Stuff keeps finding new ways to stand out in Orlando, and now he has another league-wide honor to show for it.
The Magic’s long-running mascot was named the 2026 NBA Mascot of the Year at the annual NBA Mascot Conference, the league announced Tuesday. It’s the third time Stuff has taken home the award, which is voted on by his peers around the NBA.
That puts him in rare company. Stuff also won in 2016 and 2017, becoming the first back-to-back winner in the award’s history.
The latest recognition comes after another busy season for the Orlando favorite, whose “Play the Song” moments after Magic wins helped him earn the 2025-26 NBA Digital Content Award. His “Choices Nope - Yep” posts also brought in the 2025-26 NBA Video of the Year Award, making him the only mascot in the league to win multiple awards this season.
Stuff has been a fixture around the league for decades, and this year marked his 38th season as one of the most recognizable mascots in professional sports. Since first appearing in 1989, he’s turned himself into a pop-culture regular with appearances on nationally recognized shows.
He also has a strong social media footprint, with nearly 75,000 followers on Instagram and another 11,000 on X. And his resume includes spots on NBC’s “The Tonight Show” and “SportsCenter’s” Top Ten Plays, thanks to his high-profile pranks and dunks.
The NBA Mascot Awards began in 2005 at the mascot conference, which gives NBA mascots a chance to trade ideas on game-day skits, props and outfits.
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