NBA mascot power rankings, best past and present

3. Benny the Bull: Chicago Bulls

If you’re reading this and happen to be a Chicago Bulls fan, you’ve probably grown frustrated with the way things have gone under Gar Forman and John Paxson’s stewardship.

Chances are that you’re probably not looking forward to another season of Zach LaVine’s high-volume shooting spectaculars or drill sergeant head coach Jim Boylan’s poor man’s Tom Thibodeau routine. If that gets you down, keep in mind that Benny the Bull has been around for a lot worse for a lot longer.

Benny has been with the Bulls since 1969. He has become one of the most recognized mascots in the world, bringing smiles to people’s faces even though Bulls fans haven’t had much to cheer for outside of the Michael Jordan dynasty and the brief promise of the Derrick Rose years.

In that time, Benny has garnered several accolades, including winning the 2015 Mascot of the Year, being named the most popular mascot in America by Forbes in 2013 and being inducted in the Mascots Hall of Fame in 2019.

It’s not often that mascots end up level footing with star players in terms of popularity; if you have a mascot that often overshadows your players, you probably need to find a general manager that can get better players.

But you could argue that Benny is as integral to this team’s identity as arguably the greatest player of all time, though one is a bit more important to the Bulls’ popularity than the other.