LOS ANGELES — Brook Lopez has never been one to blend into the background.
The 38-year-old center has spent 18 NBA seasons as one of the league’s most uniquely interesting players, a 7-foot-1 comic book devotee who studied creative writing at Stanford, collects thousands of comics, and once told the Wall Street Journal that Comic-Con was one of the few places where he actually blends in.
Mattel
Advertisement
So when Lopez emerged from the tunnel ahead of Sunday night’s regular season finale against the Golden State Warriors at Intuit Dome, carrying a life-size Skeletor Havoc Staff, it felt perfectly on brand for a guy who has never separated his love of pop culture from his love of basketball.
“I’ve been a Masters of the Universe fan since I was a kid, so carrying Mattel Chronicles Havoc Staff for my final tunnel walk felt… appropriately menacing,” Lopez said. “Skeletor always had a flair for dramatic entrances, and I felt the power last night.”
The Entrance
The stunt was part of Mattel’s broader marketing push ahead of the live-action Masters of the Universe film, which hits theaters on June 5 and features Jared Leto as Skeletor alongside Nicholas Galitzine as He-Man.
Advertisement
The life-size Masters of the Universe Chronicles Havoc Staff that Lopez carried stands over five feet tall and features lights, sound, and smoke effects.
The collectible role-play item became available for pre-order today, April 15, at midnight PST.
Mattel
But the moment wasn’t just a promotional play.
Lopez has been a self-described DC Comics superfan for his entire career, and he and his twin brother Robin launched their own basketball manga called Transition Game back in 2021.
He has attended Comic-Con dressed as superheroes, befriended legendary artists like Jim Lee, and once spent his entire NBA rookie orientation doodling characters in the margins of his notebook.
Advertisement
The Los Angeles Clippers went on to beat the Warriors 115-110 on Sunday, finishing 42-40 and locking in as the ninth seed heading into the play-in tournament.
Lopez, who became the team’s starting center after Ivica Zubac was dealt at the trade deadline, has quietly been a steadying force during the second half of the season with his floor-spacing ability and rim protection.
Tonight, the Clippers and Warriors run it back at Intuit Dome in the 9-vs-10 play-in game with a playoff berth still within reach.
Lopez may not have walked in carrying a giant staff this time around, but don’t put it past him. If there’s one player in the NBA who would channel a cartoon villain on the biggest stage, it’s him.
