This is the most beautiful logo I've seen in years, but there's just one problem. I’ll be brutally honest: what I know about basketball wouldn’t fit on the back of a cigarette packet. And so, had no idea the Polynesian Cup was a thing. Apparently, it's one of three new regional tournaments organised by FIBA Oceania, typically featuring five nations (Samoa, American Samoa, Tonga, Tahiti and the Cook Islands) and taking place from 19-24 October.

So why do I care? Well, for one thing, I was lucky enough to visit Samoa myself last year, and fell in love with its lush tropical landscapes, turtle-rich swimming spots and warm hospitality. And for another, I've just fallen head over heels for the 2026 contest's new logo. Released to promote the 2026 Polynesian Cup and Women's Polynesian Cup, ahead of the Pacific Games 2027 in Tahiti, the design is built around a turtle rendered in the style of Polynesian tatau art (which is where we get the English word for tattoo, fact fans).

With its carved linework, weave-pattern shell and a red and white roundel at its centre, the design looks like something you'd see on a temple wall. It's rich in detail, very resonant of Polynesia and looks, at least to my untrained eye, pretty authentic. That's what FIBA's press release suggests, too. In their words: 'These new visual identities carry the weight of culture, community, and sporting ambition, designed to honour the traditions of Polynesia while celebrating the energy and global spirit of basketball. The creative direction draws from the cultural elements with motifs that speak to heritage, craftsmanship, voyaging, guardianship, and the deep connections between islands.'

All of which rings true to me. And as I've said, the design as a whole is very lovely to look at. But… does that mean it works as a logo? That, I’m not so sure. A logo, lest we forget, isn't just designed to appear on a press release, viewed on a backlit MacBook display with the brightness turned all the way up. It needs to work at tiny sizes too. In the corner of a TV screen while you're watching the match. On a social avatar in your Insta feed. As an tiny icon on a watch display. You get the idea. Unfortunately at that scale, I’d expect this design to be reduced to a murky, illegible smudge. The very detail that makes it so beautiful to view at large sizes is going to disappear. The fine linework and negative space is going to die. None of which will be good. Oh, and here's another thing: does this design, at any size, say 'basketball' to you? Yes the turtle shell could be seen as doubling for a ball… maybe. But a specific ball in a specific sport? Absolutely not. Yes, it's light years from being a generic design, and for that, FIBA gets full marks. But as a logo that has to survive a broadcast graphics package, a mobile screen and four long years of use across multiple media – some of which may not yet have been invented – I worry that it's storing up trouble.