Like most basketball fans, you go to an NBA game to take in the atmosphere, enjoy a few overpriced snacks, and most importantly watch your favourite players play (and hopefully win) the game. However, anybody who has ever been to a live NBA basketball game will tell you that one of the most important parts of the experience is the mascot. A great mascot can make the game a whole lot more entertaining, even when your team is down. All of the NBA mascots are great at doing this, but some are better at it then others. Let’s take a look at the best NBA mascots and what makes them so awesome.

The Denver Nuggets’ Rocky the Mountain Lion

There is a reason that the Denver Nuggets haven’t changed their mascot in over two and a half decades: everybody loves Rocky the Mountain Lion. Every game, he performs an array of athletic dunking moves that rival those of the NBA athletes; every second half includes a half-court shot that is considered to be the Nuggets’ good luck charm if he makes it. His most memorable moments were with NBA hall of famer Charles Barkley, with whom he’d used to have fake boxing matches with (a few times, Barkley even snuck in a few real jabs).

The Miami Heat’s Burnie

More of a “thing” than anything else, Burnie is designed to be a humanoid representation of the flame that represents the Miami Heat. This design perfectly suits his style, as he is a high-energy mascot throughout the entire game. You can see him sprinting through the crowd, getting heat fans pumped and cheering on his team at every moment of the game.

The Atlanta Hawks’ Harry the Hawk

For a sport that is all about intensity and fierceness, Harry the Hawk perfectly fits the bill. This mascot features a menacing glare that lets the crowd and the opposing team know that the Atlanta Hawks have shown up to play hard for the entire game. When he’s not flinging gifts at the crowd or celebrating a great Atlanta Hawks basket, Harry can be seen fiercely flapping his feathery wings.

The Phoenix Suns’ Go the Gorilla

“Born” in 1980, Go the Gorilla is the first NBA mascot ever. While a gorilla might not seem to be a fitting mascot for a team named the Suns, he has been more than welcome by the Phoenix crowds. Go is willing to go above and beyond to entertain the home crowd. You never know what he is going to do. On some nights, he might decide to repel from the ceiling of the arena; on other nights, he might be found completing acrobatic feats from a trampoline. In fact, he was the first NBA mascot to start doing acrobatic dunks in between quarters. Go’s design and antics have been so popular over the years, in fact, that he is considered to have revolutionized mascots across all sports.
Basketball teams outside of professional sports can learn a lot from the best NBA mascots on this list
A great mascot will not only entertain the crowd and attract more people to the game, but they will also help keep your players motivated throughout the game. That is why you should have one. In order to make sure that your next mascot provides as many benefits for your basketball team as possible, take a look at what the best NBA mascots do, and emulate their best attributes. When it is time to get your mascot, or for some advice on mascot design, contact our expert team at Hogtown Mascots.