Latest news with #KroenkeSportsEntertainment
National Post
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- National Post
Denver Nuggets mascot Rocky the Mountain Lion files lawsuit against NBA team
The relationship between the Denver Nuggets and their mascot, Rocky the Mountain Lion, has gotten very rocky, indeed. Article content The man who played the character for several years, Drake Solomon, is suing the team's owners — Kroenke Sports & Entertainment (KSE) – and seeking unspecified damages for an alleged violation of disability protection laws. Article content The Colorado Sun reported on Wednesday that Solomon, 31, had been diagnosed with avascular necrosis, a bone tissue condition, during the 2022-23 season, eventually leading to multiple surgeries — including a hip replacement procedure during the following season. Article content When Solomon allegedly told his supervisors about the impending surgery, he claims the team opted to hold tryouts for a Rocky replacement 'due to his record of impairment and their lack of confidence in his health.' Article content Solomon was quick to recover from his hip replacement and returned to work during the 2023-24 season. Article content However, the lawsuit claims that when he did come back, it was a 'hostile work environment' and that the team decided to hold tryouts for a new Rocky because Solomon 'burned them last time.' Article content Article content He was fired shortly after the tryouts in August 2024, which he claims violated his rights under the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act. Article content Solomon actually took over the role of Rocky in 2021 from his father, who donned the costume for more than 30 years. The younger Solomon began his time with the team in 2012 as a 'trampoline dunk artist' before his eventual promotion, which was sealed at a private, closed-door tryout. Article content 'It was not easy to go ahead with this because I love the Nuggets,' Solomon said. 'They've been my whole life and my family. For things to end the way they did, it was pretty heartbreaking.' Article content Solomon was part of the team in 2023, when the Nuggets captured the franchise's lone NBA championship behind the play of three-time MVP Nikola Jokic. Article content
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Outrageous reason NBA mascot claims he was fired as he hits back with lawsuit
A former Denver Nuggets mascot is hitting back after being fired by the franchise's ownership group. Drake Solomon, who had portrayed the Nuggets' mascot Rocky since 2021 when his father Kenn retired, was fired by the team in August 2024. Solomon has now sued Kroenke Sports & Entertainment (KSE), the team's ownership group, alleging disability discrimination and an unlawful severance offer. The lawsuit contends the Nuggets violated the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act through discrimination on the basis of disability, retaliation, and two claims of aiding and abetting unfair employment practices against his KSE supervisors, according to the Denver Post. The Daily Mail has contacted the Nuggets organization for comment. Solomon, whose father had performed as Rocky for more than 30 years before he took over the role, claims that he was wrongfully terminated after undergoing double hip replacement surgery. He says that he was diagnosed with avascular necrosis (AVN), a painful bone condition, during the Nugget's 2023 championship-winning season, which impacted his ability to perform. After Solomon was diagnosed with AVN, he first underwent bilateral core decompression surgery in March 2023. However, the surgery did not fix the issues and, in February 2024, he reportedly notified his superiors of his need to undergo total hip replacement surgery, according to the lawsuit. KSE allegedly informed Solomon just several weeks later that they would be hosting tryouts for the position 'regardless of the outcome' of his surgery, citing a lack of confidence in his health. Solomon claims he told his superiors that doctors had informed him that he would return to full health in three months. '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 News. 'It's hard thinking about those times. I really wanted to bring the same energy.' Solomon says he felt ready to return to the role following surgery but was never given the chance, which felt like a 'betrayal.' He underwent the procedure in April 2024 and returned to work the following month, performing his duties throughout the summer, according to the lawsuit. However, KSE still pushed forward with the tryouts. Solomon claims he met all the physical requirements and helped teach the other applicants how to dunk in the Rocky costume but KSE terminated his contract on August 13, 2024. The lawsuit claims that Solomon was not given a reason for his firing at the time but KSE later claimed he was terminated because he did not score first in the tryouts. He was allegedly offered offered $20,000 and a non-disclosure agreement as part of his severance agreement. But he refused the package, claiming that it seemed 'sketchy'. Attorneys say the agreement violated nearly every provision of the POWR Act (Protecting Opportunities and Workers' Rights), according to CBS. The POWR Act was passed in Colorado in 2023 and since then, Solomon believes he is not the only member of the Nuggets organization to have suffered a similar fate. He believes that other employees were offered similar deals and is bringing forward the lawsuit in their behalf as well as his own. Solomon, who says he was on the court at two-weeks-old, insists he didn't want his relationship with the Nuggets to come to an end like this. 'Never wanted things to go down this way,' he told CBS. 'But there are things they could've handled better -- not just with me -- but with others as well.' Kenn Solomon, Drake's father, originated the Rocky role, making his debut in December 1990. He acted as the Nuggets mascot for more than three decades before retiring in 2021. Drake first joined the organization as a member of the 'Promo Squad' in 2012. He also served as the backup mascot and his father's game-night assistant before taking over the role full time in 2021.
CBS News
5 days ago
- Sport
- CBS News
Former Denver Nuggets mascot sues ownership group for disability discrimination
A former Denver Nuggets mascot is speaking out after filing a lawsuit against the team's ownership group, Kroenke Sports & Entertainment (KSE), alleging disability discrimination and an unlawful severance offer. Drake Solomon, who portrayed the Nuggets' mascot Rocky from 2021 until this past season, claims he was wrongfully terminated after undergoing double hip replacement surgery. His father had performed as Rocky for more than 30 years before Solomon took over the role. Solomon says the lawsuit is not only for himself, but also on behalf of other KSE employees who, since the 2023 passage of Colorado's POWR Act (Protecting Opportunities and Workers' Rights), have allegedly been offered similar unlawful agreements. "I was on the court at 2-weeks-old," Solomon told CBS Colorado. During the NBA team's 2023 championship run, Solomon says he was diagnosed with a painful bone condition that impacted his ability to perform. After notifying supervisors that he would need surgery, Solomon alleges the organization began tryouts for his replacement, citing a lack of confidence in his health. "It came to a point where I was on the court shooting a half-court shot with tears dripping down my face," Solomon recalled. "It's hard thinking about those times. I really wanted to bring the same energy." After surgery, Solomon says he felt ready to return but never got the chance. "For it to end this way, it feels like betrayal," Solomon said. "We were so loyal to them." Solomon says he was offered $20,000 and a non-disclosure agreement as part of his severance agreement. He refused. "It seemed sketchy to me," Solomon explained. "I wasn't going to sign that." Attorneys say the agreement violated nearly every provision of the POWR Act. Solomon believes other employees were offered similar deals. Despite everything, Solomon says he still loves the Nuggets and its fans. He's now seeking a trial in hopes of holding KSE accountable and protecting future employees. "Never wanted things to go down this way," Solomon said. "But there are things they could've handled better -- not just with me -- but with others as well." KSE has not responded to a request for comment.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Rocky The Mascot Sues Denver Nuggets Owner Over Disability Discrimination
Rocky The Mascot Sues Denver Nuggets Owner Over Disability Discrimination originally appeared on Fadeaway World. Rocky, the iconic Denver Nuggets mascot, is at the center of a legal battle after the man behind the suit, Drake Solomon, filed a lawsuit accusing the team's ownership of disability discrimination. In a case filed Tuesday in Denver District Court, Solomon alleged that Kroenke Sports & Entertainment (KSE), which owns the Nuggets, unlawfully terminated him after he took time off to recover from a serious hip injury. He is seeking unspecified damages, claiming his firing violated the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act. Solomon's connection to Rocky runs deep, he inherited the role in 2021 from his father, who had been the franchise's beloved mountain lion mascot for over 30 years. His journey with the Nuggets began in 2012 as a trampoline dunk performer and member of the promotional squad. When his father retired, Solomon was the sole invitee to a private tryout, securing the job and continuing the family legacy. The lawsuit details that during the 2022-23 NBA season, Solomon was diagnosed with avascular necrosis, a debilitating condition in which bone tissue dies due to insufficient blood supply. He underwent surgery to address the condition and returned to performing as Rocky just 10 days later, still experiencing hip pain. In the 2023-24 season, doctors determined he needed a hip replacement, a procedure that would temporarily sideline him. According to Solomon, when he informed supervisors of his medical needs, they expressed doubts about his long-term health and announced plans to hold tryouts for his position. After his surgery, Solomon claims he recovered quickly, only to return to what he described as a 'hostile work environment.' He says he was told the Nuggets were moving forward with tryouts because he had 'burned them last time' by missing time for his earlier procedure. In August 2024, shortly after the tryouts concluded, Solomon was terminated. His attorney, Siddhartha Rathod, likened the firing to dismissing someone for taking maternity leave, calling it both a personal and professional blow to a family that had embodied Rocky for decades. Adding to the significance of the case is the fact that Rocky the Mountain Lion is not just a mascot he is the highest-paid mascot in the NBA. The Denver Nuggets' mascot reportedly earns an annual salary of $625,000, a figure that dwarfs the pay of most NBA mascots and underscores the role's prestige within the league. While Solomon's current net worth has not been publicly disclosed, the position's lucrative salary over multiple seasons, along with appearances, endorsements, and community events, likely placed him among the most financially successful figures in the mascot world. The Nuggets organization has not yet publicly commented on the lawsuit. The case raises broader questions about how professional sports organizations handle long-term performers with medical conditions, especially those who, like Solomon, have become integral to the team's identity and fan experience. With the outcome still to be determined, the dispute underscores the human side of professional sports, where even mascots, behind the costumes and crowd-pleasing stunts, can face battles every bit as real as those on the story was originally reported by Fadeaway World on Aug 13, 2025, where it first appeared.
