PHOTO BY TONY HUYNH VIA ORLANDO MAGIC
STUFF (Instagram), the Orlando Magic’s longtime mascot, has been named the 2026 NBA Mascot of the Year at the league’s annual NBA Mascot Conference, marking his third win in the award’s history following previous honors in 2016 and 2017.
According to the email we got earlier today, the award is voted on by STUFF’s fellow NBA mascots. And that’s great. This year’s win also makes him the first back-to-back winner in the award’s history, and puts him in unique company as the only mascot in the league to win multiple awards this season. STUFF also picked up the 2025-26 Digital Content Award for his “Play the Song” moments following Magic wins, along with the 2025-26 Video of the Year Award for his “Choices Nope – Yep” segment.
The NBA Mascot Awards debuted in 2005 as part of the annual conference, which gives mascots across the league a chance to share ideas on game day skits, props, and costumes.
STUFF is entering his 38th season as one of professional sports’ most recognizable mascots, having been part of American pop culture since his debut in 1989. Known for high-profile stunts, STUFF once proposed marriage to supermodel Kate Upton in a prank that landed him coverage on outlets like TMZ, and later faced off against “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon” mascot Hashtag in a nationally televised dance-off that ended in a tie. He also landed on ESPN’s Top Ten Plays for a backflip dunk off a 16-foot ladder.
