Nuggets facing lawsuit from their mascot Rocky

The Denver Nuggets are the subject of what might be the most bizarre sports lawsuit of the year.

The Nuggets are being sued by Drake Solomon, the man formerly inside the suit of their beloved mascot Rocky. Jennifer Brown of the Colorado Sun reported this week that Solomon, 31, is seeking unspecified damages from Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, which owns the Nuggets, for an alleged violation of disability protection laws.

Solomon’s father was the original Rocky, first donning the suit for the Nuggets over 30 years ago. But Solomon himself took over as the new Rocky in 2021 before eventually being diagnosed with avascular necrosis (a bone tissue condition) during the 2022-23 NBA season. He would undergo surgery for the condition and says that he returned to work for the Nuggets within 10 days. But doctors eventually recommended for Solomon to have an additional hip replacement procedure after he continued to deal with persistent pain following his return to work.

In the lawsuit, Solomon alleges that the Nuggets, after learning about his need for a hip replacement, decided to hold tryouts for a new Rocky “due to his record of impairment and their lack of confidence in his health.” Solomon also claims that he returned to a “hostile work environment” before eventually being fired in Aug. 2024 following the Nuggets’ tryouts for a replacement.

The lawsuit alleges that Solomon’s firing violated his rights under the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act. You can read Brown’s full report on the situation here.

Rocky, a mountain lion whose name pays tribute to The Rocky Mountains, first debuted for the Nuggets during the 1990-91 season. The mascot has gone viral in the past over his interactions with everyone from Russell Westbrook to the late Dikembe Mutombo. But now things have gone sour between the Nuggets and Rocky (or at least one of the people who used to play him).