Hugo the Hornet is the mascot for the Charlotte Hornet in the NBA and was designed by Cheryl Henson, daughter of famous artist Jim Henson. Hugo was created in 1988 and a pool of more than 6000 fans were asked to give name suggestions. A damaging Hurricane named Hugo wreaked havoc, causing the team to think again about the name. However, it was decided later that the name of the mascot would not be changed.
Hugo was the mascot for the New Orleans Hornets until 2013. In a match between the New Orleans Hornets and the San Antonio Spurs in 2008, he jumped off a trampoline through a ring of fire and dunked. The crew used the wrong fire extinguisher, causing the smoke to fill the arena. As a result, the match was delayed by 19 minutes and the halftime show was canceled and the New Orleans Hornets were fined for the delay.
The New Orleans team changed their name from Hornets to Pelicans and Hugo was retired once again. The Charlotte Hornets (then Charlotte Bobcats) announced that they would be reclaiming the Hornets name and therefore Hugo, the Hornet mascot.
Hugo the Hornet Real Name
Michael Zerrillo was the man who portrayed Hugo the Hornet for 17 seasons and retired in 2007. However, no information is available regarding who is the man behind the costume these days. Besides entertaining the crowd, Hugo is also an ambassador for the team and has made many appearances in schools, hospitals and the Charlotte community to represent the team’s culture. According to online sources, he earns an estimate of $100,000 per year and is the fifth highest paid mascot in the NBA.
Hugo has an alter ego named Super Hugo, which is unleashed to make the crowd soar. Super Hugo is known to fly through the air throwing down thunderous dunks and acrobatics to increase intensity. Hugo has won the NBA Mascot Slam Dunk Championship four times and was honored with the NBA Best Mascot Award twice by the NBA Inside Stuff. The Hornet dons a blue colored full body spandex costume with a furry overcoat, big black eyes, wings, and basketball shoes.
FAQs
A. More than 6000 fans gave name suggestions for the mascot of the Charlotte Hornets. Hugo Moniker was chosen from that pool of suggestions.
A. Hugo entertains the crowd during the breaks and represents the team at numerous community events every year.
A. Hugo the Hornet was designed by Cheryl Henson.
A. While NBA mascot salaries are kept confidential, some sources suggest that Hugo the Hornet earns over $100,000 per annum.
