VIDEO: Robin Lopez explains mascot hatred, says Pierre the Pelican is next
Like many psychological complexes, Robin Lopez's longstanding hatred of sports mascots has its roots in his childhood.
"Thinking back, I feel like my earliest encounter with mascots ... they were never too receptive of me," the 7-foot center told Bleacher Report's Howard Beck. "I was a taller child, I always looked a little older than I was, and so I don't think I ever got proper attention from those mascots."
Lopez - who's had dust-ups with Hooper, Harry the Hawk, the Raptor, Mariner Moose, Stuff the Magic Dragon, and Hooper again (and those are just the ones we know about) - has called his anti-mascot crusade "a mission from God."
Asked where that mission would be taking him next, Lopez didn't hesitate.
"I feel like the public wants me to go after the pelican, Pierre the Pelican or whatever his name is," Lopez said, citing the New Orleans Pelicans mascot's spooky appearance. "I feel like I'm doing humanity's work, I'm trying to be the people's champion."
Lopez, it should be noted, recently signed a four-year, $54-million free-agent contract with the New York Knicks, one of the few NBA teams that doesn't have a mascot.
Coincidence? Not likely.