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Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Denver Nuggets Ex-Mascot Sues Team Owner for Wrongful Termination
Denver Nuggets have had one of the NBA's most popular team mascots for many years, but now one of the men who formerly donned the Rocky mask is suing the team's owner. According to the Colorado Sun, Drake Solomon, 31, has filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, alleging he was fired after taking time off to recover from hip surgery. Solomon said the move was a violation of Colorado's anti-discrimination act and disability protection laws. "It was not easy to go ahead with this because I love the Nuggets," Solomon told the outlet. "They've been my whole life and my family. For things to end the way they did it was pretty heartbreaking." Solomon began working for the Nuggets in 2012 as a trampoline stunt performer; however, his ties to the team go back several decades, as his dad, Kenn Solomon, worked as the Nuggets' beloved mascot Rocky the Mountain Lion for roughly 30 years. Solomon was hired as his dad's replacement in 2021. COMPLEX SHOP: Shop the brands you love, anytime and anywhere. Uncover what's next. Buy. Collect. Obsess. During the 2022-2023 NBA season, Solomon was diagnosed with the bone tissue condition vascular necrosis and was forced to undergo hip surgery. He allegedly returned to work just 10 days after the procedure, but the hip pain continued into the following season. Solomon said he eventually decided to get a full hip replacement and returned to a "hostile work environment" after a relatively fast recovery. Solomon claimed that supervisors began holding tryouts for a new mascot, citing his "record of impairment and their lack of confidence in his health." The team owner fired Solomon shortly after the auditions were held, saying he failed to secure the highest score during tryouts. He was allegedly asked to accept $20,000 as severance and a nondisclosure, non-disparagement, confidentiality agreement. He declined both. The plaintiff's attorneys said other former employees were presented with similar severance agreements, which violated state laws. Solomon is seeking unspecified damages from KSE, which also owns the Los Angeles Rams, the Colorado Avalanche, and other professional sports teams. "We loved Rocky our entire lives. We always looked at the Nuggets as a second family and Rocky as a second dad," Solomon told The Sun. "For it to end so cold … it's kind of like losing a family member. My dad was pretty devastated when he heard. He was the one that suggested I look into seeing what I can do to make some wrongs right." Related Products The Rolling Stones Stones x Colorado Rockies Vinyl $38 , Loma Vista Recordings KOTMS Tour Logo Hoodie $55 , uDiscover Music Rocketman (Music From The Motion Picture) [2 LP] $37.99 , Puma PUMA X A$AP ROCKY FLACKO DRIVE TEE BLACK $75 Related News , , Related News Michael Porter Jr. Warns Sports Betting Can Affect 'Integrity' of NBA Games Vince McMahon Argues Hulk Hogan 'Wasn't a Racist' But 'Said Some Racist Things' COMPLEX SHOP: Shop the brands you love, anytime and anywhere. Uncover what's next. Buy. Collect. Obsess. Making Culture Pop. Find the latest entertainment news and the best in music, pop culture, sneakers, style and original shows. Solve the daily Crossword
Fox News
4 days ago
- Sport
- Fox News
Former Nuggets mascot claims wrongful termination in new lawsuit
A man who worked as the Denver Nuggets' mascot, Rocky the Mountain Lion, for multiple seasons is suing Kroenke Sports & Entertainment (KSE), the NBA franchise's ownership group. Drake Solomon accuses his former employer of disability discrimination and an unlawful severance offer. The wrongful termination lawsuit claims Solomon was dismissed after he underwent a double hip replacement procedure. Solomon suggested he is taking a stand to help protect other employees. Solomon maintains the offer he received was unlawful, and other employees were extended after the 2023 passage of Colorado's POWR Act (Protecting Opportunities and Workers' Rights). Solomon recalled that his severance offer was $20,000. He was also asked to sign a non-disclosure agreement, which his attorneys argued violated provisions of the POWR Act. Solomon rejected the agreement. "It seemed sketchy to me," he explained. "I wasn't going to sign that." The Nuggets won the franchise's first-ever NBA title in 2023, the same year Solomon says he began experiencing health issues. A bone condition inhibited Solomon's ability to perform tasks associated with being the mascot for a professional sports team. Solomon said he notified his supervisors of his condition. The Nuggets allegedly began seeking his replacement after learning he would eventually need to undergo surgery. Solomon argued the alleged acts were effectively a vote of no confidence in his overall health. "It came to a point where I was on the court shooting a half-court shot with tears dripping down my face," Solomon told CBS Colorado. "It's hard thinking about those times. I really wanted to bring the same energy." Solomon claimed a path to resume his duties was impeded after he had the surgery, which he said left him feeling as if he'd been deceived. "For it to end this way, it feels like betrayal," Solomon said. "We were so loyal to them." Solomon's father performed as the Nuggets mascot for more than three decades before him. "I was on the court at 2 weeks old," Solomon said. Fox News Digital contacted Kroenke Sports & Entertainment for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Former Nuggets mascot sues team for wrongful termination
The Denver Nuggets might be about to face their old mascot in court. Or more specifically, the guy who used to wear the mascot costume. Drake Solomon, who previously worked as Rocky the mountain Lion, filed a lawsuit against the Nuggets' parent company, Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, in Denver District Court on Wednesday he was wrongfully terminated after undergoing a hip replacement surgery during the 2023-24 season, according to Denverite. The lawsuit reportedly claims the Nuggets violated nearly every provision of Colorado's Protecting Opportunities and Workers' Rights Act and seeks to become a class action lawsuit to include other KSE employees, requesting monetary damages on behalf of Solomon and other plaintiffs. Solomon's former supervisors are also named as defendants, per USA Today. Solomon is a second-generation Nuggets mascot, as his father Kenn Solomon originated the role in 1990. After his father retired in 2021, he was the only person invited to a closed-door tryout and got the job. He reportedly started experiencing hip pain in both joints during the Nuggets' championship season in 2022-23. leading to a diagnosis of avascular necrosis, the death of bone tissue due to the lack of blood supply. To fix it, he underwent a procedure known as bilateral core decompression surgery, but he still missed enough time during the season that his father came out of retirement, and the pain continued when he returned to the court. The next option was reportedly a total hip replacement surgery. Before he went under the knife in 2024, Solomon claims his supervisors told him they would be holding tryouts for the role of Rocky and said he was unreliable due to his medical history. From Denverite: "They just said I burned them last time and that they didn't want to bank on the second surgery working out,' Drake said. 'They were like, 'We don't know if it's gonna work out this time because the first time it didn't work out.'" 'I didn't get any kind of welcoming back, not that I needed that. But, my higher-ups wouldn't even look at me or talk to me when we all worked in the same office,' Drake said. 'And it wasn't until finally they talked to me when, you know, it was time to talk about having tryouts. So that was pretty tough.' Solomon reportedly said he was terminated last August with no reason provided and was offered a severance agreement witha confidentiality and non-disclosure provision and a liquidated damages provision. The lawsuit reportedly seeks to declare that severance agreement to be in violation of state law.
The Independent
5 days ago
- Sport
- The Independent
Former Denver Nuggets mascot sues NBA team saying they fired him after he got hip replacement surgery
The man behind the mascot of the Denver Nuggets, known for viral stunts and physically demanding slam dunks, is suing the NBA team's parent company, claiming wrongful termination after a hip injury. The man inside the suit playing 'Rocky,' Drake Solomon, alleged in a lawsuit Wednesday that Kroenke Sports & Entertainment fired him in August 2024, months after he had hip replacement surgery, The Denver Post reported. The lawsuit accuses the Nuggets of violating the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act through discrimination based on disability, retaliation and two claims of aiding and abetting unfair employment practices against Solomon's supervisors. It asks for an unspecified amount of money. 'I grew up around it my entire life,' Solomon told 9News. He took on the role of Rocky from his father, Kenn, who wore the suit for three decades before retiring in 2021. 'I had a strong loyalty to this company since I was two weeks old on the court, and it was just heartbreaking, not just for me, but for my family as well,' he said. Following his father's retirement from the high-energy costume character role, Solomon said he was the only person invited to try out to play the beloved Rocky. However, issues started to rise soon after taking on the physically demanding role. Solomon developed hip pain and was diagnosed with avascular necrosis, a disease caused by the loss of blood supply to the bone, according to the lawsuit. Solomon underwent two surgeries to try and fix the issue, one in March 2023 and then a hip replacement in April 2024, according to the filing. He was told there would be an open tryout for the position 'regardless of the outcome' of his surgery — even though Solomon told his supervisors his doctors expected him to make a full recovery in a matter of months, the suit claims. When Solomon returned to work on May 20, he was met with hostility, according to the lawsuit. Even though he performed the duties of his job that summer, management still held tryouts for the position ahead of the 2024-2025 season. Solomon claims in the lawsuit that during auditions, he completed all the physical requirements — and even taught other applicants how to dunk in the Rocky costume. He was fired soon after tryouts, and management did not provide a reason at the time, the lawsuit alleges. The NBA team's parent company later claimed he was let go because he did not score first in the tryouts. Solomon's complaint also calls for a potential class action lawsuit, stemming from the severance agreement he was offered upon firing. 'It was not easy to go ahead with this because I love the Nuggets,' Solomon told the Colorado Sun. 'They've been my whole life and my family. For things to end the way they did it was pretty heartbreaking.' 'We loved Rocky our entire lives,' he added. 'We always looked at the Nuggets as a second family and Rocky as a second dad. For it to end so cold … it's kind of like losing a family member. My dad was pretty devastated when he heard. He was the one that suggested I look into seeing what I can do to make some wrongs right.' Solomon claims management offered the same severance agreement, which he claims is unlawful, or a similar one to several other employees.
Associated Press
09-07-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
Three-time MVP Nikola Jokic will delay signing extension with Nuggets this summer, AP source says
DENVER (AP) — Three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic has decided to delay a contract extension with the Denver Nuggets this summer, a person with knowledge of the matter told The Associated Press on Tuesday night. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because neither Jokic nor the Nuggets have addressed the matter publicly. It doesn't affect Jokic's status in Denver in the short term: He has at least two years remaining on his deal — $55.2 million this season and $59 million in 2026-27, along with a player option in 2027-28 worth nearly $63 million. Jokic became eligible Tuesday to sign an extension that could have added three years and around $212 million to his contract. By waiting until next summer to sign, Jokic would be eligible to add four years to his deal at even more money than this summer's extension would have guaranteed. The Denver Post first reported the decision from Jokic. Josh Kroenke, the vice chairman of Kroenke Sports and Entertainment, explained earlier this offseason the team was going to present both options to Jokic — and respect his decision. 'I'm not sure if he's going to accept it or not, because we're also going to explain every financial parameter around him signing now versus signing later,' Kroenke said. The 30-year-old from Serbia is coming off a historic season in which he became the first NBA center to average a triple-double — 29.6 points, 12.7 rebounds, 10.2 assists — and finished runner-up to Oklahoma City's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the MVP voting. The only other players who averaged a triple-double are Russell Westbrook and Oscar Robertson. It was a trying season for Jokic and the Nuggets in which coach Michael Malone and general manager Calvin Booth were fired with three games remaining in the regular season. Jokic and the Nuggets went 3-0 to close out the season, beat the Los Angeles Clippers in seven games during the first round of the playoffs and took the eventual NBA champion Thunder to seven games in Western Conference semifinals before being eliminated. Jokic averaged 26.2 points and 12.7 rebounds in the postseason run. Once again, Jokic was his usual contribute-in-any-way facilitator. He finished with a franchise-record 34 triple-doubles in the regular season, including a 61-point triple-double . In addition, he became the fastest player in NBA history (739 games) to notch 16,000 points, 8,000 rebounds and 5,000 assists. The previous mark was held by Hall of Famer Larry Bird, who reached those numbers in 799 games. A second-round pick by Denver in 2014, Jokic has blossomed into a five-time All-NBA first-team player. He led the Nuggets to their first title in 2023 and earned the Finals MVP award. This season, he will have a new coach in David Adelman, who was hired on an interim basis when the Nuggets fired Malone and was promoted to the permanent job. There's a new front-office structure, too, led by executive vice presidents Ben Tenzer and Jonathan Wallace. They've vowed to be aggressive in building another title contender around Jokic in his championship window. The executive tandem made a splash by breaking up the core of Jokic, Aaron Gordon, Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. by trading Porter and a first-round pick to Brooklyn for Cam Johnson . The team has also brought back Bruce Brown — an integral piece in their championship run — and added sharpshooting wing Tim Hardaway Jr. ESPN reported earlier this month the Nuggets sent Dario Saric to the Sacramento Kings for Jonas Valanciunas, a center who can back up Jokic. The deal hasn't been announced yet. Jokic is spending his offseason back in Serbia, where recently he was seen cheering one of his prized racehorses to a victory. ___ AP NBA:
