Jazz Bear

Jazz Bear is the mascot for the NBA team, the Utah Jazz. Jazz Bear was introduced to the league in 1993. Utah has a day named after Jazz Bear. Jazz Bear has received over 50 awards for charity service including the RC Willey community service award. Born in the Wasatch Mountains of Utah, Jazz Bear was destined to be a star. After graduating Bear Point Academy and performing as a member of the Bearnum and Bailey Circus (where Bear learned most of his tricks), Bear was finally discovered by a Jazz scout and was able to bring his high-flying, crowd-pumping skills to Jazz fans young and old. Jazz Bear separates himself from the rest with his combination of pyrotechnics and acrobatics. Jazz fans have the pleasure of watching Bear sled, surf and bike down the arena stairs. Some Bears hibernate when it gets cold; Jazz Bear prefers dunking through hoops of fire for warmth. The Jazz Bear is known to locals simply as Bear.

Bear is a huge part of the Utah Jazz's ongoing success not only in entertaining Utah fans at Energy Solutions Arena, but also in helping the Jazz team get pumped up for games. Bear got to see his Jazz reach the NBA Finals in 1997 & 1998, and has also seen Utah succeed as a perennial NBA playoff contender. Utah's ability to consistently reach the playoffs, coupled with Bear's amazing crowd-pleasing skills, have helped Bear not only become one of the most recognized & most popular mascots in the mascot realm, but also an important fixture at Utah Jazz home games. In 2006, Jazz Bear was inducted into the Mascot Hall of Fame.

Jazz Bear the Utah Jazz bear has also appeared on the MTV show Nitro Circus.

Jazz Bear also played linebacker at Bear Point Academy, and showed off his perfect form-tackling when attacked by a raging Cavaliers fan at center court during a game on January 14, 2011. He relied on his MMA-background to pounce on the Cavs fan and tap him out immediately, minimizing the massive threat the fan posed to most Jazz fans at the game. The fan attacked because he was angered that Jazz Bear stole his hat after Jazz Bear displayed a sign that read "I'm a loser" behind the Cavs fan's head without him knowing, which is completely reasonable considering the current state of the Cavaliers and the city they reside.