NBA Mascots

Last reviewed: October 6, 2026

Official National Basketball Association (NBA) Mascots

The mascots were always part of NBA team identity, as they are being seen as symbols that bring good luck and helps NBA teams achieve success.

Which NBA teams have a mascot?

How many mascots are there, currently 26 teams have a mascot which can be widely seen during matches, with only 4 clubs being without one.

Which NBA team has no mascot?

The only NBA teams that do not have a mascot are: Brooklyn Nets, Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks and the Golden State Warriors.

Who is the most famous NBA mascot?

According to basketball fans, the mascot at the top of the mountain is the Denver Nuggets’ Rocky the Mountain Lion. Fans gave Rocky a nearly 4-star rating out of 5. Coming in at a very close second place is one of the oldest NBA mascots, Benny the Bull of the Chicago Bulls with a 3.86 rating. On the other side, the worst mascot in the NBA is the Mavs Man of the Dallas Mavericks where fans gave them shy 1.69 star rating out of 5.

Who was the first NBA mascot?

His name is Benny the Bull, and he’s a lovely red bull (duh) that’s been with us since we landed on the moon – yes, since 1969, making him the first NBA mascot ever.

Who won the 2026 NBA Mascot of the Year?

The Orlando Magic's STUFF the Magic Dragon won in a vote by the league's other mascots. It's STUFF's third win. He also won in 2016 and 2017, becoming the award's first back-to-back winner.

NBA mascots by team

26 of the 30 NBA teams have an official mascot. The table shows each team’s current mascot as of October 2026. Debut years appear where team and league sources agree.

NBA teams without a mascot

The Brooklyn Nets, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks don’t have a mascot. The Nets haven’t had a mascot since retiring BrooklyKnight in 2014. The Warriors retired Thunder in 2008.

Sources: NBA.com’s guide to team mascots, Yahoo Sports, team websites and news coverage, checked October 2026.

List of NBA Mascots

The Gorilla – Phoenix Suns Mascot

Phoenix Suns went without a mascot for over 10 years after the team was formed. Then finally, in 1980, something odd and a bit magical happened. Serendipity See, the Suns didn’t have any official plans for introducing a mascot, compared to how things go with other teams. Their first and only shot luckily failed. The management planned to introduce a sunflower-themed mascot, a play on the ‘Sun’ moniker in the ...
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Blaze the Trail Cat – Portland Trail Blazers Mascot

NBA Portland Trail Blazers Mascot – Blaze the Trail Cat Maybe he doesn't have the fanciest of names, but he makes up for it in sheer fun and crazy dedication towards his team. Meet Blaze the Trail Cat! Although he doesn’t really look like it, Blaze is a mountain lion… or a trail cat (if you find out what that means, let us know). Take your pick. He is the ...
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Franklin the Dog – Philadelphia 76ers

Philadelphia 76ers are among eight teams out of 23 to make it through the first decade of the NBA. It’s no wonder then that a team with such a rich history has had their share of mascots – three, to be more precise. Big Shot Older fans will remember the mascot that represented the 76ers until 1996 – his name was Big Shot. He was a blue monster with ginger ...
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Hugo – Charlotte Hornets

NBA Charlotte Hornets Mascot – Hugo In one city or another, Hugo has been with us since 1988, toiling away in Charlotte and New Orleans. After the return of the franchise to Charlotte, the Bobcats became Hornets in 2014, and with the name change came the new old mascot. He had been sacked the previous year for Pierre the Pelican after the New Orleans Hornets changed their name to Pelicans, ...
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Grizz – Memphis Grizzlies

‘Let’s stick with something that works.’ That must have been the thought that team leadership had when they introduced Grizz, a mascot for the Memphis Grizzlies. It’s not particularly witty nor clever, but it’s solid. Who doesn’t like a good bear for a mascot, after all? The Move Grizz has outlived the Vancouver Grizzlies themselves, and survived the move to Memphis. The Vancouver Grizzlies were an expansion team that joined ...
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Brooklyn Nets Mascots

Brooklyn Nets NBA Official Mascots - Duncan the Dragon, Sly the Silver Fox, BrooklyKnight The Brooklyn Nets, a proud member of the NBA, boast a trio of official team mascots that embody the eclectic spirit of the team's home borough. Duncan the Dragon, Sly the Silver Fox, and BrooklyKnight each bring their own unique flair and character to the court. Join us as we take a journey through their distinct ...
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Stuff the Magic Dragon – Orlando Magic

Stuff the Magic Dragon - NBA Orlando Magic Mascot The Orlando Magic have an instantly recognizable and an odd mascot. He goes by the name of Stuff the Magic Dragon. Why “Stuff”? That’s not too creative, you might think. Well, to “stuff” means to slam dunk, and besides the whole name is a play on Puff, the Magic Dragon, which is an old folk song by Peter, Paul and Mary ...
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Rumble the Bison – Oklahoma City Thunder

Rumble the Bison  - NBA Oklahoma City Thunder Mascot Oklahoma City is home to one of the cutest mascots around. An anthropomorphic bison that goes under the name of Rumble the Bison, and has been with the Oklahoma City Thunder for a few years already.  Unlike some of the other mascots, Rumble the Bison doesn’t have a long history, but that is expected since the team is new as well ...
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Boomer the Panther – Indiana Pacers

Boomer the Panther - NBA Indiana Pacers Mascot Boomer the Panther is the official mascot of the Indiana Pacers. Boomer is, obviously, a cat, more precisely, a panther. He has been a part of Pacers home games for a while now, since his debut in 1991 NBA season. He also goes by the name “Pacers Panther”.  Boomer is known all over Indiana, and he has been a very prominent figure ...
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Benny the Bull – Chicago Bulls

Benny the Bull - NBA Chicago Bulls Mascot The Chicago Bulls have one of the longest-lived sports mascots around. His name is Benny the Bull, and he’s a lovely red bull (duh) that’s been with us since we landed on the moon – yes, since 1969, making him the first NBA mascot ever. Uh, let’s get our records straight… um, it was actually his grand-father. Ugh, these bull family trees ...
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Clutch the Bear – Houston Rockets

Houston Rockets Mascots - Clutch the Bear, Turbo, Booster 1980s - Booster 1993. - 1995. - Turbo 1995. - Clutch the Bear Houston Rockets has had a rather tumultuous history, having three mascots over a rather short period. Booster It all began in the 80’s, with the first mascot called Booster. His most iconic moment, however, occurred in 1990, in a game against the Atlanta Hawks. Hawks forward Jon Koncak ...
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Lucky the Leprechaun – Boston Celtics

Boston Celtics Mascot - Lucky the Leprechaun The Boston Celtics have had the same symbol for quite a while and it’s – of course – a leprechaun named Lucky. He appears on the logo of the team and the mascot looks pretty much the same. The logo was designed by Zang Auerbach in the 1940s, although it was changed a bit in the late 1960s. Lucky is best recognized for ...
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Harry the Hawk – Atlanta Hawks

Atlanta Hawks Mascot – Harry the Hawk 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 ...
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The sports mascots homepage also features MLB, NFL and NHL mascots.