Clutch the Bear is the popular mascot for the NBA's Houston Rockets. The informal nickname "Clutch City" was given to Houston, Texas, the year the Rockets won the NBA championship after an unspectacular regular season in 1994-95. The moniker was adopted in response to a front-page headline in the Houston Chronicle declaring Houston to be "Choke City."[1] The Rockets' bear, appropriately named "Clutch," was introduced soon afterward. Clutch was named the 5th-most recognizable mascot in sports by USA Today in February 2005, and was inducted into the Mascot Hall of Fame in 2006.[2]
References
- ^ Dave Winder. 1994: From Choke City to Clutch City - Looking back. Rockets.com (2007 NBA Media Ventures, LLC), www.nba.com. Retrieved on 2007-05-12.
- ^ 2006 Inductees. The Official Mascot Hall of Fame, www.mascothalloffame.com. Retrieved on 2007-05-12.
