Former Rocky Mascot Suing Nuggets Owner KSE for Workplace Discrimination

DENVER — Drake Solomon, a performer who previously served as the Nuggets’ ‘Rocky’ mascot, is suing team owner Kroenke Sports & Entertainment (KSE), alleging “unlawful disability-based discrimination and termination.”

A lawsuit filed in Denver District Court on Tuesday claims Solomon’s rights were violated under the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act.

Solomon took over the role of Rocky in 2021, following in the footsteps of his father, Kenn, who was the Nuggets mascot for three decades.

In an interview on Wednesday, Drake Solomon told Denver7 he “lived and breathed the Nuggets and Rocky” growing up, and that “it was really awesome to learn from [his father] and watch him and really study him.”

“I still love the Nuggets,” he said. “My family still loves the Nuggets dearly. They’re everything to us. So it’s nothing against the Nuggets… [The lawsuit is] just about right and wrong.”

Soloman said his injuries slowed him down, and co-workers and fans noticed his limp.

“Affected everything I did, from running to sprinting to climbing,” he said. “I did the best I could for as long as I could, until I realized, yeah, I need to take care of this… Especially with an expensive ticket, I want to give [fans] everything from Rocky.”

According to the lawsuit, Solomon was diagnosed with avascular necrosis (AVN) and underwent surgery during the 2022-23 NBA season. Kenn Solomon came out of retirement to fill in as Rocky during the Nuggets’ championship run in 2023.

Drake Solomon returned the following season, but his hip pain also returned.

“The first surgery took, but it just didn’t last as long as we hoped,” he explained. “And eventually, it got worse and worse and worse.”

His doctors recommended a total hip replacement — a surgery he had in the spring of 2024. Solomon said he returned to work two months later, well ahead of his six-month expectation.

“I came back very excited, and my doctors were very excited for me,” he told Denver7.

The lawsuit alleges Solomon “returned to a hostile work environment and confirmation that Defendants would still be conducting try-outs for his position because he had ‘burned them last time.'”

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