse hats to distract Nikola Jokic at the free throw line.
The Clippers have given their fans who sit in “The Wall” area behind the basket these fabric horse hats to wear when Nikola Jokic is shooting free throws. pic.twitter.com/iGgn5Vzumh
— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) April 25, 2025
But it feels like adopting the “Win For _______” format is not an effective tribute. It should be something like “Fear The Wall” or “Hit The Wall.” The section is designed to distract free throw shooters — they couldn’t work bricks or a Pink Floyd logo into the slogan?
Los Angeles Lakers – Win For The Joy
This sounds like Jeanine Buss forgot to pick a slogan and chose a word at random a few minutes before the deadline. Unless there’s a sweet old lady with season tickets named Joy who is terminally ill but loves Austin Reaves, this one sucks.
Memphis Grizzlies – N/A
Maybe the Grizzlies didn’t want to remember this year’s playoffs.
Miami Heat – White Hot
The Miami Heat fans love to do a “White-Out” during the playoffs, where all the fans wear white, like they’re joining a cult or attending Diddy’s Labor Day party. No opposing team has ever been intimidated by a White-Out, which usually refers to a blinding snowstorm. You know, South Florida stuff. Unfortunately, Tyler Herro was white-cold during the first round and Miami got swept.
Milwaukee Bucks – Win For Cream City
I’m pretty sure a kid got kicked out of my 7th grade English class for wearing a shirt that said “Win For Cream City” and he couldn’t come back to class unless he turned it inside out or covered it with a P.E. sweatshirt with the school logo.
Minnesota Timberwolves – Wolves Back
The Wolves are back in the playoffs, but they have made the playoffs for the last four seasons. Enough of the Midwestern humility. Expect to be back every year, Timberwolves!
New York Knicks – Win For The Boroughs
The “Win For” template has become tiresome, but what hasn’t is the Knicks sticking it to the Brooklyn Nets. The Nets clearly can’t win anything, so the Knicks will do it for all the boroughs: Staten Island, the Bronx, Manhattan, Queens and yes, even Brooklyn. Because Sean Marks isn’t going to do it so maybe Jalen Brunson can.
Oklahoma City Thunder – Loud City
The crowd at Oklahoma City thunder games is indeed loud, especially since fans and players have all taken to barking during and after games, thanks to Jalen Williams. But there’s historical precedent for “Loud City” as well.
In 1964, the Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce agreed to let the Federal Aviation Administration test the effects of supersonic flight over their city by subjecting the population to eight sonic booms a day for six months. The testing startled residents and shattered windows, but the Chamber of Commerce held on stubbornly in hopes that the city’s sacrifice would lead to it becoming a hub for supersonic flight. Which didn’t happen, what with the property damage and aerial terror.
Ironically, the city would eventually get its own SuperSonics when it poached Seattle’s NBA team.
Orlando Magic – Win For The O
Clearly a tribute to O-Town, the boy band created from the first season of ABC’s “Making the Band.” Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner and the rest of the team desperately wanted to go all the way for Ashley Parker Angel and the playoff shirts reflect the organization’s love of O-Town’s hit debut single “Liquid Dreams,” a song about nocturnal emissions.