Brooklyn Nets, Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks and the Golden State Warriors are the NBA teams without a Mascot.
The remaining 26 NBA teams own a mascot, some of them have even two. Chicago Bulls are the first-ever NBA team to have the Mascot - Benny The Bull with them. They owned him in 1969.
Mascots are the entertainers in a match. They interact with fans and match officials in a funny way. They even perform dances and stunts.
Rocky the Mountain, Denver Nuggets’ Lion is the most popular NBA mascot among the fans. Whereas, Mavs Man of the Dallas Mavericks is considered to be the worst Mascot that an NBA team owns.
All NBA Mascots Names
All NBA Mascots' names include The Raptor, Pierre the Pelican, Bango the Buck, and Grizz. Boomer and Hooper also make their names in the list.
Cleveland Cavaliers and Dallas Mavericks have 2/2 mascots with them, other teams own a single one.
Here's the list of All NBA teams arranged alphabetically along with their mascot:
| NBA Teams | Mascots |
| Atlanta Hawks | Henry the Hawk |
| Boston Celtics | Lucky the Leprechaun |
| Charlotte Hornets | Hugo the Hornet |
| Chicago Bulls | Benny the Bull |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | Moondog, Sir CC |
| Dallas Mavericks | Champ, Mavs Man |
| Denver Nuggets | Rocky the Mountain Lion |
| Detroit Pistons | Hooper |
| Houston Rockets | Clutch the Bear |
| Indiana Pacers | Boomer |
| Los Angeles Clippers | Chuck the Condor |
| Memphis Grizzlies | Grizz |
| Miami Heat | Burnie |
| Milwaukee Bucks | Bango the Buck |
| Minnesota Timberwolves | Crunch the Wolf |
| New Orleans Pelicans | Pierre the Pelican |
| Oklahoma City Thunder | Rumble the Bison |
| Orlando Magic | Stuff the Magic Dragon |
| Philadelphia 76ers | Franklin the Dog |
| Phoenix Suns | Go the Gorilla |
| Portland Trail Blazers | Blaze the Trail Cat |
| Sacramento Kings | Slamson the Lion |
| San Antonio Spurs | The Coyote |
| Toronto Raptors | The Raptor |
| Utah Jazz | Jazz Bear |
| Washington Wizards | G-wiz |
(Watch: All 30 NBA Team Mascots Ranked)
5 Best NBA Mascots
The 5 best NBA mascots are Benny the Bull, G-Wiz, and The Coyote. Rocky the Mountain Lion and Bango the Buck also complete the list.
1. Benny the Bull - Chicago Bulls
Benny is with Chicago Bulls for more than 50 years. The Bulls enrolled him in 1969. Benny is as popular as the athletes and other figures of the team in the NBA.
One of the longest-tenured mascots in the NBA was named after the Bull's first Public Relations Manager and Stadium Announcer Ben Bentley.
2. G-Wiz - Washington Wizards
The NBA franchise Washington Wizards' official mascot, G-Wiz was introduced in 1997. He wears a Wizards jersey, cape, and a visor. One of the most recognizable mascots entertains the fans during professional games.
He's the most beloved mascot for Wizards fans of all ages.
3. The Coyote - San Antonio Spurs
The Coyote is serving the Spurs since 1983 and he is probably the most creative mascot of the NBA. He makes impromptu interactions with game officials during time-outs, performs rehearsed skits, and dances with the Silver Dancers.
Actor and stuntman, Michael Costello currently performs the Coyote.
4. Rocky the Mountain Lion - Denver Nuggets
The Nuggets introduced Rocky in 1990 as their official mascot. Since then, it has been very funny and popular among the fans. Rocky is 5’10” tall and weighs 154 lbs according to the Nuggets.
Ken Soloman portrays Rocky during the Nuggets games.
5. Bango the Buck — Milwaukee Bucks
The anthropomorphic deer Bango is entertaining the Bucks fans since 1977. His funny antics, daring stunts, and high-flying acrobatic dunks are very attractive.
A variety of people are performing the Bango. A former Bucks player Jon McGlocklin portrays the Bango since 2005.
NBA Mascots Salary
NBA mascots' salaries vary due to different factors such as the experience of the performer, type of contract, size and the popularity of the team they work for, and so on.
NBA mascots' salary typically ranges from $40,000 to $400,000 a year. However, the figure may be less or more than on both sides. Their income may include extra facilities like benefits, bonuses, travel expenses, and more.
How much do NBA Mascots get paid?
According to Boardroom TV, the NBA mascots get paid annually $60,000 on average. The salaries of the mascots are not as much as the players, still the earning of the mascots is pretty decent.
The average indeed is not the top, so some of the NBA mascots earn times their average salary. The inconsistency in the salary of the mascots is quite high.
Besides the official matches, the mascots often perform in events and appearances outside the arena where they can make an extra income. For example, Rumble The Bison charges $650 for every hour outside of games. He takes $400 for private visits between 30 and 45 minutes.
(Watch: NBA Mascots Salary Comparision)
Highest Paid Mascot in NBA
The earning of the highest-paid NBA mascots can be summarized as the following:
| Mascots Name | Annual Earning |
| Rocky the Mountain Lion | $625,000 |
| Harry the Hawk | $600,000 |
| Benny the Bull | $400,000 |
| Go the Gorilla | $200,000 |
| Hugo the Hornet | $100,000 |
The highest-paid mascot in the NBA is Rocky the Mountain Lion. The representative of the Denver Nuggets makes $625,000 a year performing for it. His earning is more than 10 times the average salary for the job. Rockey must be an exceptional performer, isn't he?
Harry the Hawk is the second-highest-earning mascot of the NBA with an annual salary of $600,000. He represents Atlanta.
Harry is followed by the Chicago Bull's mascot Benny the Bull with a yearly salary of $400,000.
Next on the list is Go the Gorilla, the representative of the Phoenix Suns with an annual income of $200,000.
The fifth top-earning mascot is Hugo the Hornet. Charlotte spends $100,000 for him to perform.
(Watch: Behind NBA’s Highest-Paid Mascot “Rocky”)
Are NBA Mascots the Highest-Paid Mascots in Sports?
Yes, NBA mascots are the highest-paid mascots in sports. Even the average salary of NBA mascots is higher than the top salary of other sports mascots. The figures for the salaries of NBA Mascots are pretty impressive as compared to other sports mascots.
The top-paid NFL mascot has an annual salary of a mere $65,000.
Similarly, the NHL mascots make somewhere between $30,000 and $40,000. It shows that the NBA mascots are the clear winners.
NBA teams With Bird Mascots
NBA teams with bird mascots are Atlanta Hawks and New Orleans Pelicans. Toronto Raptors also belong to the list. Among 30 NBA teams, 3 of them have gone with a bird mascot.
Their mascots are as follows:
1. Harry the Hawk - Atlanta Hawks
Harry the Hawk was introduced by Atlanta Hawks in 1986. Harry the Hawk not only performs in the team's games but is also seen at many community events of the organization.
Most people don't know who's inside the bird. So don't we!
2. Pierre the Pelican - Orleans Pelicans
Pierre the Pelican, the official mascot of the Pelicans was introduced in 2013. The pelican wears a blue and golden outfit and has a football-like beak.
The mascot represents the team’s spirit and passion. He entertains the crowd and performs stunts during the matches.
3. The Raptor - Toronto Raptors
The Raptor came out of the egg in 1995 and entertaining its team and the fans since then. He wears a jersey numbered 95 and basketball shoes. Most of his outfit is in red. During NBA matches, he is often known for his diligence.
In the NBA 2013-14 season, the Raptor was replaced briefly as the team's mascot as his Achilles tendon was injured while performing a flip.
What is the Golden State Warriors Mascot?
The Thunder used to be the Golden State Warriors' official mascot until he retired in 2007. The Warriors have not come out with another mascot yet after his retirement.
It is rumored that the mascot was retired when a group bought the Seattle SuperSonics with the intention of moving them to Oklahoma City and Thunder joined them. But there is no official statement to prove it.
Before that, the State Warriors enjoyed Berserker as their mascot. He was introduced in 1996 and was the first official mascot in the team's 50-years history. It looked way too weird by that time.
