The Suns Gorilla
Encyclopedia
The Suns Gorilla is the official mascot
of the Phoenix Suns
basketball team. He is famous for his entertaining antics and dunks
which he performs off of a trampoline between the 3rd and 4th quarters. He appeared as a secret character in the video game NBA Jam
Tournament Edition. He is also a charter member of the Mascot Hall of Fame
, inducted in 2005.
The Gorilla first appeared in the winter of 1980, in the form of an Eastern Onion singing telegram messenger sent by James Oberhaus, a loyal fan. Having been invited onto the court by security, his antics caused him to become an instant hit with the fans.
The Gorilla is shown in television commercials, and media print in and around the Phoenix metro area. The Gorilla has also been on the "Good Morning Arizona" morning news show.
The Suns Gorilla has become so popular with Suns fans that he now has a baby Suns Gorilla that he can be seen performing with at Suns home games. The Suns Gorilla is sometimes referred to as "Go" by local fans.
According to an interview with Bob Woolf, who has played the Gorilla since 1988, the Gorilla is from the Banana Republic, is 5 foot ape, and attended Furman University.
Mascot
The term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
of the Phoenix Suns
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association and the only team in their division not to be based in California. Their home arena since 1992 has been the US...
basketball team. He is famous for his entertaining antics and dunks
Slam dunk
A slam dunk is a type of basketball shot that is performed when a player jumps in the air and manually powers the ball downward through the basket with one or both hands over the rim. This is considered a normal field goal attempt; if successful it is worth two points. The term "slam dunk" was...
which he performs off of a trampoline between the 3rd and 4th quarters. He appeared as a secret character in the video game NBA Jam
NBA Jam
NBA Jam is a basketball arcade game developed by Midway in 1993. It is the first entry in the NBA Jam series, and was written entirely in assembly language. The main designer and programmer for this game was Mark Turmell...
Tournament Edition. He is also a charter member of the Mascot Hall of Fame
Mascot Hall of Fame
The Mascot Hall of Fame is a hall of fame for United States sports mascots. It was founded by David Raymond, who was the original Phillie Phanatic from 1978 to 1993. It is an online-only hall, with an induction ceremony taking place each year in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
, inducted in 2005.
The Gorilla first appeared in the winter of 1980, in the form of an Eastern Onion singing telegram messenger sent by James Oberhaus, a loyal fan. Having been invited onto the court by security, his antics caused him to become an instant hit with the fans.
The Gorilla is shown in television commercials, and media print in and around the Phoenix metro area. The Gorilla has also been on the "Good Morning Arizona" morning news show.
The Suns Gorilla has become so popular with Suns fans that he now has a baby Suns Gorilla that he can be seen performing with at Suns home games. The Suns Gorilla is sometimes referred to as "Go" by local fans.
According to an interview with Bob Woolf, who has played the Gorilla since 1988, the Gorilla is from the Banana Republic, is 5 foot ape, and attended Furman University.