The National Basketball Association (NBA) is one of the most thrilling leagues in the world, with each team having its own local fans who eagerly await the opportunity to cheer for their team's dunks and jeer the opposing team. In addition to the exciting crossovers, dunks, and three-pointers, the mascots play a crucial role in creating an energetic atmosphere. They bring the energy and help to create an exciting environment for the fans. We're ranking all 14 mascots in the NBA's Western Division.
Ranking the NBA's Western Division Mascots:
No. 14: Jazz Bear (Utah Jazz)
Alright, this is sort of creepy. The excess fur doesn't help Jazz Bear's situation, either. Honestly, from certain angles, he resembles a gremlin—and no mascot should remind you of a gremlin, especially when said gremlin is supposed to be a bear ...
No. 13: Slamson the Lion (Sacramento Kings)
This is the part where you realize that our list will have quite a bit of scary lookin' mascots. (Fair warning!) While Slamson isn't as freaky as Jazz Bear, he comes pretty darn close. It's a shame, too, because lions can typically make good mascots.
No. 12: Coyote (San Antonio Spurs)
It's the eyes for me. Coyote may remind you of Looney Tunes, and that's not necessarily bad. However, eye-to-eye with Coyote is where things get a little overwhelming ... and unsettling.
No. 11: Pierre the Pelican (New Orleans Pelicans)
A pelican is admittedly hard to pull off. But I think Pierre does a good job! Everything is working out to the best of its potential, in terms of design. But in comparison to other NBA mascots on our list, he's pretty lackluster.
No. 10: Crunch the Wolf (Minnesota Timberwolves)
Who knew a Timberwolf would make such a good mascot? Crunch has an awesome look that's complimented by the colors of the team. He is very underrated.
No. 9: Grizz (Memphis Grizzlies)
What in the Country Bears is this? This definitely goes under the "creepy" category. But, there is something special to Grizz.
No. 8: Champ (Dallas Mavericks)
Champ has an awesome design. The "M" on the forehead ties everything together really well. Dallas is lucky to have Champ in their atmosphere.
No. 7: G-Wiz (Washington Wizards)
Yes, the Muppets vibes are there. This is a pretty out-there mascot, don't get me wrong. But it also seems to work really well—and G-Wiz gets bonus points for taking risks!
No. 6: Rumble the Bison (Oklahoma City Thunder)
Rumble is probably the best-looking bison mascot to ever exist! He may be a bit creepy, but he's also so many other positive things. Rumble looks awesome.
No. 5: Go the Gorilla (Phoenix Suns)
There's something about Go the Gorilla, and it's something awesome! We all know that simplicity goes a long way in mascot design, but this works way more than it should.
No. 4: Blaze the Trail Cat (Portland Trail Blazers)
It doesn't get much better than Blaze! The perfect balance of all things a mascot should be. Awesome tail!
No. 3: Clutch the Bear (Houston Rockets)
Sticking to form goes a long way, and Clutch is another good example of sticking with what works. Houston is lucky to have Clutch leading the charge!
No. 2: Chuck the Condor (Los Angeles Clippers)
I know what you're thinking: "What in the Toucan Sam is this mascot doing at number 2?" Look closely, as this could easily go down as a mascot trying to do too much, BUT it works. And it works so well.
No. 1: Rocky the Mountain Lion (Denver Nuggets)
I think Rocky's look speaks for itself! This is a mascot that Nuggets fans want to hug and others do not want to cross. You can't mess with a classic look like this!
What do you think of our NBA mascot ranking for the Western Division? Do you agree or disagree with our picks?
