Hugo (orHugo the Hornet) is the mascot of theCharlotte Hornets of theNational Basketball Association. Designed byCheryl Henson, daughter ofJim Henson, Hugo the Hornet was created in 1988, one year beforeHurricane Hugo hit the Carolinas.[1]
The Hugo moniker was selected from a pool of more than 6,000 fan suggestions, and was inaugurated as part of the Charlotte Hornets'first season.[1] In the aftermath of the damage resulting fromHurricane Hugo in September 1989, the Hornets announced that the Hugo moniker would remain, and the mascot's name would not be changed to Hoser or Hank.[2]
During a break between the first and second quarters of a 2008 game between theNew Orleans Hornets and theSan Antonio Spurs, Hugo jumped off atrampoline through a ring of fire and dunked a basketball. Afterwards, theNew Orleans Arena arena crew responsible for cleanup used the wrong fire extinguisher and were unable to put the fire out, resulting in the arena filling with smoke and causing a 19-minute delay.NBA Executive Vice President of Basketball OperationsStu Jackson canceled the halftime show and later fined the team. During the halftime show, TV commentatorCharles Barkley dared Hugo to repeat the stunt after the 3rd quarter.[3] Barkley continued calling out Hugo throughout the night and in the next game.
After the New Orleans team became the Pelicans in 2013, Hugo was retired in favor ofPierre the Pelican. On December 21, 2013, the Charlotte Bobcats announced they would reclaim the Hornets name and Hugo the Hornet for the 2014–15 season. Hugo officially returned to Charlotte on June 5, 2014.
Hugo is a 4-time winner of the NBA Mascot Slam Dunk Championship. Hugo is also a 2-time winner of the NBA Best Mascot Award byNBA Inside Stuff, a magazine that he has been featured in on numerous occasions. In addition, Hugo has also been featured in such foreign magazines asNew Sports and5 Majeur.
Hugo, as well as three other NBA mascots (Benny the Bull,Crunch the Wolf andThe Suns Gorilla), appears as a hidden player in the video gameNBA Jam Tournament Edition.