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 in the Pacers lore and legacy. Boomer used to perform alongside Bowser, who was a wacky dog mascot, until the 2009-2010 season, when Bowser finally retired.
Boomer is 6 ft. tall, which is a lot for a cat. He wears the traditional Pacers jersey with number #00, which goes along great with his blue face and his golden, uh… hair. In his free time, he likes to watch Tom & Jerry and chomp on catnip.
Not many people know who’s behind the mask. This fact is unknown even to the most of the Pacers’ staff. This helps the audience really identify Boomer as Boomer, and not some guy in a mask. This anonymity is very puzzling to some, as most would be very excited to tell the world what they are doing, especially when receiving the awards for a top-mascot.
Boomer’s job is very busy. Three appearances a day is nothing uncommon for him, and it really takes great determination and love for the team. All these dunks that the mascot must perform are inherently difficult, and even more so under the weight of the suit.
His dedication in the field didn’t go without certain issues. He once got sued for allegedly injuring a man named Nataniel Jackson during a free-throw contest, after Boomer tackled him. It seems that sometime you can go overboard.
Most of his appearances are in fact of charitable nature. He appears often in various events, especially those with a humanitarian goal, including the NBA’s Read to Achieve program. He’s visited children’s hospitals and shown his support to the troops. He has a particular fondness for kids, and children love him too. It’s a fascinating relationship.
He makes more than 300 appearances yearly, and there are not many free days in his schedule. He spends lots of his time perfecting the stunts and shows, so that he could impress the crowd with feats such as this one:
He is very strong and as a result of his meticulous training, high school basketball courts even sustained some damage:
How’s that for a show, huh? Amazing!
Boomer the Panther has also performed at many NBA All-Star games, and performed alongside several very famous celebrities, actors and sportsmen. This includes big dogs such as Muhammad Ali, George Foreman, Rob Lowe, Peyton manning, Bon Jovi and Justin Timberlake, just to name a few. He’s also traveled all around the word and performed outside the US.
Boomer can frequently be seen with the Pacers Power Pack. These are a couple of performers who help Boomer by doing trampoline slam dunks and riling up the crowd in general. Boomer has brought nothing but good things for the Pacers and we can’t see him going away anytime near soon.