Being an NBA mascot is not a bad gig whatsoever. Not only are they practically beloved by every fan inside the arena, but they also get paid incredibly well, apparently.
A recent report from Sports Illustrated has laid out the details of the NBA’s highest-paid mascots and the money they pull in is quite staggering.
Rocky, the mascot of the Denver Nuggets, tops the list with an annual salary of $625,000. That’s not bad for a middle-of-the-pack market team that wasn’t exactly in the national spotlight until the playoffs began.
If $625,000 seems like an incredibly high number, it’s because it is. According to the report, the average salary for mascots around the league is around $62,000. Rocky must have exceptional representation making 10x what his fellow mascots are making.
While Rocky leads the pack, Harry The Hawk in Atlanta isn’t too far behind with a salary of $600,000. In Chicago, Benny The Bull, probably the most recognizable mascot in the NBA, pulls in $400,000 per year.
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There is no denying that being an NBA mascot is an absolute grind, and you have to be 100% on your A-game every time you put on that costume.
NBA mascots make appearances at many different functions and charities in their respective cities, but when you break down the salaries from a game-by-game basis, they’re absolutely raking it in.
While Rocky and the Nuggets have had to work a bit of overtime this season with Denver making it to the NBA Finals, all in all, the mascot is only guaranteed 41 home games per season.
That’s a cool $15,243 per game.
