Popular performer Red Panda makes NBA return, roughly 4 months after breaking wrist in fall

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Red Panda wasn't on the injured list for very long.

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Red Panda wasn’t on the injured list for very long.

The popular halftime performer made her NBA return on Tuesday night in Chicago when the Bulls hosted the Philadelphia 76ers. She broke her left wrist during a July 1 performance at the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup final between the Indiana Fever and the Minnesota Lynx.

Red Panda — whose real name is Rong Niu — spent 11 hours in a Minneapolis hospital after the fall. Her agent, Patrick Figley, said Tuesday that Niu first returned from the injury on Oct. 23 for an Amazon Prime event and she has also made a few appearances at universities.

FILE - Rong Niu, also known as the performer Red Panda, performs at halftime during an NBA basketball game between the New Orleans Pelicans and the Los Angeles Clippers in New Orleans, Jan. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Tyler Kaufman, File)
FILE - Rong Niu, also known as the performer Red Panda, performs at halftime during an NBA basketball game between the New Orleans Pelicans and the Los Angeles Clippers in New Orleans, Jan. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Tyler Kaufman, File)

The Chinese American performer’s act is composed of her riding on the unicycle and balancing custom-made bowls on her lower leg before flipping them atop her head.

She has been a mainstay at countless NBA and college basketball games over the past several years, including Game 5 of the NBA Finals in June in Oklahoma City.

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AP Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds contributed to this story.

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Red Panda performs in the halftime during an NBA basketball game between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Chicago Bulls in Chicago, Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Red Panda performs in the halftime during an NBA basketball game between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Chicago Bulls in Chicago, Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

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