Being an NBA mascot can be a pretty lucrative gig. A report from Sports Business Journal revealed just how much money those in the mascot industry make, and it’s a rather large amount.
The highest earner among the NBA’s 30 mascots is that of the Nuggets. Their mountain lion mascot, Rocky, reportedly collects a cool $625,000 annually.
The list’s next highest earner is the Hawks’ mascot, Harry the Hawk. The bright red hawk gets paid a handsome $600,000 each year, just ahead of the third-highest earner, Chicago’s Benny the Bull, who collects $400,000 annually.
Rocky will be tasked with his toughest test yet as he looks to fire up the crowd in Denver at the Nuggets’ first-ever NBA Finals appearance. The series, which pits the Nuggets against the Heat, tips off Thursday at 8:30 p.m. ET at Ball Arena.
No. 4 on the list of highest-paid mascots is Go the Gorilla, mascot of the Suns. He reportedly is paid $200,000 per year, double that of the Hornets’ mascot, Hugo the Hornet, who ranks fifth on the list at $100,000.
Rocky’s $625,000 salary trumps all other mascots. The report from Sports Business Journal indicates that his salary is approximately 10 times higher than what the average NBA mascot earns.
