Rocky the Mountain Lion is a mascot for the Denver Nuggets who made his debut on December 15, 1990. He stands at 5’10,” weighs around 154 lbs and has a 3-foot-long tail. Rocky is considered as one of the most funny and popular NBA mascots, beating Benny the Bull of the Chicago Bulls by a small margin of 0.04. Rocky scored 3.90 on the popularity scale of 1-5.
Rocky the Mountain Lion Real Name
Ken Soloman was the first person to wear the Rocky uniform in 1990. He was known for his innovative skits and the ability to keep fans entertained at all times. Rocky has made countless appearances at schools across Colorado as a part of a community program for the Denver Nuggets and has also performed at other professional sports events. He even takes part in the All-star Games and other international functions on behalf of the NBA.
Ken Soloman has been awarded with numerous accolades throughout his career for portraying Rocky the Mountain Lion, including induction to the mascot hall of fame in 2008. He is known for his spine-chilling stunts, crowd comedy and his ability to entertain the audience of multiple age groups. His legacy continues as his oldest son became the mascot for the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2017. They are the first father-son duo in the history of professional sports to assume mascot duties.
How much does Rocky the Mountain Lion mascot get paid?
Rocky the Mountain Lion is the highest paid mascot in sports history. He earns an annual salary of $625,000, which is 10 times the average salary of $60,000 for an NBA mascot. Rocky is tasked with the tough job of keeping the crowd engaged during breaks, halftime and timeouts with his comedy or high-flying stunts. He is known for making backwards half court shots.
Rocky the Mountain Lion made his debut in 1990 when the Denver Nuggets were at their all-time low and were not able to sell tickets even for their home games. Rocky instantly made his fan base and is now known across the globe for his comic timing, antics and athletics.
According to a report in Westword, Ken has now retired and has passed his mascot duties to his son Drake, who previously worked as a trampoline dunk performer for the Nuggets. However, the same report reveals that Kenn still dons the suit of Rocky and Drake, is on the mascot injured reserve because of his father’s health issues.
FAQs
A. Rocky is known to pull off over-the-top stunts during the games to hype up the crowd to justify his salary. He was also inducted into the 2006 Mascot Hall of Fame.
A. Rocky the Mountain Lion from the Denver Nuggets gets paid the highest in the NBA. He is also the highest paid mascot across all sports.
A. Mascot earns money from performing for the crowd and engaging them during the halftimes and timeout, but that is just one part of their job. The other part includes promoting the team brand, attending community events, producing sponsors and making public appearances on behalf of the team.
A. Mascots need to use their body movements and expressions to communicate instead of using their voice.
