The History of The Gorilla

Before 1980, Veterans Memorial Coliseum had already established itself as a place to go “ape.”

Maybe that’s why he showed up that night. Or, perhaps it was because he heard how great the winters in Phoenix are.

Why the Phoenix Suns Gorilla arrived in the winter of 1980 isn’t nearly as intriguing as what he’s done since he arrived.

For the record, this mischievous mascot was born quite by accident. A messenger for Eastern Onion, a singing telegram service, came to the Coliseum during a home game dressed as a gorilla. As he left, Coliseum security suggested he do a few dances underneath the basket during a timeout and the fans loved it. So did the messenger, who kept coming to games until he was…