Ribbit and roll: A viral mascot fuels the Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cleveland Cavaliers had just won their 14th straight game of the NBA season.

The victory against the Chicago Bulls marked the longest win streak in franchise history. The Cavaliers became the sixth team ever to start a season 14-0. That swift start followed a busy offseason, which included moves that have ushered in a team that has exuded fun on and off the court.

Perhaps there is no better example of that than who Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen celebrated with after their 14th consecutive win: a frog.

More specifically, the Cavaliers’ mascot Moondog dressed as Froggy — the sign-holding, friendly amphibian the city of Cleveland has rallied around. The Cavaliers trio laughed and jumped around together on the court as Moondog flaunted a sign that read “14-0.”

YOUR CLEVELAND CAVALIERS ARE 14-0. #LetEmKnow pic.twitter.com/LS3q8ZAZXA

— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) November 16, 2024

VIBES ARE AT AN ALL-TIME HIGH, @ClevelandVibes. 😂🐸 #LetEmKnow pic.twitter.com/WekHeWyFeN

— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) November 16, 2024

Froggy had its genesis in a dancing frog meme that began circulating once Cleveland started the season 4-0.

The Instagram page @cleveorleave posted a video of Froggy, the “lucky frog” mascot. The account is operated by Kaitie Nickel and Mike Hamme, the founding members of Cleveland Vibes, a digital media company that partners with local Cleveland businesses to give them a larger audience.

@cleveorleave posted the video again after the fifth straight win, this time captioning it: “Posting until Cavs lose.”

Cleveland didn’t lose for another 2½ weeks. Fans adopted the meme instantly, according to Nickel.

Mitchell was with Garland when he spotted the viral mascot on social media, which “shocked the hell” out of him. Allen describes the mascot as “a vibe,” which brought a smile to the center’s face.

“It’s Cleveland,” Allen said postgame. “That’s just a vibe in the city and I hope it doesn’t change. … I’ve been wanting to dance with that frog since I’ve seen him.”

So far, the vibes haven’t changed. As Cleveland keeps stacking up wins, Froggy takes the city’s streets — most recently on Tuesday after a victory against the Washington Wizards.

Clevelanders see themselves in the frog and have rallied around her, Nickel said. From the tadpole stage, Cleveland Vibes has been at the forefront of the viral amphibian.

Cleveland Vibes said that they’re attempting to accomplish a female empowerment movement with Froggy, who is female.

Female mascots are underrepresented in professional sports — the New York Liberty‘s Ellie, Boston Red Sox‘s Tessie and New York Mets‘ Mrs. Met are some notables. Hamme called the underrepresentation a “disservice” and referred to Froggy as an “it girl.”

According to Nickel, the frog represents the female fan — and appears to be resonating with them too. Hamme said he witnessed a group of girls with frog shirts screaming “like Taylor Swift was across the street” upon seeing Froggy.

“You find that maybe the players and definitely the sports fans are protective of her,” Nickel said. “You get a feeling of wanting to fight for her.”

The mascot symbolizes how the Cavaliers are playing: a loose bunch that’s unexpectedly jumped near the top of the league.

“This is a reflection of what the team’s doing in the city and that’s fill[ing] out their energy into the streets,” Hamme told ESPN. “We’re grateful to the players, especially because I think what the city sees in them is something that’s evident.”

Froggy tends to hang around Rocket Mortgage Field House and Whistle Taproom & Venue, a sports bar next to the arena, after each Cleveland victory.

She holds up a sign with the team’s record on one side and “Cavs Win” on the other while dancing with fans as people throw their arms around her and chase her down the street. She also danced inside the arena after Cleveland won its 15th straight game.

“I’ve never seen anything like it in sports,” Nickel said.

Those types of reactions weren’t what they expected, even though a similar frog mascot had gone viral in the past in Asia, which Cleveland Vibes said they hadn’t seen prior to posting Froggy to their account.

Comments within @cleveorleave’s first four posts caught their attention, making it clear that Froggy resonated with fans. At that point, Cleveland Vibes bought in “pretty quickly” and knew Cleveland couldn’t be robbed of Froggy’s power.

Once the Cavaliers went 10-0, Cleveland Vibes purchased the Froggy costume. Members of their organization watch each Cavs game at their downtown office and prepare Froggy to run out if the team wins.

The players began interacting with the mascot from the jump. Hamme said they heard the locker room felt Froggy embodied some of their energies.

“They’re obviously having fun out there. They don’t take themselves really seriously. … The teamwork there is visible from the stands,” Nickel said. “They really do love each other. So it’s cool that we’ve gotten to be involved in just the chemistry that they have going already.”

When the frog takes the streets of Cleveland, a key component of her celebration is a signature side-stepping and hopping dance, which indicates the team has won. The Cavaliers’ mascot replicated it at 14-0, but Froggy has it locked down outside the arena with fans routinely joining in.

The initial post might have served as a catalyst for Cleveland’s scorching start.

According to Hamme, he was told that the beat of the drum and the frog’s entrance in the video resembles the dance of a Chinese dragon that brings gifts or money. Therefore, the dragon-esque dance turns the mascot into a lucky frog.

“We’re tapping into something sacred without knowing it,” Nickel said.

And the Cavaliers have reaped the benefits. Even though they’ve cooled off recently, dropping three of their last six games, Froggy has stayed consistent.

Each time the Cavaliers notch a win, she’s back in front of Rocket Mortgage Field House. Nickel said that they’re superstitious enough that they won’t stop. Hamme quickly clarified: “We’re not superstitious. We’re just a little stitious,” quoting Michael Scott from “The Office.”

But, their focus remains on Cleveland’s viral mascot as long as the Cavaliers hold up their end of the bargain.

“They’re showing up in a special way this season. We think it’s a lucky season. We’re thinking we’re going to break records all season long,” Hamme said. “And we’re here to dance with them.”