Red Panda is back where she belongs.
Halftime performer Rong Niu — best known by her moniker, Red Panda — took center court at Tuesday’s Chicago Bulls game
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for the first time this NBA season, four months after suffering a broken wrist in a fall during a WNBA game. The acrobat performed the entirety of her patented act, which involves balancing on a 7-foot unicycle while tossing bowls onto her head.More than half of the fans in attendance at the United Center remained in their seats during halftime to watch Niu’s performance. She received a standing ovation after landing the final trick of her act — flipping five bowls from the top of her foot to join the precarious stack already balanced on the crown of her head.
Niu’s act has been a staple of NBA, WNBA and college basketball games for more than three decades. During that time, she has suffered only one other major injury — a broken wrist in 2013.
Her most recent injury occurred July 1 during halftime of the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup championship game when Niu fell off her unicycle. She underwent surgery and was sidelined for the remainder of the WNBA season but pledged to return in time for the NBA and college seasons.