Chicago Bulls. (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images)
Which NBA mascots are the best?
In the macro, sports mascots have very little bearing on the fans’ in-stadium/arena experience. If you’re at a game and you’re being suffocated by the smog of the most obnoxious, self-aggrandizing spectators or if the game you’re watching causes your eyelids to get a little heavier, a person dancing around in an oversized animal suit isn’t going to make the proceedings significantly more palatable.
But if you’re already having a good time at the game, an entertaining mascot can be the smooth, sweet icing on that moist, delectable cake. Derived from the French term “mascotte”, which translates to lucky charm in English, mascots are the physical embodiment of a team’s superficial identity.
Except for self-serious franchises like the New York Yankees — who also make their player shave their beards because who needs individuality in a game where guys hit balls with sticks and other guys try to catch those balls with oversized gloves — or the New York Knicks, mascots have become as ingrained into the sports ecosystem as any other mid-timeout reprieve that holds the crowd’s attention, at least the ones who didn’t leave their seat for an overpriced hot dog.
But which NBA mascots are the best? Theoretically, you wouldn’t think there was much of a difference between them since they all ostensibly serve the same purpose, but a great mascot can boost an already wonderful day or night at the game.
On the other hand, a terrible one can dissuade patrons from returning. Hopefully, this list will shine a light on which mascots fit into either of those categories.
NBA mascots are the best? Theoretically, you wouldn’t think there was much of a difference between them since they all ostensibly serve the same purpose, but a great mascot can boost an already wonderful day or night at the game.</p>
<p>On the other hand, a terrible one can dissuade patrons from returning. Hopefully, this list will shine a light on which mascots fit into either of those categories.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 30 </a>
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<img class="wp-image-361087 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2133,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1132145345.jpeg" alt="New Orleans Pelicans" width="3200" height="2133" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1132145345.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1132145345-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">New Orleans Pelicans. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>30. King Cake Baby/Original Pierre the Pelican: New Orleans Pelicans</h2>
<p>Since becoming executive vice president of basketball operations in April 2019, David Griffin has done almost everything right since joining the New Orleans Pelicans organization.</p>
<p>Among his early highlights include hiring an actual basketball training staff, fleecing the Los Angeles Lakers of draft picks and young pieces in the Anthony Davis trade, acquiring Derrick Favors and drafting some guy named Zion Williamson with the No. 1 overall pick in last June’s draft. Not bad for a franchise that seemed destined for obscurity and eventual relocation.</p>
<p>However, if Griffin truly wants to win the hearts of the New Orleans faithful, he should consider banishing the two mascots that roam the Smoothie King Center at every home game.</p>
<p>Let’s start with the first version of Pierre the Pelican, which lasted less than four months. The name and choice of mascot were fine — “Pierre” obviously reflects the city’s origins as a French colony and the pelican’s connection to the state and the team makes total sense. But look at this monstrosity! It’s as if Big Bird had a sociopathic, homicidal brother.</p>
<p>But that feathered fright was nothing compared to the terror that this team chose to unleash on their patrons in 2014. Created in honor of a Mardi Gras tradition, the King Cake Baby’s jurisdiction of terror extends far past the arena, as his misshapen frame and Kubrick stare has also spread his fear to Pelicans office employees and fans in general.</p>
<p>How frightening is the King Cake Baby? Aside from him <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"https://twitter.com/nowthisnews/status/1024675621534937090?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1024675621534937090&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wdsu.com%2Farticle%2Fpelicans-king-cake-baby-named-the-ugliest-mascot%2F22634387%22 target="_blank" rel="noopener">earning the distinction</a> of creepiest mascot by Now This News in 2018, the creator of the mascot claimed that the movie <em>Happy Death Day</em> — you know, the HORROR MOVIE (a satirical horror movie, but still) — <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"https://www.tmz.com/2019/02/12/king-cake-baby-creator-claims-happy-death-day-stole-his-scary-mask/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">copied his facial designs for the film’s serial killer’s mask</a>. This thing menaces everyone not named Charles Barkley, so why do the Pelicans let him stick around?</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 29 </a>
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<img class="wp-image-361184 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2130,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1139525568.jpeg" alt="Los Angeles Clippers" width="3200" height="2130" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1139525568.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1139525568-768x511.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">Los Angeles Clippers. (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>29. Chuck the Condor: Los Angeles Clippers</h2>
<p>Contrary to what you may think, exuberant Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer is not moonlighting as his team’s mascot, though you’d be forgiven if you thought that was the case given his antics.</p>
<p>The actual Clippers mascot, Chuck the Condor, is… much less popular. Fashioned after the almost endangered California Condor, the Clippers’ mascot drew the ire of more than a few fans upon his 2016 debut. Here is just one response to the swashbuckling fowl:</p>
<div class="embed ">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="und" dir="ltr"><a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"https://twitter.com/hashtag/BlakeShouldaPunchedThis?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>#BlakeShouldaPunchedThis</a> <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"https://t.co/ZE6hrGrH7A">pic.twitter.com/ZE6hrGrH7A
<p>— Jabari Ali Davis (@JabariDavisNBA) <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"https://twitter.com/JabariDavisNBA/status/704535456747114497?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>March 1, 2016</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></div>
<p>It’s hard to cast blame. I mean, look at this thing. He’s essentially a vulture in daredevil attire. Setting aside the baffling decision to have a bird that feasts on animal carcasses as the physical representation of the team — though decaying remains on the side of the road would’ve been the perfect metaphor for this team prior to 2010 — and the fact that birds have nothing to do with sailing, the timing of the mascot’s introduction was completely off.</p>
<p>It would’ve made more sense to create this mascot during the Chris Paul/Blake Griffin/DeAndre Jordan era, as the creature of flight would’ve meshed well with those “Lob City” teams. But ownership was probably too busy booking promotional events for Black History Month during the wrong month to take advantage of such an opportunity.</p>
<p>Introducing Chuck then would’ve been the perfect distraction for Donald Sterling’s odious stewardship or the team’s consistent playoff failures. Now, the oversized bird sits in the shadow of the bombastic owner who’s sure to become even more animated now that Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are in town.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 28 </a>
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<img class="wp-image-361262 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2216,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F457684010.jpeg" alt="Boston Celtics" width="3200" height="2216" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/457684010.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/457684010-768x532.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">Boston Celtics. (Photo by Mike Lawrie/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>28. Lucky the Leprechaun: Boston Celtics</h2>
<p>How is this not gimmick infringement? The Boston Celtics introduced Lucky the Leprechaun, the physical manifestation of the team’s stereotypical logo, in 2003, a good 40 years after the <em>Lucky Charms </em>cereal mascot of the same name was created.</p>
<p>The mascot alone is emblematic of the team’s creative banality; for all we know, the Celtics could have found some random guy roaming the streets of Boston, put a Party City leprechaun costume on him and brought him to the TD Garden to do trampoline tricks.</p>
<p>Even if the name choice was incidental and didn’t give off the vibes of a student completing a school project the day before it’s due, why would the Celtics stick with it outside of some dogmatic devotion to alliteration?</p>
<p>When people — even people who live in New England — think of Lucky the Leprechaun, it’s almost a guarantee that the cartoon character who tries to keep the kids away from his gold (read: sugary cereal) will pop into their heads quicker than a low rent basketball mascot. It’s a losing proposition, which begs the question: why did the Celtics even bother?</p>
<p>They could have chosen anything: a random person in a Larry Bird jersey (since we know how much a certain segment of the Celtics fanbase adores Larry Bird), Mark Wahlberg, a sentient four-leaf clover, an oversized list of Paul Pierce’s hottest takes, or a parade of giant rings.</p>
<p>Instead, they chose this monument to their own hubris and unlike most of Celtics teams over the years, this mascot is terrible.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 27 </a>
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<img class="wp-image-361363 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1205,w_1600/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1043143916.jpeg" alt="Miami Heat" width="1600" height="1205" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1043143916.jpeg 1600w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1043143916-768x578.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">Miami Heat. (David Santiago/Miami Herald/TNS via Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>27. Burnie: Miami Heat</h2>
<p>Before getting into Burnie’s more serious issues, let’s talk about his design. Evidently, Burnie — an obvious pun referring to the Miami Heat’s team name — is an anthropomorphized ball of fire that has a basketball for a nose because, basketball.</p>
<p>If he is indeed a walking, talking ember, why does he have a basketball for a nose? Wouldn’t the ball melt instantly? What’s wrong with having two slits for a nose? Do the Heat believe that the fans wouldn’t know they were at a basketball game if they didn’t add that feature to the mascot? Also, are his clothes flame retardant? These are the questions that need to be asked!</p>
<p>As for Burnie’s performance as a mascot, that seems to be just as sketchy as his biological makeup and wardrobe. The mascot has been sued on several occasions for being a bit too aggressive with fans.</p>
<p>The first documented incident occurred <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"http://www.swlearning.com/blaw/cases/50000_damages.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">during an exhibition game</a> in Puerto Rico in 1994. During a break in the action, Burnie picked a woman from the crowd to dance with and dragged her by her feet. While resisting, she fell to the floor, which led to some minor injuries. Making matters worse, the woman turned out to be the wife of a federal judge.</p>
<p>She sued the team for minor injuries, lingering pain in her arm and back and “emotional distress due to humiliation” and was awarded $50,000. <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"https://www.miamiherald.com/entertainment/ent-columns-blogs/jose-lambiet/article195443999.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lawsuits in 2015 and 2017 also follow the same pattern</a>: Burnie pulls someone out for a dance routine and it results in injury. At the very least, the Heat should consider finding a mascot who doesn’t expose the organization to these risks.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 26 </a>
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<img class="wp-image-361368 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2134,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F680829494.jpeg" alt="Washington Wizards" width="3200" height="2134" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/680829494.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/680829494-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">Washington Wizards. (Photo by Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>26. G-Wiz: Washington Wizards</h2>
<p>It’s fitting that the team with the most generic name also has the most generic mascot in the association. Of course, it shouldn’t be a surprise given that this franchise has provided little in the way of coolness or excitement to the people of D.C. since moving there in 1973.</p>
<p>Let’s start with this cornball name, which is a play on the team’s equally goofy nickname while playing up the “Gee Whiz” phrase that people supposedly use to describe something amazing that they saw. You know, like seeing a wizard perform magic (coincidently, “Gee Whiz” is what most Wizards fans say after looking up John Wall’s supermax contract).</p>
<p>Naming the mascot after something that only people born before 1950 say is just the tip of this bland iceberg. What exactly is this thing supposed to be? He looks like what would happen if Cookie Monster graduated from Hogwarts. They get some credit for not copying the Celtics’ formula of putting some goober in a wizard costume, but couldn’t they have at least made a cartoony old man outfit instead?</p>
<p>But someone probably thought the blue blob in the red Sorting Hat would appeal more to kids — well, the kids who had the misfortune of going to a Wizards game — so here we are.</p>
<p>At least the design of Hoops, the team’s mascot when they were known as the Bullets, attempted was conceived under the premise of being cool, albeit in a very 90s way (“See how cool he is kids? He has sunglasses on!”).</p>
<p>This disappointing franchise and underwhelming furry deserve one another.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 25 </a>
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<img class="wp-image-361506 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2133,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1130086915.jpeg" alt="Sacramento Kings" width="3200" height="2133" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1130086915.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1130086915-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">Sacramento Kings. (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>25. Slamson the Lion: Sacramento Kings</h2>
<p>Never mind the shoehorned reference to biblical figure Samson or the unoriginal use of the lion (’cause he’s the “king” of the jungle). This <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slamson_the_Lion" target="_blank" rel="noopener">horrifying original backstory will make you feel sorry for this feline more than anything else</a>:</p>
<blockquote><p>[Samson] lives in The Golden 1 Center (behind the bleachers), in Sacramento, California. He was born in South Africa with his mother Slamet and father Sir Slam the Lion. Due to his family being very poor, the Sacramento Kings went to help him, after losing their other dear beloved mascot, Gorilla. He was then shipped off to Sacramento to entertain children. He has since been loved by many children and teenagers for many years.</p></blockquote>
<p>If this story is to be believed, the Sacramento Kings snatched Slamson from his family, put a jersey on him and stored him in the bowels of their arena, all for the privilege of watching the Kings lose 43-50 games every year? Since when do lions need an income of any kind? Also, what kind of name is “Slamet”? Is that supposed to be like Janet in basketball pun terms?</p>
<p>Apparently, someone in the Kings organization realized that maybe giving a mascot an origin story that involves kidnapping someone/something from Africa and forcing them to work for free isn’t exactly the way to go and <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"https://www.nba.com/kings/slamson" target="_blank" rel="noopener">gave us this revision</a>:</p>
<blockquote><p>Slamson (Felinus Entertanus Maximus) is the official mascot for the Sacramento Kings. He was acquired by our Kings scouts (read: poachers) while taking a cat-nap under a tree in Capitol Park.</p></blockquote>
<p>So, they still kidnapped him and made him wear a Kings jersey. But it’s okay, kids, he went to college (Lion-el University) and likes <em>The Lion</em> <em>King</em>!</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 24 </a>
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<img class="wp-image-361587 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2286,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F864183208.jpeg" alt="Dallas Mavericks" width="3200" height="2286" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/864183208.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/864183208-768x549.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">Dallas Mavericks. (Photo by Danny Bollinger/NBAE via Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>24. Mavs Man/Champ: Dallas Mavericks</h2>
<p>The Dallas Mavericks’ mascots are a package deal, which explains their positioning on this list. Champ, the large personified horse in the Mavs jersey, is fine on his own, but his co-star Mavs Man is a completely different story.</p>
<p>Apparently, the Mavs brass looked at the Celtics mascot and thought “Oh boy, we need a mascot like that for our team!”. And thus began the process of fashioning a suit out of 20 cut-up and stitched-together basketballs, plucking some person off the street, handing him a headband, Foamposites and a trampoline, then congratulating themselves on finding such an awesome mascot.</p>
<p>Here’s the problem: Mavs Man is not a great mascot. On the contrary, handing someone a basketball skinsuit and a mask that looks like a much creepier version of All Might from <em>My Hero Academia </em>to do tricks during halftime is the height of laziness.</p>
<p>Imagine getting paid to come up with a cool mascot for the Mavs — despite them already having one — and going “Why don’t we put someone in a basketball costume and make him like a superhero?”. Mystifying stuff.</p>
<p>If they aimed to make Mavs Man into some sort of superhero-type figure, then their attempt landed more on the side of a 1960s Aquaman than Superman. I mean, look at this corny ad the team ran for him.</p>
<div class="embed embed-video"><iframe width="500" height="375" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"https://www.youtube.com/embed/Nhga_vTKoII?feature=oembed%22 frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<p>Cool, a superhero who stinks at his job. Who wouldn’t want to see him roaming the stands at Mavs games? Dallas already has a perfectly good mascot that is actually representative of the team. They don’t need this guy.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 23 </a>
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<img class="wp-image-361629 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1128,w_1600/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F186611804.jpeg" alt="Brooklyn Nets" width="1600" height="1128" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/186611804.jpeg 1600w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/186611804-768x541.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">Brooklyn Nets. (Photo by Jerritt Clark/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>23. BrooklyKnight: Brooklyn Nets</h2>
<p>You would expect the team with the league’s most forgettable logo and uniform to have a mascot that matches that blandness. But much like the infamous draft-day trade with the Boson Celtics, they managed to somehow screw it up.</p>
<p>That brings us to BrooklyKnight. The Nets introduced the black and grey knight upon their migration to Brooklyn in 2011. The feedback to him was, well, indifferent at best, which makes no sense. I mean, who wouldn’t enjoy seeing a ghoulish equestrian walking throughout the Barclays Center or visiting their child’s school?</p>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">To be clear: this is not about the person who plays the mascot. Hearing this is about dissatisfaction with the Knight character.</p>
<p>— Zach Lowe (@ZachLowe_NBA) <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"https://twitter.com/ZachLowe_NBA/status/487067489567010816?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>July 10, 2014</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></div>
<p>BrooklyKnight lasted a grand total of two seasons as the Nets mascot due to general fan disgust. Why did the fans not like him? Well, let’s count the ways: having the same name as a tortured play on the term Brooklynite, scaring children, missing dunks, looking like a first draft drawing of Zurg from <em>Toy Story</em> and having nothing to do with the city or the team.</p>
<p>Look, wanting to create a cool-looking mascot is admirable, but this was never going to work. With a name was basic as the Nets — named after the least important part of the basketball goal — the franchise started at a disadvantage when it came to picking something to enhance the in-arena experience.</p>
<p>Still, a knight with nightmare fuel headgear was the best they could do? It was probably better than bringing that sociopathic silver fox Sly with them from Jersey, but not by much. Given those popular choices, it’s easy to see why the team forewent the mascot altogether.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 22 </a>
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<img class="wp-image-361745 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2133,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1128451844.jpeg" alt="Indiana Pacers" width="3200" height="2133" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1128451844.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1128451844-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">Indiana Pacers. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)</p>
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<h3>22. Boomer: Indiana Pacers</h3>
<p>Of all the teams that could have gotten away with dressing someone up in a basic costume, it would’ve been the Indiana Pacers. With a name inspired by the legendary Indianapolis 500, the Pacers’ PR department could have put someone in a racecar driver’s costume and no one would’ve batted an eye.</p>
<p>Instead, they went with a blue and yellow panther and named it Boomer. There’s nothing particularly wrong with the mascot — he does all the tricks (“U name it…he can do it” according to his official biography) and antics that most mascots perform and is kid-friendly — but it feels a bit out of place.</p>
<p>Sure, there were mountain lions that people took as panthers living in Indiana in the 19th century, but they have been all but uprooted from the state since then, so the reference is a little obscure.</p>
<p>Outside of that, there isn’t much to detest about Boomer, unless you happen to be a Pacers employee and <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdD0sAsAhEM%22 target="_blank" rel="noopener">he scared you at one point</a>.</p>
<p>He and his supposed offspring Mini-Boomer (shouldn’t his name be Boomer Jr. or Boomer II?) are beloved amongst the Pacers faithful. The list of celebrities he’s interacted with since 1991 — from Muhammad Ali to Justin Timberlake — is impressive.</p>
<p>At the end of the day, those are the most important aspects of what makes a good mascot. Still, they could have found something to better represent the spirit of the Pacers name; something that isn’t based on a wild animal species that may or may not have resided in Indiana 200 years ago.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 21 </a>
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<img class="wp-image-361831 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2133,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1152756436.jpeg" alt="Portland Trail Blazers" width="3200" height="2133" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1152756436.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1152756436-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">Portland Trail Blazers. (Photo by Cameron Browne/NBAE via Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>21. Blaze the Trail Cat: Portland Trail Blazers</h2>
<p>You know you’ve botched your mascot design when fans can’t tell if he actually resembles the thing you say he resembles. At least according to former <em>Portland Mercury</em> columnist Ian Carmel, who has questioned Portland Trail Blazers mascot Blaze the Trail Cat’s feline biology (yes, I realize it’s a costume, but bear with me for a moment).</p>
<p>In Wm. Steven Humphrey’s May 2018 column for the Mercury, he chronicles Carmel’s myriad of “evidence” to buttress Carmel’s theory, as well as his guesses about what Blaze could actually be if not a cat — the guesses range from a goat all the way to Raymond Felton.</p>
<p>Part of the Blazers’ fanbase must agree, as a poll conducted at the end of the piece showed that only 17.7 percent of respondents thought Blaze was a cat, while the rest either said he definitely wasn’t or that he might not be.</p>
<p>Can you blame them? Does Blaze look like a cat? The snout and the ears seem more canine than feline, but that could be blamed on whoever thought that putting flame ears on the side of the mask was a good idea. You know, because they’re the Portland Trail Blazers. They do realize that the team name references the Oregon trail and not an actual flame, right?</p>
<p>Anyway, Blaze seems like a likable enough mascot — with multiple clothing options — but the team should be ashamed for their deception. Just admit that Blaze isn’t a cat. Or, at the very least, make him more cat-like.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 20 </a>
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<img class="wp-image-361945 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2160,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F465189720.jpeg" alt="Detroit Pistons" width="3200" height="2160" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/465189720.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/465189720-768x518.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">Detroit Pistons. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>20. Hooper: Detroit Pistons</h2>
<p>I’ll say this for Hooper: he’s a far better and more logical mascot than Sir Slam A Lot, who lasted three seasons before the high-flying equine put him out to pasture in 1996.</p>
<p>In case you were wondering, Sir Slam A Lot — a play on Sir Mix-A-Lot, whose smash hit “Baby Got Back” was released in 1992…two years <em>before </em>this mascot was introduced — is basically a more colorful, less frightening, lamer version of BrooklyKnight that was doomed to age poorly.</p>
<p>Enter Hooper, who thankfully was given a backstory that didn’t sound like an animal being snatched from the wild to entertain the masses, if this <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hooper_(mascot)" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wikipedia entry on his biography</a> is to be believed:</p>
<blockquote><p>Hooper was born in Lucky, Kentucky, and was originally trained to be a racehorse. But Hooper knew he was too talented to be relegated to horse racing, so he trained long and hard to master his craft and hone his skills, until finally earning his spot as the Pistons’ official mascot. Hooper can be seen in parades atop his ride, the Hooper-Mobile, riding around the city on one of his many motorbikes and ATVs, and shooting t-shirts from his t-shirt cannon in games. He may not be the best dancer on the planet but he loves to try. Hooper celebrates his birthday at a Pistons home game with Roary from the Detroit Lions, Paws from the Detroit Tigers, and many of his other fellow NBA mascots.</p></blockquote>
<p>The official Detroit Pistons website <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"https://www.nba.com/pistons/about-hooper" target="_blank" rel="noopener">is a bit more concise</a> in this regard:</p>
<blockquote><p>This crazy horse has been with the Pistons since 1996 when the Pistons adopted him because of his excitement and refusal to leave the building. Over the years Hooper has grown, evolved, and become beloved by Pistons players and fans alike. He has undergone a few changes, but he’ll always be Detroit’s Very Own. He’s always ready to give you a big hug, pump up the crowd, shoot t-shirts, and add excitement wherever he is.</p></blockquote>
<p>Hooper may be a bit bland compared to some of the other mascots on this list, but he’s an upgrade over a weird tribute to medieval times/early ’90s rap.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 19 </a>
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<img class="wp-image-361972 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2133,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1132757036.jpeg" alt="Philadelphia 76ers" width="3200" height="2133" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1132757036.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1132757036-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">Philadelphia 76ers. (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>19. Franklin the Dog: Philadelphia 76ers</h2>
<p>It’s hard not to feel for Franklin the Dog — named after Benjamin Franklin (I trust that I don’t need to explain to you who he is). The Philadelphia 76ers named him the official mascot after <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"https://www.inquirer.com/philly/sports/sixers/20111122_Sixers_86_their_Hip_Hop_mascot.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">86-ing his predecessor</a> Hip-Hop to bring in a more likable talisman that could bring some good vibes to the fanbase. This was when the team was in “The Process”, so any good vibes were much-needed.</p>
<p>Their logic was sound. After all, who wouldn’t like a large blue dog adorned with a 76ers uniform — one of the best looking ones in the NBA? Well, we should know to never underestimate Philadelphia sports fans.</p>
<p>Despite being a mascot <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"https://www.nba.com/sixers/franklin_story" target="_blank" rel="noopener">created by kids</a> (read: the Sixers put together a focus group comprised of kids in which most of them thought a dog would make for a cool mascot), that hasn’t stopped some Sixers fans from calling for Franklin’s removal.</p>
<p>Seriously, someone took time out of their day to <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"https://www.change.org/p/sixers-fire-franklin-the-dog" target="_blank" rel="noopener">create a petition</a> at Change.org to ask the “firing” of Franklin. And what, you may ask, did Franklin do to earn this? Apparently, he, or the man who portrays him, isn’t much of a Sixers fan:</p>
<blockquote><p>For two years now the Sixers have been cheered on by a mascot that does not support them. Franklin the dog is not a real Philly fan and has at one point talked negatively about the Sixers and Philadelphia in general. Franklin has caused much harm to many fans and destroys the game day experience for many. This cannot stand and Franklin the Dog must be fired.</p></blockquote>
<p>So because a team employee<a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"https://www.inquirer.com/philly/blogs/trending/Actor-who-plays-new-Sixers-mascot-Franklin-appears-to-hate-Sixers-Philadelphia-sports.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> isn’t a die-hard Sixers fan</a>, he deserves to lose his job? Gee, why would he have any animus towards such a historically lovely fanbase? I think this tweet puts it best:</p>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">This Franklin is a Knicks fan thing has proved just what I suspected… Many Philadelphia sports fans are completely insane.</p>
<p>— Brian Dunkasaurus (@BrianMcBrown25) <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"https://twitter.com/BrianMcBrown25/status/569900772244262912?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>February 23, 2015</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></div>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 18 </a>
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<img class="wp-image-361979 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2042,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F117234705.jpeg" alt="Cleveland Cavaliers" width="3200" height="2042" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/117234705.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/117234705-768x490.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">Cleveland Cavaliers. (Photo by David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images)</p>
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<h3>18. Moondog/Sir CC: Cleveland Cavaliers</h3>
<p>Like most of the mascots at this part of the list, there’s nothing wrong with Cleveland Cavaliers’ mascots Moondog and Sir CC. Moondog — who is named after famed Clevland DJ Alan “Moondog” Freed, who introduced the term “Rock and Roll” into the music lexicon — is lovable and inviting while winking and nodding to Cleveland’s acoustical background.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, Sir CC, who debuted in 2010 to coincide with the team’s uniform change and LeBron James’ departure, obviously refers to the team name, though this <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"https://www.nba.com/cavaliers/entertainment/sircc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">brief intro</a> on the Cavaliers’ team site adds some unnecessary confusion to his origin:</p>
<blockquote><p>Sir CC is an original expression of the wine and gold, just like the jerseys unveiled for the 2010-2011 season. <strong>CC has been a Cleveland Cavaliers fan since the 1970-1971 season</strong> and has been around supporting the Cavs throughout the history of the team. CC can be seen at every Cavaliers home game cheering on our team and energizing the fans, making sure that everyone’s trip to The Q is one they will never forget!</p></blockquote>
<p>So, is Sir CC a time traveler? Is he like Gnarls Barkley in that <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oc9nB3Odcq0%22 target="_blank" rel="noopener">Smiley Faces music video</a>, showing up at various points in Cavs history? Also, I’m pretty sure <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WZ4GtJQclw%22 target="_blank" rel="noopener">this guy</a> was more responsible for making Cavs fans’ trips to The Q memorable, not a mascot that looks like he received involuntary geology lessons from Kyrie Irving.</p>
<p>That notwithstanding, the Cavs have two lovable mascots that complement each other well. Their collective spot here speaks more the how good the other mascots are more than anything.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 17 </a>
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<img class="wp-image-362123 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2158,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1148983254.jpeg" alt="Toronto Raptors" width="3200" height="2158" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1148983254.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1148983254-768x518.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">Toronto Raptors. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>17. The Raptor: Toronto Raptors</h2>
<p>Contrary to popular belief, Drake <em>is not </em>the Toronto Raptors’ mascot, despite some of his superfan behavior during the 2019 NBA Playoffs suggesting otherwise. No, that honor belongs to the Raptor, a red humanoid “velociraptor” modeled after the <em>Jurassic Park </em>version of the dinosaur (of course, actual velociraptors looked more like birds than reptiles).</p>
<p>The team introduced The Raptor in 1995, the same year they entered the league as an expansion franchise, in a manner that invoked memories of the Gobbledy Gooker for old-school wrestling fans.</p>
<p>Prior to the Raptors’ inaugural game against the then-New Jersey Nets at the Skydome — now known as the Rogers Centre — team personnel rolled a large egg out to midcourt. Not long after, The Raptor burst from his shell draped in team apparel and the rest is history.</p>
<p>Aside from his more traditional design, The Raptor is also known for his long-running feud with veteran center Robin Lopez, who said this about the crimson carnivore back in 2014: “I wish we could go back to Toronto because he gets my goat. I have a few choice words for that guy.”</p>
<p>Outside of that, an Achilles injury that sidelined him in 2014 (which introduced Toronto fans to his <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"https://sportsmascots.fandom.com/wiki/Stripes_(Toronto_Raptors)" target="_blank" rel="noopener">“cousin” Stripes</a>) and his inflatable version <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_GmKqln-Fo%22 target="_blank" rel="noopener">swallowing a cheerleader whole</a>, The Raptor has become a beloved figure in Toronto as that team has increased in popularity.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 16 </a>
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<img class="wp-image-362130 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2134,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1096783074.jpeg" alt="Atlanta Hawks" width="3200" height="2134" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1096783074.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1096783074-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">Atlanta Hawks. (Photo by Jasear Thompson/NBAE via Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>16. Harry the Hawk: Atlanta Hawks</h2>
<p>Given <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"http://sportmascots.com/nba/harry-the-hawk-atlanta-hawks/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">this Sportsmascots.com entry on Atlanta Hawks mascot Harry the Hawk</a>, it’s a bit of a surprise that he hasn’t won at least one Mascot of the Year award. Just listen to this glowing review on him:</p>
<blockquote><p>The Atlanta Hawks’ official mascot, Harry the Hawk, is popular with lots of Hawks fans. To an outsider, he can look like an ordinary mascot, but those in-the-know will tell you different. Back in the day when many of the teams’ mascots didn’t even exist, the Hawks already had a mascot that’s as popular today as it was in 1985, when the mascot was first introduced – that’s more than forty years! Quite a lot of work for a bird, if you ask us.</p></blockquote>
<p>So what exactly does Harry do? Well for starters, he stays up to date with the latest viral dance moves:</p>
<div class="embed embed-video"><iframe width="500" height="281" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"https://www.youtube.com/embed/TOXIni0c7k8?feature=oembed%22 frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<p>He also hands out handshakes to people at amusement parks:</p>
<p>https://twitter.com/sfovergeorgia/status/1144346514929725441</p>
<p>Moderates and participates in Running Man challenges:</p>
<div class="embed embed-video"><iframe width="500" height="281" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"https://www.youtube.com/embed/UisQLxhTsb8?feature=oembed%22 frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<p>Sure, Harry isn’t immune to mishaps, but the occasions where he entertained the fans in attendance far outweighed any accidents he suffered. He even <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/12254745/harry-hawk-mounts-campaign-mascot-abuser-robin-lopez" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stood up for his felt-covered contemporaries against known mascot menace Robin Lopez</a>.</p>
<p>Between this and his taste for catchy music and flair for flashy clothes, it’s no wonder Harry has lasted since 1985. He has stuck around long after the likes of Dominique Wilkins, Spud Webb, Mookie Blaylock, Dikembe Mutombo, Joe Johnson and Al Horford. As long as he continues to evolve with the times, he’ll likely be here to stay.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 15 </a>
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<img class="wp-image-362210 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1070,w_1600/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F72461008.jpeg" alt="Seattle SuperSonics" width="1600" height="1070" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/72461008.jpeg 1600w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/72461008-768x514.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">Seattle SuperSonics. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Reinking/NBAE/Getty Images</p>
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<h2>15. Squatch: Seattle SuperSonics</h2>
<p>Perhaps the people who claimed to have spotted Sasquatch had one too many at a SuperSonics game and mistook the team’s mascot for the fabled wildlife creature? It makes a lot more sense than believing that the missing link is hiding out somewhere in the Pacific Northwest.</p>
<p>Debuting in 1993, Squatch became as beloved in Seattle as the franchise he performed for. Of course, when you can pull off cool dunks <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcRYGTPml_4%22 target="_blank" rel="noopener">like this one</a> from the top of a ladder, it’s easy to win the fans’ approval.</p>
<p>At his peak, Squatch would make about 175 appearances per year at a variety of events. But he made his home at the Key Arena cheering on the SuperSonics and keeping the Seattle faithful energized and entertained during breaks in the action.</p>
<p>He even attempted to break the world record for the highest jump while wearing inline skates. Squatch tried to conquer this feat with a 30-foot jump over then-Sonics players Ray Allen and Robert Swift’s respective cars. <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"https://web.archive.org/web/20070614221751/http://www.nba.com/sonics/news/squatch_070607.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Here’s how that turned out</a>:</p>
<blockquote><p>To promote Thursday’s start of the NBA Finals on ABC, the NBA’s best mascot attempted to set a world record by jumping 30 feet in the air on inline skates. Adding degree of difficulty, Squatch made the jump over Ray Allens’s Porsche and Robert Swift’s Chrysler 300 – in a summer Seattle downpour. Squatch fell short of 30 feet, but did clear both cars.</p></blockquote>
<p>Sadly, Squatch’s time with the team ended when the team moved to Oklahoma City in 2008 — with the man who portrayed Squatch moving with the team. But like the other memories that Seattle fans have about their beloved team, Squatch will hold a special place in their hearts.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 14 </a>
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<img class="wp-image-362260 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2134,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1130780496.jpeg" alt="Denver Nuggets" width="3200" height="2134" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1130780496.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1130780496-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">Denver Nuggets. (Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>14. Rocky the Mountain Lion: Denver Nuggets</h2>
<p>According to the Denver Nuggets’ official website, their mascot, Rocky the Mountain Lion, is a “SuperMascot”. Which begs the question: What exactly does a mascot need to do to become a “SuperMascot”?</p>
<p>Clearly, you don’t need to win any mascot of the year awards, as Rocky has yet to win one. You don’t need a cape or a mask as shown by Rocky’s jumpsuit attire. It seems like he does most of the stunts that the other mascots do. Perhaps his bio will shed some light on this?:</p>
<blockquote><p>One of the most recognizable and beloved mascots in the NBA, Supermascot Rocky has become a staple at every Nuggets home game. His daring acrobatics and innovative skits have made his performances eagerly anticipated by fans and players alike.</p></blockquote>
<p>Nope, that reads like the bio that most of Rocky’s contemporaries receive. Maybe it was his performance in this <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuzoDh7HLJQ%22 target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bird Box challenge</a> that earned him that distinction.</p>
<p>Cool, but other mascots have achieved this. I’m beginning to think that this “SuperMascot” designation was cooked up by the Nuggets to help their yellow cat stand out.</p>
<p>Rocky is a good mascot and all, but behind those big black eyes lies the mind of a monster. Just look at how he disregards his family to <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"https://www.sbnation.com/lookit/2018/2/15/17016406/rocky-nuggets-mascot-cheat-wife-valentines-day" target="_blank" rel="noopener">try and woo an unsuspecting Nuggets fan</a> on Valentine’s Day.</p>
<p>Not to mention him <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3223563/Denver-Nuggest-mascot-Rocky-Mountain-Lion-levels-kid-taunting-halftime-football-game.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">trying to deliver hit sticks to youth football players</a>. For shame! No wonder he <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2689652-ufc-champ-joanna-jedrzejczyk-kos-denver-nuggets-mascot-rocky-the-mountain-lion" target="_blank" rel="noopener">got his clock cleaned</a> by then-UFC Women’s Strawweight Champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk. This is a mascot without honor.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 13 </a>
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<img class="wp-image-362309 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2133,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1132756958.jpeg" alt="Phoenix Suns" width="3200" height="2133" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1132756958.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1132756958-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">Phoenix Suns. (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>13. Go the Gorilla: Phoenix Suns</h2>
<p>It must be hard rooting for the Phoenix Suns. Not only has the team delivered a substandard on-court product over the last few seasons, but they also suffer from incompetent ownership.</p>
<p><a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gp-f7ece-UU%22 target="_blank" rel="noopener">If you believe Charles Barkley</a>, the Suns organization provides their loyal customer base with dirty seats, cold nachos (with pickles instead of jalapeños), flat sodas and hot dogs with hard buns.</p>
<p>Aside from the promising Deandre Ayton and Devin Booker’s empty-calorie stats, the only thing Suns fans have to hand their hat on is Go the Gorilla, or simply The Gorilla. Phoenix’s resident simian became the official team flagbearer in 1980 in a scenario that <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"https://www.nba.com/suns/history/history_gorilla_80.html#gref" target="_blank" rel="noopener">has to be read to be believed</a>:</p>
<blockquote><p>For the record, this mischievous mascot was born quite by accident. A messenger for Eastern Onion, a singing telegram service, came to the Coliseum during a home game dressed as a gorilla. As he left, Coliseum security suggested he do a few dances underneath the basket during a timeout and the fans loved it. So did the messenger, who kept coming to games until he was officially invited to be part of the team.</p>
<p>The messenger, a quiet young man named Henry Rojas, was anything but quiet in his costume. Given a Suns warm-up jacket, Rojas shed his shyness, and turned into an entertainment beast, dancing, joking with fans and, in general, enjoying himself to the fullest.</p></blockquote>
<p>And with that, The Gorilla became one of the most recognizable mascots in sports. Sure, he has to work really hard to obstruct the fans’ attention from a far-too-often Suns’ blowout loss, but he still brings plenty of enjoyment to those who come and see him at the games.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 12 </a>
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<h2>12. Wheedle: Seattle SuperSonics</h2>
<p>Before there was Squatch, there was Wheedle. Based on Washington native Stephen Cosgrove’s famed children’s book <em>Wheedle on the Needle</em>, the bubble-eyed creature debuted as the Seattle SuperSonics’ mascot during the 1978-79 NBA season, the year the Sonics won their only NBA championship.</p>
<p>Not only did the Wheedle serve as the Sonics’ mascot, but it was also the mascot of the Space Needle from 1970 to 1984. Fortunately for the city residents, it didn’t collect clouds from Mount Rainier, climb to the top of Seattle’s trademark landmark and unleash those rain clouds on the people as he did in Cosgrove’s book.</p>
<p>Wheedle was also at the center of some trailblazing moments as well; namely when Laurel Brown performed as Wheedle in the early years of its run as the Sonics mascot, becoming the first woman to portray a mascot for an NBA team.</p>
<p>By the time Weedle was retired in 1985, the mascot had left a memorable legacy behind, as it was the Grand Marshall of the 1979 Torchlight Parade and represented the city when it hosted the NCAA Men’s Final Four that same year. Much like its successor, Wheedle was not only ingrained into the fabric of the SuperSonics but the entire city.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 11 </a>
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<img class="wp-image-362334 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1065,w_1500/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1006128992.jpeg" alt="Golden State Warriors" width="1500" height="1065" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1006128992.jpeg 1500w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1006128992-768x545.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1500px;">Golden State Warriors. (George Wolf / Tri-Valley Herald)(Digital First Media Group/Tri-Valley Herald via Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>11. Thunder: Golden State Warriors</h2>
<p>The Golden State Warriors don’t have a mascot these days, but prior to the Stephen Curry era, the fans that filled Oracle Arena had little to hang their hats on besides Thunder, the real-life version of the cartoony warrior that served as the team’s logo for much of the late 1990s and 2000s.</p>
<p>In many ways, Thunder was the heart and soul of the Golden State franchise during some dark periods in franchise history. Here’s what the man under the mask and foam muscles, Sadiki Fuller, said about the <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/30/sports/basketball/golden-state-warriors-mascot-thunder-sadiki-fuller.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">challenges of the role</a> (h/t: Scott Cacciola, <em>New York Times</em>):</p>
<blockquote><p>“Steph Curry would have made my job so easy,” Fuller said in a recent telephone interview from his home in the Los Angeles area. “You know how hard it is to get 18,000 people to scream when they feel like the team is just going to lose again?”</p></blockquote>
<p>But Thunder clearly had an effect on the fanbase, even as the team piled up the losses:</p>
<blockquote><p>Thunder was often responsible for the game’s few highlights. He was like an action figure come to life. While the Warriors occupied themselves by bricking jump shots, Thunder spent timeouts soaring for dunks. The aesthetics of the costume itself were a stark departure from industry standards, and fans were receptive.</p></blockquote>
<p>Thanks to the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Warriors got rid of the mascot in 2008 to avoid conflation. Not long after, the team became so great and fun to watch that a mascot would’ve been an ancillary part of the fan experience. But during those bleak years, Thunder was the glimmer of light that kept the fans coming.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 10 </a>
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<img class="wp-image-362335 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2133,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1073325666.jpeg" alt="Memphis Grizzlies" width="3200" height="2133" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1073325666.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1073325666-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">Memphis Grizzlies. (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>10. Grizz: Memphis Grizzlies</h2>
<p>As his 2011 Mascot of the Year award will attest, Grizz a pretty good mascot.</p>
<p>He also apparently has an <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"https://www.nba.com/grizzlies/team/grizz" target="_blank" rel="noopener">alter-ego named “SuperGrizz”</a> which puts the Nuggets’ “SuperMascot” title for Rocky the Mountain Lion to shame:</p>
<blockquote><p>In celebration of the Grizzlies’ historic 10th Season in Memphis, Grizz re-introduced his equally popular alter-ego, Super Grizz, as a nod to the organizations first seasons in the Bluff City. Donning a mask and cape, Super Grizz encouraged fans to Believe as the team earned it’s first postseason berth since 2006 and advanced to the Western Conference Semifinals in thrilling fashion.</p></blockquote>
<p>In that “SuperGrizz” persona, he channels his inner grappler, walloping fellow mascots with steel chairs, jumping off ladders as though he were Jeff Hardy or <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsBh1F5gVZc%22 target="_blank" rel="noopener">balcony diving like New Jack</a>. Stunts like this show that Grizz is in tune with Memphis’ background as a wrestling hotbed, which explains why he’s so popular with these fans.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 9 </a>
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<img class="wp-image-362385 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2133,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F869468480.jpeg" alt="Charlotte Hornets" width="3200" height="2133" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/869468480.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/869468480-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">Charlotte Hornets. (Photo by Kent Smith/NBAE via Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>9. Hugo the Hornet: Charlotte/New Orleans Hornets</h2>
<p>When the original Charlotte Hornets entered the NBA in 1988, they had the unenviable task of creating a mascot that wouldn’t scare off the youngsters. After all, Hornets aren’t exactly the most inviting creatures around.</p>
<p>So with that hurdle to clear, how did the team go about completing this task? Well, they got Jim Henson’s daughter to design it. The result was the friendliest bee you’ll ever see; an insect that wouldn’t look out of place roaming around Sesame Street.</p>
<p>The name was selected out of a possible 6,000 suggestions by fans. Despite some apprehension due to Hurricane Hugo, the moniker stuck and Hugo quickly became a fan favorite for a Hornets team that surged in popularity thanks to the young talent they accumulated in the early 1990s.</p>
<p>Even when Hugo moved with the team to New Orleans in 2002, his popularity didn’t wane. In fact, it was in New Orleans where Hugo was recognized by his peers as the Mascot of the Year in 2007.</p>
<p>When the then-Charlotte Bobcats acquired the rights to the Hornets’ name in 2014 after the New Orleans franchise rebranded itself as the Pelicans and introduced the world to two horrifying mascots, it opened the door for Hugo to <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"https://www.charlotteobserver.com/sports/charlotte-hornets/article9128366.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">return to the Queen City</a>. This was much to the delight of Hornets fans who missed the franchise’s colors and identity.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 8 </a>
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<img class="wp-image-362418 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2133,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1140192211.jpeg" alt="Milwaukee Bucks" width="3200" height="2133" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1140192211.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1140192211-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">Milwaukee Bucks. (Photo by Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>8. Bango: Milwaukee Bucks</h2>
<p>If you’re unfamiliar with the stylings of Milwaukee Bucks mascot Bango, don’t despair.</p>
<p>Named after former Bucks announcer Eddie Doucette’s signature catchphrase, Bango has been with the franchise since 1977. In that 42-year span, he has enthralled Milwaukee fans with a myriad of stunts and dance moves, as you likely saw in the videos above.</p>
<p>If those clips didn’t convince you of Bango’s entertainment value perhaps this insane dunk will? If you’ve made it this far into the slideshow, congratulations on making it this far and second, you’ve seen the other mascots perform wacky stunts off of ladders.</p>
<p>But how many of them leaped from the tippy-top of a 16-foot ladder to deliver what can best be described as a moonsault dunk? The list is probably short. The same year Bango pulled off that dunk, he won the 2010 Mascot of the Year award.</p>
<p>From the highs of the Sidney Moncrief, Ray Allen and the ascent of Giannis Antetokounmpo to the leaner Michael Redd and Brandon Jennings eras, Bango has been there through it all. There’s no reason to think that will change anytime soon.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 7 </a>
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<img class="wp-image-362422 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1596,w_1600/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F815682796.jpeg" alt="Oklahoma City Thunder" width="1600" height="1596" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/815682796.jpeg 1600w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/815682796-150x150.jpeg 150w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/815682796-768x766.jpeg 768w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/815682796-400x400.jpeg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">Oklahoma City Thunder. (John Sleezer/Kansas City Star/TNS via Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>7. Rumble the Bison: Oklahoma City Thunder</h2>
<p>When the Seattle SuperSonics moved to Oklahoma City prior to the 2008-09 NBA season, they took the man who portrayed Squatch with them. But since having a fictional beast that’s supposedly indigenous to the Pacific Northwest would make little sense in the midwest, the team needed to come up with something more in line with the city’s rustic roots.</p>
<p>Eventually, they settled on Rumble, named after the sound of stampeding bison and the sound thunder makes. The origin story the team gave him is…well, <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"https://www.nba.com/thunder/rumble" target="_blank" rel="noopener">read it for yourself</a>:</p>
<blockquote><p>For hundreds of years, the tale has been told around Native American campfires. A great herd of American bison was lost in the Arbuckle Mountains during a ferocious storm – the kind only Oklahoma can produce.</p>
<p>Hail fell and tornadoes spun all around the herd as they stampeded, trying to find their way down to the safety of the plains.</p>
<p>One lone bison stayed behind as he helped each of his friends escape down a treacherous ravine…once all of his friends were safe he began his descent only to find his way blocked by fallen boulders.</p>
<p>Lost, he climbed to the tallest peak; left to face the storm alone and searching for a way down the mountain, he was struck by a bolt of lightning.</p>
<p>The bolt did not destroy him, but, by the power of the god of thunder, changed him. Suddenly, he walked on two legs like a man. He possessed amazing strength and agility – he could jump higher, run faster, think more clearly than any beast.</p></blockquote>
<p>The Spark Notes version of the rest of the story goes like this: Rumble was doomed to roam the earth alone due to him not fitting in with bison or humans until Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and the rest of the team took him in, gave him a Thunder jersey and made him their mascot. Considering he won the 2009 Mascot of the Year award, they apparently made the right decision.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 6 </a>
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<img class="wp-image-362446 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1067,w_1600/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1136854297.jpeg" alt="Minnesota Timberwolves" width="1600" height="1067" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1136854297.jpeg 1600w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1136854297-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">Minnesota Timberwolves. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>6. Crunch the Wolf: Minnesota Timberwolves</h2>
<p>Whose idea was it to name the Minnesota Timberwolves mascot Crunch? Sure, wolves are omnivores who primarily feast on other animals, but they don’t exactly chow down on a bucket of fried chicken.</p>
<p>They couldn’t think of any other name? It’s a wolf, not a great white shark. Of course, this is the same franchise that gave Andrew Wiggins a max contract before knowing whether he was going to be good (spoiler: he’s not) and violated NBA rules to sign draft bust Joe Smith — a move that ultimately caused them to waste Kevin Garnett’s prime.</p>
<p>Anyway, Crunch came to be not long after the Timberwolves entered the league in 1989. His official backstory paints him as a wolf from northern Minnesota <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"https://sportsmascots.fandom.com/wiki/Crunch_the_Wolf_(Minnesota_Timberwolves)" target="_blank" rel="noopener">who developed an affinity for basketball</a> to the point where he built his own hoop out of pine cones and birch bark.</p>
<p>Eventually, the Timberwolves brought him on as their mascot — though if they brought him in as a player, it wouldn’t have been worse than that time they took Johnny Flynn over Stephen Curry — and aside from a couple of fluke incidents, namely <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"https://www.si.com/nba/2017/03/03/karl-towns-sr-lawsuit-minnesota-timberwolves-mascot-crunch" target="_blank" rel="noopener">running into Karl-Anthony Towns’ father</a> during a stunt in 2017, the canine has stood out as one of the league’s best mascots, winning the 2012 Mascot of the Year.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 5 </a>
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<img class="wp-image-362451 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2649,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F859135646.jpeg" alt="San Antonio Spurs" width="3200" height="2649" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/859135646.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/859135646-768x636.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">San Antonio Spurs. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>5. The Coyote: San Antonio Spurs</h2>
<p>It figures that the San Antonio Spurs would have one of the best mascots in the NBA. They’ve excelled at just about everything else over the last two decades.</p>
<p>First appearing with the team in 1983, The Coyote found numerous ways to keep the crowd engaged during game breaks, whether it was riding a unicycle, dribbling a ball off his feet or even removing his googly, green eyes.</p>
<p>However, The Coyote’s most crucial job is capturing any bats that break loose inside the AT&T Center. The team previously had future Basketball Hall of Famer Manu Ginobili fill this spot, but it was clear that The Coyote was more committed to the task. After all, The Coyote went as far as to <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"https://www.cbssports.com/g00/nba/news/spurs-mascot-runs-onto-court-to-catch-loose-bat-while-dressed-as-batman/?i10c.ua=1&i10c.encReferrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8%3d&i10c.dv=7%22 target="_blank" rel="noopener">don a Batman costume</a> to rid the arena of the winged mammal.</p>
<p>Add all this up, and not only do you get a former Mascot of the Year winner (2014) but a <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"https://mascothalloffame.com/mascots/current-mascot-inductees/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mascot Hall of Fame inductee (2007)</a> as well. His wacky look is chum for the kids and if any other mascots give him any problems, he can always call on Shawn Michaels to <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YOKpiSUymc%22 target="_blank" rel="noopener">deliver some sweet chin music</a> when necessary.</p>
<p>Particularly since the Tim Duncan era, most fans see the Spurs as the antithesis of wacky fun. But despite their assembly line of stoic stars, The Coyote’s presence has always reminded fans that this is an entertainment product first.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 4 </a>
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<img class="wp-image-362467 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2133,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1045683470.jpeg" alt="Orlando Magic" width="3200" height="2133" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1045683470.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1045683470-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">Orlando Magic. (Photo by Gary Bassing/NBAE via Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>4. Stuff the Magic Dragon: Orlando Magic</h2>
<p>Give the Orlando Magic credit. Given that they’re named in honor of Walt Disney World, which is a half-hour drive away from the Amway Center, the team could have easily negotiated for some Disney mascots to show up and entertain the crowd during home games.</p>
<p>Heck, with there being a Harry Potter section at Universal Studios, they could have even gotten some old guy to dress up in a Wizard costume. It would’ve been terrible, but it would’ve made sense.</p>
<p>Instead, the team went in a completely different direction with Stuff the Magic Dragon. A play on the song <em>“Puff, the Magic Dragon”</em> using a shorthand term for dunking — you know, that thing great Magic centers do before they leave for another team — Stuff joined the team during their inaugural season in 1989 via an egg-hatching ceremony.</p>
<p>Despite drawing some comparisons to the Phillie Phanatic early on due to their similar appearance (likely due to them being made by the same company), Stuff immediately set himself apart with his zany antics, from doing the usual trampoline dunks to <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"https://nba.nbcsports.com/2014/02/10/orlando-magic-mascot-proposed-to-kate-upton-she-didnt-say-no/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">proposing to Kate Upton</a> for some reason.</p>
<p>He’ll also be remembered for assisting Aaron Gordon in the dunk contest duel with then-Minnesota Timberwolves high-flyer Zach LaVine that served as the brief resuscitation that the NBA Slam Dunk Contest needed.</p>
<p>This dragon almost helped save the Dunk Contest! Hence why he’s the only back-to-back Mascot of the Year winner (2016, 2017).</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 3 </a>
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<img class="wp-image-362472 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2133,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1132756965.jpeg" alt="Chicago Bulls" width="3200" height="2133" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1132756965.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1132756965-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">Chicago Bulls. (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>3. Benny the Bull: Chicago Bulls</h2>
<p>If you’re reading this and happen to be a Chicago Bulls fan, you’ve probably grown frustrated with the way things have gone under Gar Forman and John Paxson’s stewardship.</p>
<p>Chances are that you’re probably not looking forward to another season of Zach LaVine’s high-volume shooting spectaculars or drill sergeant head coach Jim Boylan’s poor man’s Tom Thibodeau routine. If that gets you down, keep in mind that Benny the Bull has been around for a lot worse for a lot longer.</p>
<p>Benny has been with the Bulls since 1969. He has become one of the most recognized mascots in the world, bringing smiles to people’s faces even though Bulls fans haven’t had much to cheer for outside of the Michael Jordan dynasty and the brief promise of the Derrick Rose years.</p>
<p>In that time, Benny has garnered several accolades, including winning the 2015 Mascot of the Year, being named the <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"https://sports.yahoo.com/benny-bull-most-popular-mascot-america-says-forbes-222605216.html?y20=1%22 target="_blank" rel="noopener">most popular mascot in America</a> by Forbes in 2013 and <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"https://mascothalloffame.com/mascots/current-mascot-inductees/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">being inducted</a> in the Mascots Hall of Fame in 2019.</p>
<p>It’s not often that mascots end up level footing with star players in terms of popularity; if you have a mascot that often overshadows your players, you probably need to find a general manager that can get better players.</p>
<p>But you could argue that Benny is as integral to this team’s identity as arguably the greatest player of all time, though one is a bit more important to the Bulls’ popularity than the other.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 2 </a>
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<img class="wp-image-362494 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2133,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1142705287.jpeg" alt="Houston Rockets" width="3200" height="2133" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1142705287.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1142705287-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">Houston Rockets. (Photo by Bill Baptist/NBAE via Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>2. Clutch: Houston Rockets</h2>
<p>Following their consecutive NBA championships in 1994 and 1995 — that brief period where Michael Jordan retired to play baseball — the Houston Rockets helped shed the idea of the city serving as a haven for chokers and became known as “Clutch City”. In that spirit, the team debuted the big cuddly bear Clutch in 1995.</p>
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<p>When Rockets fans’ eyes weren’t glued to Hakeem Olajuwon’s “Dream Shake”, Yao Ming rejecting Shaquille O’Neal’s shot repeatedly, Tracy McGrady’s scoring bursts or James Harden dribbling for 20 seconds before drawing a foul, Clutch keeps the mood lively inside the Toyota Center with by doing things like making a free throw while <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJXEBbHYQME%22 target="_blank" rel="noopener">staying balanced on a medicine ball</a> or <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJ0BYXEHk1g%22 target="_blank" rel="noopener">breaking 12 bricks with his bare paw</a>.</p>
<p>As time has gone on, Clutch has piled up the accolades: a two-time Mascot of the Year winner (including the inaugural one in 2005), named the fifth-most recognizable mascot by USA Today in 2005 and a Mascot Hall of Fame inductee in 2006.</p>
<p>Apparently, all of this acclaim has allowed Clutch to go Hollywood, as he has appeared alongside James Harden, Chris Paul and Oscar from <em>The Office</em> in a number of State Farm commercials.</p>
<p>Prior to 1994 and 1995, Houston has a reputation for falling short when it counted. Aside from the pair of Larry O’Brien Trophies with the Rockets’ name on it, Clutch represents the shedding of that stigma.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 1 </a>
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<img class="wp-image-362502 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2114,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1058982496.jpeg" alt="Utah Jazz" width="3200" height="2114" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1058982496.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1058982496-768x507.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">Utah Jazz. (Photo by Gene Sweeney Jr./Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>1. Jazz Bear: Utah Jazz</h2>
<p>And now, we get to the three-time Mascot of the Year. I could spend the remainder of this slide going through <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmDEyGA8kK8%22 target="_blank" rel="noopener">all the stunts</a> that Jazz Bear has done since debuting in 1994, but that’s not what makes this bear stand out.</p>
<p>As we’ve found out throughout this list, sliding down arena stairways, jumping through rings of fire, and turning yourself into a human bowling ball is a prerequisite for most mascots, even the terrible ones. So, what makes this bear different from the bulls, dragons, birds, and wolves?</p>
<p>The answer doesn’t lie in the stunts he performs, but in his willingness to push the envelope with some of these stunts. This <em>Deseret News</em> <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"https://www.deseretnews.com/article/700023708/The-Bear-facts-The-Utah-Jazz-16-year-mascot-Bear-balances-life-of-court-jester-charity-king.html?pg=all%22 target="_blank" rel="noopener">profile on Jazz Bear</a> puts it best:</p>
<blockquote><p>You do know, perhaps even cheer or fear, how he makes a habit and a living out of jumping on a plastic sled and sliding face-first at scary speeds down steep stairs at EnergySolutions Arena.</p>
<p>Over the years, you’ve also witnessed Bear launch his furry self through rings of fire to dunk basketballs, rappel from the rafters or do the splits (on purpose).</p>
<p>You’ve watched him goof off with referees and players, spray funky materials on people, use opposing fans as skit props, land hard on his undercarriage, rev up his loud motorcycle, display much more athleticism in a 00 Jazz jersey than the only Utah player to wear that number (Greg Ostertag), and literally go to great heights to both entertain and freak out thousands of onlookers.</p></blockquote>
<p>It’s this willingness to go above and beyond for the fans that has earned Jazz Bear those three Mascot of the Year awards (2006, 2008, 2018), a Mascot Hall of Fame nod in 2006 and <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"https://www.nba.com/jazz/news/utah-governor-declares-october-10-utah-jazz-bear-20th-anniversary-day" target="_blank" rel="noopener">his own day</a> in commemoration of his 20th anniversary with the team in 2013.</p>
<p>With the man who portrayed Jazz Bear <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2019/07/17/nba-mascot-power-rankings-best-past-present/"https://sports.yahoo.com/man-behind-jazz-bear-fired-reported-rift-utah-jazz-212210053.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">no longer with the team</a>, here’s hoping that the new person inside the suit lives up to the lofty standards fans have grown accustomed to.</p>
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