Denver Nuggets mascot Rocky is known for his high-flying acrobatics on the court during games at Ball Arena.
Now, he — at least the man who used to wear the suit — is hitting another court, this one of law. He’s suing Nuggets owner Kroenke Sports and Entertainment.
Drake Solomon filed a lawsuit in Denver District Court Wednesday afternoon alleging that he was wrongfully terminated after undergoing total hip replacement surgery during the 2023-2024 season. Solomon alleges the team held tryouts for a new performer to wear the famous mountain lion suit for the following season despite doctors giving him a clean bill of health.
Solomon claims he was terminated after tryouts and was presented a severance agreement that violates state law. The lawsuit said that it violated nearly every provision of the Protecting Opportunities and Workers’ Rights Act.
Solomon said in the court filing that he filed the lawsuit on behalf of himself and other KSE employees have been presented with similar severance agreements since the passage of POWR Act.
Family of Mascots
Solomon is the son of the original Rocky, Kenn Solomon. Kenn’s father was a yell leader for Brigham Young University.
Kenn Solomon was also the mascot of the Utah State University, Big Blue. While in Denver for a summer internship at the Rocky Mountain News, he cold called the Denver Nuggets expressing interest in becoming their mascot. When the team decided to employ a mascot, Kenn Solomon got the job in 1990.
Rocky’s incredible stunts and high-flying act during Nuggets home games has made him one of the most beloved mascots in all of sports. He was inducted into the Mascot Hall of Fame in 2008.
Solomon retired in 2021 and passed the suit to his son Drake, who started with the organization in 2012 as a trampoline dunk artist and a member of the Promo Squad. He also served as backup Rocky Mascot and his father’s game-night assistant.
When Kenn retired, Drake was the only person invited to perform in a closed door tryout for the position.
But soon, hip pain emerged in Drake.
According to court documents, Drake began experiencing hip pain during the Nuggets’ NBA Championship season in 2022-2023. Doctors later diagnosed him with avascular necrosis, which is death of bone tissue due to the lack of blood supply.
He focused on administrative work in January 2023 and went on short-term disability the following month. Drake underwent bilateral core decompression surgery that March. Kenn came out of retirement to finish up the season as Rocky.
Drake continued as Rocky for the 2023-2024 season. But, he still experienced pain in his hips. Medical professionals said he would need total hip replacement surgery which took place in April 2024.
Several weeks later, Drake Solomon said he was informed by his supervisors, Game Director Craig Dzaman and Vice President of Game Entertainment Steven Johnston, that there would be tryouts for Rocky. Drake claims the KSE personnel said that he was unreliable due to his record of impairment and previously unsuccessful surgery.
When he returned to work after a successful surgery, Drake alleges the work environment was hostile. He said he performed all physical requirements for the mascot during the tryouts. But, he says he was terminated afterwards with no reason provided.
KSE allegedly offered Drake a severance agreement that included a confidentiality and non-disclosure provision and a liquidated damages provision.
The lawsuit seeks to become a class action suit for other KSE employees and seeks monetary damages on behalf of Solomon and other plaintiffs. It also ask the court to declare KSE’s severance agreement as in violation of state law.
KSE did not immediately comment on the lawsuit.
The role of Rocky
During Kenn Solomon's run, Rocky was the highest paid mascot in the NBA. According to a Sports Business Journal study in 2023, Rocky reportedly made $625,000 annually. When tryouts were announced, the annual salary was listed from $70,000 to $130,000.
Whoever wears the suit will really have to earn their keep. Applicants were required to hold a bachelor’s degree and three to five years of mascot experience. They must be able to perform at a high-level physically and be able to tumble, flip, dance, juggle, and walk on stilts.
There’s also a height requirement between 5 feet, 5 inches and 5 feet, 9 inches tall.
