Red Panda is back.
The iconic NBA halftime performer, whose given name is Rong Niu, returned from a fractured wrist for a performance at halftime of Tuesday’s Bulls-76ers game in Chicago.
Bulls fans were treated to a successful show from Red Panda, then watched their team rally from 24 points down for a 113-11 win.
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Red Panda’s return
Red Panda previewed her comeback performance with fitting showmanship — while rocking a No. 45 Michael Jordan jersey for the Chicago home crowd.
The Bulls teased Red Panda’s performance and her outfit with a video ahead of Tuesday’s tip.
For years, Red Panda has been the marquee halftime performer at NBA games and elsewhere around basketball. She dazzles crowds while riding high on an elevated unicycle and flipping stacks of bowls from her feet to her head.
If your basketball game is a big one, there’s a decent chance Red Panda will be providing the halftime entertainment.
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The show’s better seen than described. And Red Panda delivered Tuesday night in her triumphant return.
Notice the lack of empty seats at halftime as Bulls fans eschewed beer and bathroom breaks to catch the show.
Chicago’s rally
Making things better for the home crowd, the Bulls rallied from a 75-56 halftime deficit for a 113-111 win.
Nikola Vučević hit the game-winning 3 to secure the game’s final margin with 3.2 seconds remaining.
The Bulls trailed by as much a 65-41 in the first half. The 24-point comeback marked their biggest rally for a win since 2021.
Red Panda’s injury
Tuesday’s show was the first for Red Panda since July 1, when she suffered an injury while performing during the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup final between the Indiana Fever and Minnesota Lynx. Red Panda fell off her unicycle and sustained a severe wrist fracture.
But four months later, Red Panda has recovered made her return. Fittingly, she made it in Chicago, where she rose to fame as a regular halftime performer during Jordan-era Bulls games.
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And she teased it with the No. 45 jersey that Jordan wore during his return to the Bulls after his break from basketball to play baseball.
Jordan went on to win three of his six NBA championships after his return. Here’s hoping that Red Panda likewise finds continued success upon her return to the court.
