Ken Solomon, the original Rocky the Mountain Lion mascot for the Denver Nuggets, recently shared details about a memorable moment from his mascot career on a podcast with Pablo Torre.
Solomon recounted the time he passed out while being lowered to the court during a game. Solomon, who donned the Rocky costume for an impressive 33 years, described the incident and revealed how he ended up being unconscious.
“I wanted to act like I was landing on the moon. We practiced this, I get in position and I’m clipping this harness on, and I also got the full body harness underneath, they put the rope through my collar, clip in, ‘go, go, go!’ they open the gate. [I] step out on the i-beam, step off the i-beam, and all of a sudden, I realized my jacket was zipped up still. I was supposed to unzip it. So you can imagine the rope going through your collar, and all of a sudden that collar is just digging into my neck… It was like a full-on MMA chokehold.”
Despite the frightening experience, Solomon’s dedication to his role as Rocky never wavered. He continued to perform in the suit, bringing joy and entertainment to Nuggets fans for decades. His commitment earned him a spot in the Mascot Hall of Fame and numerous Mascot of the Year awards.
Reflecting on his time as Rocky, Solomon expressed gratitude for the support of the fans and the opportunity to be a part of the Nuggets’ history.
“It was an incredible journey, and I wouldn’t trade those experiences for anything,” he said.
