NBA Player Brook Lopez Gets Nostalgic About Splash Mountain’s Closure
A sports star is joining Disney World fans in mourning the loss of a classic ride. NBA player Brook Lopez is getting nostalgic about the imminent closure of Splash Mountain.
Brook Lopez
Brook Lopez plays professional basketball for the Milwaukee Bucks. Disney fans may recall him making headlines last year when he proposed to his girlfriend in front of the Tree of Life at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
Photo: NY POST
Splash Mountain
Fans gave Lopez the nickname “Splash Mountain” during the 2018/2019 season when he continued making 3-pointers at a career rate. It also happens to be his favorite ride!
So much so, it was the inspiration for a Bucks hat he designed for a fan giveaway. Lopez estimates that he and his twin brother rode Splash Mountain around 18 times in a row during a 24-hour Days of Disneyland event.
Photo: Brook Lopez
Nostalgic About Closure
That being said, the star expressed disappointment about Disney World’s upcoming closure on January 23. In an interview with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, he shared, “It’s tough. It is, because as a kid, you remember the rides, the attractions you went on as a kid and some of those aren’t here anymore.”
He added, “And then to have a ride that is just iconic, timeless, my favorite ride … both the versions, L.A. and Orlando pretty much opened right around the time I was born. And so it’s been there pretty much as long as I have and it’s this big headline attraction and you don’t think it can close or anything like that, so to see it closing it’s very weird.”
He concluded, “It is definitely tough for me. I’m disappointed.” Although it’s unknown when Disneyland’s Splash Mountain will close, both the east and west coasts will be debuting Tiana’s Bayou Adventure in late 2024.
It looks like Lopez shares in the sadness of fans as they await Splash Mountain’s closure at Disney World.
