Former Nuggets Mascot Suing Franchise For Discrimination, Wrongful Termination

Drake Solomon, who performed as Rocky, the Denver Nuggets mascot, is suing the franchise’s parent company for alleged disability discrimination and wrongful termination.

Drake Solomon Cites Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act

According to Corey Masisak of The Denver Post, Solomon claims his firing by Kroenke Sports & Entertainment (KSE) in August 2024 violated the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act.

Solomon took over as Rocky when his father, Kenn Solomon, retired in 2021. He alleges in a lawsuit filed Wednesday that KSE fired him months after he had hip replacement surgery to battle avascular necrosis (AVN).

“The lawsuit contends the Nuggets violated the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act through discrimination on the basis of disability, retaliation, and two claims of aiding and abetting unfair employment practices against his KSE supervisors,” Masisak wrote.

The complaint also alleges that KSE violated the Protecting Opportunities and Workers’ Rights (POWR) Act with the severance agreement it offered Solomon.

Solomon Was Offered $20,000, Non-Disclosure Agreement

Per Jasmine Arenas of CBS Colorado, Solomon said he was offered $20,000 and a non-disclosure agreement as part of his severance agreement. He refused.

Kenn Solomon was the original Rocky mascot, making his debut for the Nuggets on Dec. 15, 1990. He performed as Rocky for more than three decades before retiring in 2021.

Drake Solomon began working for KSE in 2012 as a member of the “Promo Squad” and reportedly spent his time as the backup mascot and his father’s game-night assistant, per Masisak.

The younger Solomon performed during the 2021-22 season, but he began experiencing pain in his hips the following year. He was diagnosed with AVN and underwent bilateral core decompression surgery in March 2023.

Solomon’s father came out of retirement to fill in as Rocky while his son recovered.

Nuggets Held Tryouts For His Replacement

According to the lawsuit, when the first surgery did not fix the issue, Solomon informed his supervisors in February 2024 that he would need total hip replacement surgery.

Solomon said after notifying his supervisors with the Nuggets that he would need surgery, the organization began holding tryouts for his replacement.

“I was on the court at 2-weeks-old,” Solomon told CBS Colorado. “It came to a point where I was on the court shooting a half-court shot with tears dripping down my face. It’s hard thinking about those times. I really wanted to bring the same energy.”

Per the lawsuit, after Solomon told his supervisors that his doctors said he would return to full health in three months, KSE personnel told him he was still unreliable because of his condition and unsuccessful surgery.