Phoenix Suns Gorilla Job Posting Indicates Mascot Needs Microsoft Word And Acro-Dunking Skills

The job posting for the new Phoenix Suns gorilla indicates that the ideal candidate has to do more than just put on a gorilla costume, pump up fans at the US Airways Center and delight crowds by dunking off a trampoline.

Computer skills are a required qualification to be the new Phoenix Suns gorilla, with the NBA organization asking that candidates be "proficient in Microsoft Office, Outlook, Excel, Word [and] PowerPoint" as well as being able to lift more than 50 pounds.

"Must be able to withstand and perform within extreme heat conditions, restrictive outfits, and impaired vision," the posting goes on to say.

Essential duties and responsibilities for the next Phoenix Suns gorilla go beyond performing at the team's games. The new mascot will be required to attend the annual NBA Mascot Conference and "represent the Phoenix Suns in a professional and appropriate manner at all times, inside and outside the suit."

The Suns said "gymnastics, dance and acro-dunk experience" is "strongly recommended" for applicants vying to be the next gorilla.

The posting also urged applicants to include links to video demos.

It's unclear why the Phoenix Suns are replacing the gorilla, NBC Sports noted, although a USA Today story reported a Phoenix Suns gorilla kicked a Miami Heat fan during an April appearance at a Tempe, Ariz., Dave & Busters. The Heat fan then allegedly punched the mascot in the nose.

But Robert Woolf, the man in the Phoenix Suns gorilla costume, was a backup gorilla and not the same mascot that cheers on fans at Suns games, according to the USA Today.

No charges were filed against Woolf in the incident in which he allegedly kicked Heat fan Timothy Austin because Austin didn't want to take part in a high-five. Austin then allegedly responded with a punch.