The Denver Nuggets Fired Their Mascot After a Hip Replacement, and Now He’s Suing
Rocky the Mountain Lion has some serious star power. He’s known for somersaults on trampolines, taunting referees, and throwing T-shirts into the rafters. But for the man inside the suit, Drake Solomon, being Rocky was something passed down from his father, who wore the costume before him. That made it a family tradition, and now that tradition is heading into a courtroom.
Solomon is suing the Denver Nuggets’ parent company after they fired him months after a hip replacement surgery. He says he was promised a chance to return, proved he could still perform, and was still pushed aside.
The Solomon Era Of Rocky
Rocky first hit the basketball court in December 1990 with Kenn Solomon in the suit. Kenn built Rocky into an NBA icon, and he soon became known for jaw-dropping stunts, including flipping over cheerleaders for slam dunks and a signature backward half-court shot.
His performance earned him a Mascot Hall of Fame induction in 2008 and Mascot of the Year in 2019. By the time he retired in 2021, he was a piece of team history. Drake, his son, stepped in right after. He had been part of the Nuggets’ entertainment crew for years as a trampoline dunker and promotional performer.
Passing the Rocky suit from father to son gave the Nuggets a rare father-son succession in professional sports mascoting, and fans embraced the change. Kenn was often seen courtside coaching his son through Rocky’s signature moves.
Health Gets In The Way
The physical demands of mascoting are no joke. One requires athleticism, stamina, and coordination to pull off stunts, acrobatics, and choreographed performances in a heavy costume under arena lights. Anyone who sees it as simple clowning must be clueless because it’s physically taxing work, closer to athletics than people realize.
During the 2022–2023 season, Drake developed severe hip pain. Doctors diagnosed him with avascular necrosis, a condition where bone tissue dies because of poor blood supply. He underwent surgery and was warned that a hip replacement was on the horizon. By April 2024, he had the full replacement procedure and began rehab.
According to Drake, team officials knew he would need time off and assured him he would still have a fair chance to keep his role when he returned. However, when he returned in May, he said things felt hostile.
The Nuggets had already scheduled open tryouts for Rocky, citing his “record of impairment.” Despite assurances, Drake was suddenly competing for the job he had already been doing—and had grown up preparing for—since his father’s retirement.
Fired After Tryouts
Image via Getty Images/selezenj13
According to the lawsuit, Drake completed the stunts, met the physical standards, and even taught other applicants how to dunk in the heavy costume. Even so, by August 2024, he was fired. At first, management gave him no reason. Later, they told him it was because he didn’t finish first in the tryouts.
The lawsuit, filed in Denver District Court, accuses Kroenke Sports & Entertainment (the same group that owns the Nuggets, Avalanche, and Rapids) of violating Colorado’s disability protection laws. It also cited retaliation and unfair employment practices.
Drake is also challenging the severance agreement he was offered, which included strict confidentiality and nondisparagement rules. His attorneys argue the deal was illegal and had been pushed on other employees as well, thus setting the stage for a potential class action.
More Than A Job, More Than A Mascot
For Drake, the lawsuit is personal. “I had a strong loyalty to this company since I was two weeks old on the court,” he told local media.
Losing the role must have felt like the end of a family legacy. His father, Kenn, who had spent over three decades building Rocky into a Denver institution, was devastated.
The Bigger Picture
Image via Canva/Anna Stills
The Rocky case is shining a light on the toll these jobs can take and how little security performers have. A hip replacement is a major surgery, but it’s also one that many athletes recover from successfully.
Drake’s doctors reportedly told him he could return to full activity, which makes the Nuggets’ decision to replace him all the more contentious. The case also raises questions about how sports organizations handle disability protections for their employees.
If a performer can recover and continue doing the job, should past injuries be held against them? And how much responsibility do teams have to support the people who literally put their bodies on the line to entertain fans?
The lawsuit is still in its early stages, and Kroenke Sports & Entertainment hasn’t publicly commented. For now, the team has proceeded with tryouts for the role.