Once a celebrated spectacle of the NBA’s All-Star Weekend, the slam dunk contest had seemed to fizzle out in recent years due to a lack of superstar participants and overall unoriginality. Things changed this year, however, when the Orlando Magic’s Aaron Gordon stunned a sold-out arena in Toronto as well as a captivated television audience with an array of acrobatic feats. And while Gordon’s performance will not soon be forgotten, he couldn’t have done it without the help of STUFF, the team’s beloved mascot who partnered with Gordon on a few of his jaw-dropping dunks. We caught up with Shelly Wilkes, the team’s senior director for event presentation, broadcast production and creative services, to find out more about STUFF’s big evening (he doesn’t actually speak) and why he’s not only an important figure on game night, but in the local community as well.

ORLANDO FAMILY MAGAZINE: There was certainly a lot of excitement surrounding this year’s slam dunk contest, not only because of the amazing performance by Aaron Gordon, but also the role that STUFF played. How much practice went into the dunk routines?

SHELLY WILKES:Aaron had some practices on his own but had to balance practicing for the dunk contest with keeping his legs fresh for games. STUFF and Aaron practiced three times before going to Toronto and again Thursday night before the dunk contest. STUFF didn’t see him again until they were on court together on All-Star Saturday Night.

OFM: The response must have been overwhelming. Was it more than you anticipated?

SW: We were excited that Aaron wanted to include STUFF in the dunk contest, but it was really up to him to hit all of his dunks. Luckily, Aaron is extremely athletic and used his creativity to shine. The response was very positive, and we saw a major spike in social media for STUFF and Aaron. The other benefit for STUFF is that people now know the mascot for the Orlando Magic and are excited to meet him, take photos and interact on social media.

OFM: The dunk contest obviously put Aaron on a huge stage for the world to see and helped boost his notoriety. What can something like this do for STUFF?

SW: It’s the same for a mascot. It gives STUFF a bigger platform on social media, which in turn puts the Orlando Magic on a bigger platform, giving fans another positive memory associated with the Magic. STUFF has had a lot of success nationally with an appearance on Jimmy Fallon and a viral ‘proposal’ to Kate Upton in previous seasons. Participating in the dunk contest took all of that one step further and allows the STUFF and Magic brand to continue to grow nationally and internationally.

OFM: Obviously mascots connect with families and specifically children in a special way. What are some of the goals of the organization when it comes to interaction with the community whether during a game or out and about?

SW: The mission statement of the Orlando Magic is to be world champions on and off the court, delivering legendary moments every step of the way. The mission statement is something that we live by every day. Making legendary moments off the court is a key part of who we are, and STUFF is just one of the ways we connect with fans in the community.

It is our goal to ingrain STUFF into the lives of Central Florida residents through community events, fundraising efforts and fan interaction. One of the areas in which STUFF shines the most is not seen by most people. During games, he visits fans in the stands for birthdays, anniversaries, etc. Those one-on-one moments where he is making a fan feel like the most important person in the building is what is remembered most.

OFM: Orlando is certainly no stranger to costumed characters, so is it harder to make STUFF stand out in the crowd?

SW: When the character was developed in 1989, I think the thought was to make him colorful to stand out in the crowd with all of the other costumed characters in the area. We also have the benefit of the STUFF brand having a little more edge and athleticism.

OFM: STUFF is very involved with local schools. Can you tell us a little bit about this and why this is an important initiative for him to get out and interact with the young students?

SW: We developed the STUFF’s ThrEEE Point Play School Show during the 2012-13 season as a platform to connect with elementary school children. The 30-minute show focuses on the 3 E’s—Eat Right, Exercise and Education. STUFF and his team perform about 20–30 school shows and connect with 8,000-plus children per year.

Our organization and ownership group value serving our community, and this is one way we fulfill that promise to Central Florida. Not every child can come to a Magic game, but if we can bring a little bit of the experience to them and positively impact them, we have made a fan for life.

OFM: Any memorable stories of how STUFF has been able to connect with a fan or family in the area?

SW: Usually once a season, STUFF honors his biggest fan on court with a special moment. A few seasons back, STUFF met a teenager named Drew, who was only expected to live 24 hours, at a charity function and was blown away by Drew’s passion and positivity despite his physical limitations. STUFF organized an opportunity for Drew to make his NBA debut and dunk a basketball in front of 18,000 Magic fans. The fans stood and chanted, “Let’s Go Drew” as the young man put the ball through the hoop. It was a lasting special moment for Drew, the fans and STUFF.

OFM: What’s something about a mascot’s role with the team that people may not realize? Take us behind the scenes, as I’m sure there is a lot of planning that goes into making everything come together.

SW: People may not realize that the person that plays the character STUFF is the same person for all games, events, community appearances, etc. It is very important to us that the character’s personality remain the same regardless of the appearance. Also, people may not realize that the person in costume is a full-time employee and works more hours out of costume than in costume to prepare skits, stunts, videos, build props, communicate with fans on social media, and much more. There is a lot of preparation that goes into each game performance, including staying in great physical condition.

STUFF also is requested to perform internationally at NBA events and throughout the league at other mascot birthday parties, which continues to strengthen the STUFF brand.