NBA mascot power rankings, best past and present

29. Chuck the Condor: Los Angeles Clippers

Contrary to what you may think, exuberant Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer is not moonlighting as his team’s mascot, though you’d be forgiven if you thought that was the case given his antics.

The actual Clippers mascot, Chuck the Condor, is… much less popular. Fashioned after the almost endangered California Condor, the Clippers’ mascot drew the ire of more than a few fans upon his 2016 debut. Here is just one response to the swashbuckling fowl:

It’s hard to cast blame. I mean, look at this thing. He’s essentially a vulture in daredevil attire. Setting aside the baffling decision to have a bird that feasts on animal carcasses as the physical representation of the team — though decaying remains on the side of the road would’ve been the perfect metaphor for this team prior to 2010 — and the fact that birds have nothing to do with sailing, the timing of the mascot’s introduction was completely off.

It would’ve made more sense to create this mascot during the Chris Paul/Blake Griffin/DeAndre Jordan era, as the creature of flight would’ve meshed well with those “Lob City” teams. But ownership was probably too busy booking promotional events for Black History Month during the wrong month to take advantage of such an opportunity.

Introducing Chuck then would’ve been the perfect distraction for Donald Sterling’s odious stewardship or the team’s consistent playoff failures. Now, the oversized bird sits in the shadow of the bombastic owner who’s sure to become even more animated now that Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are in town.