Squatch

Squatch (a derivation of sasquatch) was the team mascot for the Seattle SuperSonics of the National Basketball Association. Between his 1993 debut and the team's relocation in 2008 to Oklahoma City, Squatch appeared at more than 175 events annually, and was with the organization during their run to the 1996 NBA Finals. [ [http://www.nba.com/sonics/news/squatch_release_080125.html SONICS: Sonics Celebrate Squatch’s Birthday Sunday ] ]

In 2007, Chris Ballew of the rock band Presidents of the United States of America wrote and performed a song about the mascot. [ [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVV3tNWEI7A YouTube - Chris Ballew - Theme from S.Q.U.A.T.C.H. Song ] ] That same year, Squatch attempted to set a world record with a jump of 30 feet on inline skates, over vehicles owned by NBA players Ray Allen and Robert Swift. [ [http://www.nba.com/sonics/news/squatch_070607.html SONICS: Squatch Attempts to Set Guiness World Record ] ]

The biography of the Edmonton Rush Lacrosse Club's yeti mascot, Slush, describes a history wherein the two characters grew up together in the Cascade Mountains. Squatch appeared during the Rush's inaugural game to "teach" Slush how to be a professional mascot.

Following the move of the SuperSonics to Oklahoma City, the character was retired, and remains part of the intellectual property (name, colors, et cetera) that the City of Seattle retained as part of the KeyArena lease settlement. The character's performer from 1999-2008 remains under contract with the relocated team.citation | last = Lewis | first = Mike | title = Post-Sonics, the inner Squatch abides | newspaper=The Seattle Post-Intelligencer | year=2008 |date = July 27, 2008 | url=http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/372427_needle28.html] To date, the Oklahoma City Thunder have not debuted a mascot.

References

* [http://www.nba.com/sonics/mascot/Squatch_The_Sonics_Mascot-37570-51.html Squatch, The Sonics Mascot] at the Seattle SuperSonics official website
* [http://www.edmontonrush.com/slush Slush's webpage] on the Edmonton Rush Official Website