Drake Solomon, the scion of a mascot family who played the Denver Nuggets’ Rocky until losing a tryout last year, sued the team’s owners Tuesday for disability discrimination.
Solomon, 32, is the son of Kenn Solomon, who became the first Rocky in 1990, transformed the mountain lion into a taunting and trampoline-dunking fan favorite, and inspired his kids to follow in his oversized shoes. Another son, Garett, performs as Detroit Pistons mascot Hooper.
So, when Kenn Solomon retired in 2021, Drake Solomon was the only person invited to try out for the role of Rocky, he says in this week’s lawsuit. But after a year, the younger Solomon was hurting. Doctors diagnosed him with a condition that erodes bone tissue in the hips.
One surgery in early 2023 didn’t resolve the problem, so Solomon to