Kenn Solomon first suited up as Rocky, the mountain lion with the lightning bolt tail, on December 15, 1990; he soon became the most popular mascot in Colorado sports, known for his backwards half-court shots at the hoop. In 2012, Drake went to work for the Nuggets as a trampoline dunk artist and member of the "Promo Squad," and when his father retired in 2021, Drake was the only candidate to succeed Kenn as Rocky. Westword told the saga of the father-son mascot duo last October.
In his second season as Rocky, the Nuggets' 2022-2023 championship run, Drake began experiencing pain in his right hip after a bout of COVID, subsequently diagnosed as avascular necrosis, a condition in which his femur bones weren't getting enough blood flow, causing them to degenerate. Drake had surgery to treat the condition in March 2023, and returned as Rocky after the championship season ended. But the pain endured, and in February 2024 doctors said he needed a double hip replacement.
Drake Solomon (left), with his father, former Rocky mascot Kenn Solomon, and brother Cade Solomon.
Evan Semón
Drake is represented by Virginia Hill Butler and Matthew J. Cron of Rathod Mohamedbhai LLC. Besides the unlawful disability-based discrimination and termination claims, the lawsuit also seeks to establish a class action for all former Kroenke employees who were presented with the same severance agreement, which Drake's attorneys assert violated multiple provisions of Colorado's Protecting Opportunities and Workers' Rights Act. They allege the severance agreement was missing required language setting forth Drake's rights after his termination.
The lawsuit, which attorneys plan to file today, August 13, seeks to recover economic and compensatory damages plus interest, along with punitive damages, attorneys' fees, and $5,000 per violation for Drake and others in the class who received the same severance agreement.
