NBA mascot power rankings, best past and present

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Detroit Pistons. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

20. Hooper: Detroit Pistons

I’ll say this for Hooper: he’s a far better and more logical mascot than Sir Slam A Lot, who lasted three seasons before the high-flying equine put him out to pasture in 1996.

In case you were wondering, Sir Slam A Lot — a play on Sir Mix-A-Lot, whose smash hit “Baby Got Back” was released in 1992…two years before this mascot was introduced — is basically a more colorful, less frightening, lamer version of BrooklyKnight that was doomed to age poorly.

Enter Hooper, who thankfully was given a backstory that didn’t sound like an animal being snatched from the wild to entertain the masses, if this Wikipedia entry on his biography is to be believed:

"Hooper was born in Lucky, Kentucky, and was originally trained to be a racehorse. But Hooper knew he was too talented to be relegated to horse racing, so he trained long and hard to master his craft and hone his skills, until finally earning his spot as the Pistons’ official mascot. Hooper can be seen in parades atop his ride, the Hooper-Mobile, riding around the city on one of his many motorbikes and ATVs, and shooting t-shirts from his t-shirt cannon in games. He may not be the best dancer on the planet but he loves to try. Hooper celebrates his birthday at a Pistons home game with Roary from the Detroit Lions, Paws from the Detroit Tigers, and many of his other fellow NBA mascots."

The official Detroit Pistons website is a bit more concise in this regard:

"This crazy horse has been with the Pistons since 1996 when the Pistons adopted him because of his excitement and refusal to leave the building. Over the years Hooper has grown, evolved, and become beloved by Pistons players and fans alike. He has undergone a few changes, but he’ll always be Detroit’s Very Own. He’s always ready to give you a big hug, pump up the crowd, shoot t-shirts, and add excitement wherever he is."

Hooper may be a bit bland compared to some of the other mascots on this list, but he’s an upgrade over a weird tribute to medieval times/early ’90s rap.