Denver Nuggets Mascot Sues Team For Alleged Disability Discrimination
Rocky — the Denver Nuggets’ mountain lion mascot — has filed a lawsuit against the organization, accusing the team of firing him over a disability.
Thirty-year-old Drake Solomon and his attorneys filed a lawsuit against Kroenke Sports & Entertainment (KSE) and two team supervisors on Tuesday regarding his termination in 2024 from the highly touted “Rocky” mascot position, which he alleged took place after a hip-replacement surgery. He claimed the organization fired him due to a disability.
The Denver Gazette reached out to Kroenke Sports & Entertainment for a comment but did not immediately hear back.
His termination, the lawsuit claimed, violated Solomon’s rights under the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act (CADA). It also violated various prohibitions against disability discrimination and retaliation under Protecting Opportunities and Workers’ Rights Act, the lawsuit alleged.
Solomon is the son of longtime Rocky-mantle-holder Kenn Solomon, who was the first iteration of the mascot after suiting up in 1990.
Solomon followed his father’s footsteps in 2012, joining the team as a trampoline dunk artist and member of the “Promo Squad.”
When his father retired in 2021, Solomon was the top candidate to succeed, becoming Rocky for the next season.
As a boy, Solomon grew up on the court with his father, not thinking about the rarity that came with the position, he told The Denver Gazette. When he finally decided to step into the role, he fell in love with both entertaining the crowd in the stadium and outside during hospital visits and charity events.
His brother is the mascot for the Detroit Pistons NBA team.
“It’s in our blood,” Solomon said.
During the Nuggets’ 2022-2023 championship run, Solomon began experiencing pain in his right hip after contracting COVID. He was eventually diagnosed with avascular necrosis, meaning his bones weren’t getting enough blood flow, causing the bone tissue to die, according to the lawsuit.
“There was times I was throwing my half-court shot with tears on my face. Excruciating pain,” he said, adding he pushed through it.
“I never took a vacation. I never wanted anyone else to step into that costume,” he added.
Solomon underwent surgery to treat the condition in March 2023, opting for a lesser surgery than a hip replacement due to his young age. He returned after the championship season ended, but he was eventually consulted for ongoing hip pain in February 2024, ultimately resulting in the need for a double hip replacement.
Solomon alleged that, after telling the team he would need the surgery, supervisors Steve Johnston and Craig Dzaman said they would begin holding tryouts to replace him, regardless of the outcome of his surgery.
Solomon’s attorney, Siddhartha Rathod, likened the situation to firing someone while on maternity leave.
“Somebody is pregnant and they go out on maternity leave. They come back and I say, ‘Awesome — you’re going to have to try out for your job.’ That’s not how it works… The company has to hold your job. This isn’t complicated. This is a clear violation of the law.”