Top Five NBA Mascots

The National Basketball Association has endured some difficult times in the past few years, with ugly brawls and some player scandals taking some of the major headlines. In the past year or two though, the game seems to have made a pretty nice rebound. Last year's NBA Finals match up between the Celtics and the Lakers did a lot to fuel NBA fans, since that is an old rivalry that will never die. The NBA seems to be back on the road to success and the NBA as a whole is trying to do a better job to keep the league and all of its players on a positive track.

Attendance at NBA games is being hurt in some places by the economy, but overall it is holding up fairly well. Most people come to watch the players and the game itself of course, but its always nice to have some great entertainment while you are there. The NBA mascots are a huge part of the entertainment for teams, and they are particularly important in keeping the young fans interested while they are at the game. Which NBA mascots are the best at entertaining the crowd?

Top Five NBA Mascots

1. The Phoenix Suns Gorilla (Suns)- No one can top the Suns Gorilla when it comes to pulling off amazing stunts and turning heads in the crowd. He started entertaining fans in Phoenix in 1980 and he has become a hit through all of his high flying, back flipping special dunks and moves.

2. Rocky the Mountain Lion (Nuggets)- Denver's Rocky the Mountain Lion debuted in 1990, much later than many of the other mascots, but he has made a real mark on the NBA in his time. Rocky was made famous during his playful feuds with Charles Barkley. Rocky is also known for his acrobatic moves that please everyone at the game.

3. The Coyote (Spurs)- The Coyote was named the NBA's top mascot in 2005 by gameops. The Coyote is terrific at keeping fans of all ages into the San Antonio home games. The Coyote is known for being friendly with just about everyone, except the MailMan (Karl Malone).

4. Benny the Bull (Bulls)- Benny got a lot of publicity in the 1990's when Jordan and the Bulls won so often, and Benny did a great job keeping the people pumped up for every single game. Benny is known to play some tricks on people to get a laugh, and he will always spend time with the little ones.

5. Jazz Bear (Jazz)- The Jazz Bear is known for his amazing pyrotechnics. Jazz Bear loves to jump through hoops of fire before dunking the basketball, and is known for his amazing stunts that woo the crowd.