Through KJZZ's Q&AZ reporting project, a listener asked: “Why do the Phoenix Suns have a gorilla for a mascot?”
It turns out, The Gorilla, which remains one of the most recognizable and popular mascots in the NBA, was born quite by accident.
Those attending any Phoenix Suns game are bound to see The Gorilla taking pictures with fans or helping in-game hosts give out prizes. But nowadays, he’s probably best known for his stunts.
Chase Tallman, 17, is a Suns fan who's seen the mascot's signature moves.
“During halftime or a time out he was jumping on trampolines and then he was doing flips and what not and dunkin’ it," Tallman said. “It’s very entertaining for the little ones and the adults.”
Another fan, Titus Converse, described The Gorilla as "one of the most iconic mascots in all of sports."
“I genuinely think the Suns gorilla is [one of] the top two mascots in the league, and he’s not number two," Converse said.
In fact, The Gorilla was named the 2024 NBA Mascot of the Year. But while he's expected to be at a Suns game today, fans were certainly not expecting him when he first stepped onto the court at Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum during the 1979-80 season.
Inside the suit was then-23-year-old Henry Rojas.
“I needed some extra money, and my sister talked me into taking a job singing telegrams with a company called Eastern Onion," Rojas said.
Rojas started delivering musical messages, typically dressed in a tuxedo. But he was also a die-hard Suns fan.
“I had told Eastern Onion, if you ever get a telegram to a Suns game, I’d like to have it because I’d like to sit and watch the rest of the game, but I’m thinking in the tuxedo," Rojas said.
Eventually, someone did request a telegram to be delivered at a Suns game, but there was a catch.
“They didn’t tell me until a day or two before that the people were paying extra for the telegram singer to wear a gorilla suit," Rojas said.
Rojas actually didn’t want to do it and tried to get out of the gig, but ultimately drove to the game in a gorilla suit. He told workers what he was there to do, and an usher was supposed to take him up to the seats, but never did.
“I can’t leave the court because I’m near the edge of the court and the game’s going on," Rojas said. "A time out is called and then they start playing music.”
The music got the best of him and Rojas started dancing. Fans loved it and at the next time out, staffers were pushing him back onto the court.
“The official tells me to go to the free-throw line and throws me the ball," Rojas said. "I could barely see the basket through my mask, I had sweat dropping into my eyes and I flipped the shot up and I hit the free throw — swish it.”
Rojas woke up the next morning to a surprising conversation on his radio alarm clock.
“It’s the old KOY radio program, Sandy Gibbons and Bill Heywood talking about the gorilla at the game that night," Rojas said. “‘Who was that guy?’ and I’m jumping on my bed. ‘It was me! It was me!’”
Rojas later ended up on another radio program where they asked him why he didn’t just perform at all the games.
“I said, ‘no, I would never be a gate crasher,'" Rojas said. "So then fictitious telegrams started being sent by people to get the gorilla to the game.”
Rojas continued using his improv skills to entertain fans and eventually, the team invited him to be an official part of gameday. But at the time, teams didn’t have cheerleaders or entertainment departments, so Rojas had to do odd jobs in the summer.
“So I would go into the Suns office and then I went by a different name and called season ticket holders [or] did whatever until we could figure this out," Rojas said.
He eventually carved out a place for himself, acting as the primary entertainment in two NBA All-Star Games and outselling players in merchandise, not by imitating a gorilla, but by playing a gorilla who wanted to be more human.
One of his favorite moments was coming out to music from the "Rocky" movie and running up the steps of the coliseum.
“When I got to the very top, I was standing in the general admissions seats where my uncle used to take me to Suns games and I high-fived those people," Rojas said. "I think that was the moment I realized, 'I’ve connected to the little guy.'”
Ronnie Williams started as a ball boy with the Suns, but ended up being the righthand man for Rojas.
Williams said one of Rojas' signature bits was poking fun at players from the other team who had gotten in trouble that week.
“And not just players, movies [too]. Like back then, "Beverly Hills Cop" was a big hit, with Eddie Murphy," Williams said. “Henry would run to the store and pick up a shirt and a hoodie and portray Eddie Murphy.”
Williams remembers a lot of trips to Goodwill to find props for Rojas’ spur-of-the-moment ideas. Rojas also became a mentor to then-12-year-old Williams.
“It seemed like the greater our relationship got, the more The Gorilla grew in my heart and a lot of the fans' hearts," Williams said.
Williams eventually went off to college, and Rojas decided to shed the gorilla suit to pursue other endeavors. He never expected the character to live on when he left, but said he realizes now that every spectator had a memory with The Gorilla and he’s happy to see fans continue to make memories today.
“Even now at 67, this thing never ends," Rojas said. "I’ve got grandkids. I would love for them to see what I used to do and where I was and it’s been the greatest thing to embrace it.”
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