NBA Fans took to Twitter to share their two cents after news of the Denver Nuggets mascot’s salary was reported. ‘Rocky’, as he’s fondly known, makes a whopping $625K a year – reportedly ten times more than an average salary of a league’s mascot, placed at around $60k.
Rocky’s jaw-dropping numbers were revealed in a social media post that was doing the rounds, and the responses saw astonishment, happiness, and memes in equal measure.
Here are some of the reactions that were garnered:
Get me in the rocky suit immediately!!! https://t.co/btQpMZXW9G pic.twitter.com/6KMONybNMW
— forsaken 👆🏽 (@saken_mp4) October 2, 2022
I'm about to start doing some flips https://t.co/k0pa1pw5Tt pic.twitter.com/gHDoqt13Sk
— Weezus The Yapper™ (@Weezus410) October 2, 2022
Rocky mascot tryouts better look like this https://t.co/6rObj2AOoi https://t.co/j3OhqhOIES
— Tori Mason (@ToriMasonTV) October 2, 2022
Regretting not continuing my journey as a mascot… 💸 https://t.co/oY8sUesr7a pic.twitter.com/TZ0UYt97kF
— Trevor Lewis (@TrevorLewis444) October 2, 2022
https://twitter.com/alesolren/status/1576472350601940992
You said how much? Cause come Monday morning… https://t.co/vjammPoBBO pic.twitter.com/nQH8YU3RUw
— Zach Robles (@HalfnHalfZach) October 2, 2022
they got him on the mascot supermax😭😭 https://t.co/JNwDwn8l3d
— z⚡️ (@Lat1noSavant) October 2, 2022
Still remember when I was in 5th grade watching Rocky nail backwards halfcourt shots at half time and it was so cool. Get your bread king https://t.co/ucRwucYrAQ
— Big Papi (@Bmangall20) October 2, 2022
Me on my way to Denver https://t.co/m6IjZ7zOtT pic.twitter.com/VMTaalycFM
— rob hoffman (@TheRobHoffman) October 2, 2022
https://twitter.com/wecomingoneday/status/1576426896245813248
$625K a year to dance around and jump on trampolines. Sign me up brother. https://t.co/UmKOBI4YEX
— ᴇʀᴀ 🕷️ (@TheWestbrookEra) October 2, 2022
boy did I pick the wrong industry to feed my passion for sports (not even referring to rocky’s salary…) https://t.co/E6IHizXO0A
— Saad Yousuf (@SaadYousuf126) October 2, 2022
Rocky pulling up to the club to stunt https://t.co/RJUpcXQXBM pic.twitter.com/HphnJsDpmK
— kingler rangoon (@FlexLuthorOG) October 2, 2022
Good lord how?!
My guy @grizz going thru tables off ladders https://t.co/j6ONr5F4sn
— Anthony Sain (@SainAsylum) October 2, 2022
What does Rocky do exactly? https://t.co/nIrJ1kXtlr
— Canada Goose 🇨🇦 (@CanadaGoose911) October 2, 2022
Over the seasons, Rocky’s stunts and interactions with the fans at the home games have made him a household name. Per NBAmascots, the man in the suit is Ken Soloman, and the mascot made its debut in 1990 in the Nuggets game against the Phoenix Suns.
From Benny The Bull to Hugo The Hornet, Here Are The Top Five Mascots In The NBA
Now, Rocky’s counterparts may not rake in the moolah as he does, but there have been some fan favorites across the years. Last year, NBC Sports ranked all the 26 mascots, and taking the top spot was Chicago’s Benny the Bull. He’s been with the side for the last 45 years.
In second place was Toronto’s Raptor, a velociraptor by looks that has had some memorable dance-offs over the years. Coming in third was Boston Celtics’ Lucky the Leprechaun. There was quite the buzz when Kyrie Irving stepped on him after a game.
At fourth and fifth are Bango the Buck and Hugo the Hornet of the Milwaukee Bucks and the Charlotte Hornets respectively.
Bango’s name was coined by Eddie Doucette, the longtime play-by-play announcer for the side, while Hugo’s name was a result of over 6,000 fan suggestions. His name was finally chosen after hurricane Hugo wreaked havoc in Charlotte. The news outlet had ranked Rocky as the eighth-best mascot in the league.
