2023 Mascot Hall of Fame Best Video Short Award Winner
Jazz Bear is the official mascot of the Utah Jazz, a member of the NBA’s Northwest Division in the Western Conference. The Jazz play their home games at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, and have been one of the league’s most consistent franchises since their relocation from New Orleans in 1979. Jazz Bear made his debut in 1994, stepping in as the team’s full-time mascot after a bear named “Cosmo” had made occasional appearances in earlier years. He has since become one of the most recognizable and athletically gifted mascots in professional basketball, a reputation cemented by his 2023 Mascot Hall of Fame Best Video Short Award (NBA/Major League category) for a clip that is equal parts terrifying and completely on brand.
Dare Bear — The Rope Swing
Jazz Bear’s award-winning video short is straightforward in concept and jaw-dropping in execution. In the Dare Bear rope swing video, Jazz Bear launches himself off a rope swing in what can only be described as the kind of stunt that a bear mascot absolutely should not attempt, and pulls off anyway. The video captured the fearless, go-for-it personality that has defined Jazz Bear’s character for three decades and resonated immediately with fans across social media.
A Legacy of Athletic Mascot Performances
Jazz Bear’s rope swing moment didn’t come out of nowhere. He has built a long reputation as one of the most physically capable mascots in the NBA, known for trampoline dunks, crowd-diving stunts, and in-game antics that regularly draw as much attention as the game itself. The video short simply gave a national audience a concentrated dose of what Jazz fans have known for years.
The Utah Jazz kept their New Orleans name after relocating to Salt Lake City in 1979 — a geographical mismatch that has puzzled sports fans ever since. Jazz Bear, however, has never seemed particularly bothered by the irony and remains Utah’s most enthusiastic representative regardless of genre.
