In two different countries, some 1,700 miles apart, two costumed men walked to the center of two basketball courts, turned their backs to their respective hoops and let a signature family shot fly.



One of those backward, halfcourt shots on Dec. 12, hurled by Nuggets mascot Rocky, splashed through the net at the Pepsi Center in Denver. The other one, launched by Pistons mascot Hooper, soared through Mexico City Arena before dropping into the basket.



For fans in attendance, the shots were entertainment, fleeting moments of admiration for an impressive feat. But to the two men who made them, a father and son who ply their craft hidden in costume, they represented something deeper, a shared connection 30 years in the making that only they have experienced.



“To have this line up like this is pretty wild,” said the man who performs as Rocky. “The moons had to align.”



That’s because the men who perform as Rocky and Hooper are...