A tale that starts with real bruises and ends in an unexpected friendship. The rivalry between Charles Barkley and Rocky the Mountain Lion is one for the ages. For those unaware, Kenn Solomon was the first and only mascot (Rocky) for the Nuggets until his son, Drake Solomon, took over the mantle. And if you thought mascot interactions were just goofy sideshows, you should listen to Kenn, recalling his near 3-decade old interactions with Barkley that sure entertained the fans to their core.

Picture this—it’s the heyday of Barkley’s career. As recalled by Kenn, he was the bad guy, infamous for his wild antics off the court, like tossing someone through a window. Enter Rocky, the Denver Nuggets mascot, with an unshakeable commitment to entertaining the crowd. During one game, Rocky couldn’t resist but taunt Barkley, throwing playful jabs as he walked by. Barkley, never one to back down, said, “Yeah, it’s cool, man. Come on, let’s shake.” Seems harmless, right? Well, not quite.

The moment Rocky reached out, Barkley yanked him in and “boom”—hit him in the face. “Literally my knees buckle. I’m out,” the man behind Rocky recalled. He stumbled off with a nosebleed, a loose tooth, and bleeding lips, thinking, “Is he (Barkley) really that guy?” But what happened next shows just how far the performer was willing to go to get answers.

“Get my stilts,” he told his assistant, determined to test Barkley’s intentions. Marching back out on the court, he stood tall beside the bench, pulling out his best Fred Sanford impression. And then came the moment of truth—Barkley walked over, feigned a move toward Rocky’s crotch, and watched as the mascot exaggerated a stumble. That’s when it clicked to Kenn–“This guy gets it.” 

The playful scuffle turned into an ongoing routine, even though many doubted it could happen again. But Barkley didn’t just show up—he fully committed. “He walks out, jumps up in the air. Boom. Hits me in the face. I turn like a tree going down,” Kenn described another one of the interactions between the two. And just like that, a partnership was born. Can you imagine Barkley swinging by Rocky’s room after a game, asking, “What are we doing tonight?” Well, yes, it happened, as mentioned by Kenn on PABLO TORRE FINDS OUT.

Solomon had come to play the mascot for the Nuggets since 1990 and eventually went on to be inducted into the Mascot Hall of Fame in 2008. He also came to be the highest paid mascot with his antics involving high-flying stunts, acrobatics, rollerblading for dunks, and hyping the crowd unlike any other. Yet, his most memorable moment through his career remains his interactions with Barkley.

End of an era between Charles Barkley and the SuperMascot?

One of the last interactions between Rocky The Mountain Lion and Barkley was witnessed back in 2023. While it was no longer Kenn under that head mask, it was still a Solomon. But it seems this could have been the end of an era with what we witnessed in 2023. One reason is that the NBA on TNT’s run is likely to end with the league.

Apart from this, this could have been the last time that Solomon donned the outfit of Rocky. Fox31 reported in June this year that Kroenke Sports and Entertainment were looking for a mascot performer in Denver. At least that’s what it seemed from a new job listing posted in June this year.

The job listing did not specifically say that it’s for Rocky the Mountain Lion, also known as SuperMascot Rocky. But clues in the requirements pointed to this being the most likely option. For one, the job called for basketball knowledge and skills and the ability to do things like “dunking off a trampoline.” The job was also specifically tied to the Denver Nuggets and not any other Denver-area team owned and operated by Kroenke.

Anyone selected for the role was supposed to start by September 1 this year, according to the listing. But so far there have been no reports of the new mascot in Denver. Now, it’s to be seen if we witness a Solomon in Rocky’s outfit engaging in friendly banter with Charles Barkley this season as well.