Who Is the NBA’s Oldest Mascot?
One of the longest-standing staples in the NBA, and for sports in general, is the presence of mascots at games. These beloved characters have been around for decades, bringing joy and excitement to the fans attending these live events and, in many instances, getting these passionate people through the difficult times that every team experiences. However, of all the legendary mascots that have become a part of the NBA community, which is the oldest? Well, that would be none other than the Chicago Bulls’ Benny the Bull.
Named after the late announcer Ben Bentley, the first announcer and publicist for the Chicago Bulls when the team was founded, Benny became the first mascot in NBA history when he officially debuted on October 17, 1969. Ever since then, his fame and reputation have only grown with hundreds of stunts and crazy fan interactions, earning him a plethora of accolades that have become attributed to his name. These include being a 13-time NBA All-Star Mascot, the NBA Mascot of the Year in 2015, the 2013 Forbes Favorite Sports Mascot, and the 2020 Shorty Awards Winner in Best in Dance. All of these awards have solidified his induction into the Mascot Hall of Fame in 2017. Besides these “professional” accolades though, Benny also has many other accomplishments as well such as having made 236 half-court shots in his lifetime, possessing his car, being an excellent musician as evident through his masterful playing of the drums and guitar, and more impressively, having spilt 43,770,875 pieces of popcorn which just so happens to be his favorite food. This number tends to grow by the second as well.
Since his debut for the Chicago Bulls in 1969, Benny has seen it all. From the Chicago Bulls’ first days as a franchise, their dynastic empire with Michael Jordan at the helm, the resurgence in notoriety under MVP Derrick Rose, and until their most recent season. Across these multiple decades, Benny has visited with thousands of fans, been seen by millions of people, and has become the only constant across the Bulls’ entire history, delivering joy to countless generations of sports fans worldwide. Seems the number one jersey is pretty fitting for him after all.
