The Los Angeles Lakers is one of the most popular franchises around the world. Ever since the ‘Showtime’ era, the team in purple and gold had its name on the lips of basketball fans all around the world. Nevertheless, unlike most of the franchises out there, the Lakers never really had a mascot. Well, some fans may have never noticed this, and for the most part, it may have been due to the iconic players. In each decade, the Lakers have had some sort of dominance. From Magic Johnson to Kobe Bryant to the present-day leader, LeBron James. Still, it wouldn’t hurt to add an attractive mascot under the team’s name. But why haven’t the Lakers ever given this idea a thought?

“No possible way” – Jerry Buss rejected a mascot idea

Jeanie Buss already showed interest in growing the franchise in her college days. Buss, along with her friend and Lakers employee, Linda Rambis once thought of an official mascot for the team. They named it, Slam Duck. Rambis described this in the book, ‘Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley, and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s’.

Rambis said that Slam Duck was an “edgy duck with a Mohawk and a piercing” in the book. Moreover, when Buss and Rambis introduced the idea to the man himself, Jerry Buss, then majority owner, he wasn’t so fond of the idea. “We hired a cartoonist to draw him up, and we thought we could send him to schools instead of the players. Dr. Buss looked at it and said, ‘No way. No possible way.’ In hindsight, he was right. But the duck was cute.”, Rambis added. Jerry Buss had a different perspective of the franchise when it came to its theme. The ‘cool and hip’ atmosphere that Buss strived for definitely did not incline with the mascot idea. Nevertheless, Jeanie Buss is now in charge of the Lakers.

Another reason, well it’s mostly a theory, for the Lakers not adding a Mascot was the team’s endorsement by the famous. The Lakers received so much support from many celebrities that the team thought it unnecessary to add a mascot.

Dancing Barry – the unofficial mascot?

Among three other teams that don’t have an official mascot, the Lakers once had a dancer who entertained the crowd back in the 80s. Barry Richards, known as ‘Dancing Barry’ first served as a dancer for the Houston Rockets. But he didn’t stay for the franchise for long. Richards moved to in 1982 where he got the idea for performing at Lakers’ home games.

Before he knew it, Dancing Barry became a regular performer for the Lakers for more than seven years. However, he also performed for the Rockets from time to time. If anything, Dancing Barry was the closest the Lakers ever were to having a mascot. His last performance for the Lakers was back in 1990 when the men in purple and gold beat the Chicago Bulls in a 15-point win. Well, coming back to having a real mascot, what else did the Lakers plan?

Can Jeanie Buss bring the Slam Duck back for the Lakers?

Now that Buss controls the franchise she can look to bring back the ‘duck with a Mohawk and a piercing’ to real life. But then again, how what would it look like? For the most part, the mascot might have a look similar to Donald Duck. Of course, being one of the most famous cartoons, a Donald Duck-like mascot is what fans can expect if the Lakers ever give this idea a thought. Comparing it to mascots like Benny the Bull, Rocky the Mountain Lion, Harry the Hawk, and others, having a Duck as a mascot might not suit the Lakers.

At the end of the day, the Lakers are just fine without a mascot. So are teams like the Warriors, the Knicks, and the Nets. The home games feature multiple celebrities every other night. And of course, having the King himself on the roster alongside other star players, the Lakers need not worry about adding any extra attractions. For instance, the notable editions for this upcoming season include Bronny James and new head coach, JJ Redick.

Fans will be more than entertained when they witness the father and son duo along with Redick on the sidelines. But it will be interesting to see whether the Lakers look to add an official mascot in the coming years. What are your thoughts on this? Would you like to see the Lakers feature a Duck as a mascot? Let us know in the comments.